Engineered Tungsten Oxide As a Photocatalytic Hybrid System for Hydrogen Energy Harvesting Applications

The utilization of hybrid photocatalytic system for the generation of hydrogen energy has gained attention due to its unique structural properties, sustainable solution and harvesting of solar energy for a wide range (UV-Vis-IR). In the current article, flower like nanostructures samples were prepared using hydrothermal method. The whole process of hydrogen evolution was performed under visible light irradiation. SEM, XRD, EDX, BET, UV-Vis, PL, and photocatalytic activity test were carried out to investigate morphology, structure, phase, elemental composition, surface area, optical properties and photocatalytic efficiency to produce hydrogen. Results demonstrated that incorporated quantum dots could play significant role to improve the photocatalytic performance. The sample prepared for 1.5% quantum dots in WO₃ showed 7.56 times higher photocatalytic activity when compared to that of pure WO₃. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of composite samples is attributed to extended absorption region, more reactive site for photocatalytic process, and efficient separation of charge-carriers. The current study will provide insights to design and fabricate novel nanomaterial for potential environment applications under natural sun light.