Issue 18, 2018

Superior solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency by visible light-driven hydrogen production via highly reduced Ti2+/Ti3+ states in a blue titanium dioxide photocatalyst

Abstract

Photocatalytic water splitting is one of the most important renewable paths and a reliable hydrogen production system. In most successful molecular and supramolecular biomimetic hydrogen production methods, a photosensitizer and a catalyst were constructed where the photoexcited electron in the photosensitizer is transferred either inter- or intramolecularly to the catalytic centre. Similar to supramolecular complexes in a photocatalytic hydrogen production scheme, here we develop a redox system that contains Ti3+/Ti2+ reduced states in TiO2 which act as both visible light harvesting components and the catalytic sites for the catalytic hydrogen production with visible-near infrared photons. The Ti3+/Ti2+ states in TiO2 produce hydrogen from pure water with a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of 0.89% and a quantum yield of 43% at 655 nm. The mechanism of hydrogen production by the Ti3+/Ti2+ reduced states in TiO2 involves the initial generation of highly air stable and highly reduced Ti3+ and Ti2+ states in TiO2 by the formation of an AlOOH layer surrounding the anatase and rutile particles. Once Ti3+ and Ti2+ states are generated, these states are continuously self-generated via absorption of visible-near infrared radiation where hydrogen is produced by the transfer of electrons from Ti3+/Ti2+ to H+.

Graphical abstract: Superior solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency by visible light-driven hydrogen production via highly reduced Ti2+/Ti3+ states in a blue titanium dioxide photocatalyst

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Jun 2018
Accepted
27 Jul 2018
First published
28 Jul 2018

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2018,8, 4657-4664

Superior solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency by visible light-driven hydrogen production via highly reduced Ti2+/Ti3+ states in a blue titanium dioxide photocatalyst

N. L. De Silva, A. C. A. Jayasundera, A. Folger, O. Kasian, S. Zhang, C. Yan, C. Scheu and J. Bandara, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2018, 8, 4657 DOI: 10.1039/C8CY01212A

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