Hydrogen Production from Solar Water Splitting

H₂ Production from Solar Water Splitting

Faidy Rusinque

Mentor: Xianqin Wang

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ

Abstract:

In the last few years there has been an intensive research focused on alternative H₂ production technologies. Solar to-Hydrogen conversion methods such as photocatalytic water splitting need to be developed so that the transition to a hydrogen-based energy infrastructure can be made effortlessly. Producing hydrogen from water with tunable band gap of TiO₂ will resolve several issues: Proper utilization of the solar energy spectrum, clean hydrogen production, and minimization of CO₂ emissions. TiO₂ is perhaps the most promising semiconductor material due to its effectiveness for harnessing solar energy for H₂ generation.  In this study we determined H₂ production activities over a series of TiO₂-based catalysts from solar water splitting. We investigated the correlation between TiO₂ properties with the hydrogen production activities by tuning particle size, TiO₂ surface areas, and different metal (Pt) loading on TiO₂. TiO₂-based catalysts were synthesized with incipient impregnation method and characterized with CO chemisorption, temperature programmed reduction and desorption, surface area measurements at liquid nitrogen temperature, powder XRD patterns, and activity measurements. The activity results showed that the TiO₂surface area, metal dispersion and particle size affect the H₂ Production rate.