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Enhanced hydrogen production with photo‐induced phase transformation and cocatalyst loading
Author(s) -
Akyüz Duygu,
Özkaya Ali Rıza,
Koca Atıf
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.4828
Subject(s) - hydrogen production , photocatalysis , materials science , hydrogen , nanocomposite , graphene , oxide , catalysis , chemical engineering , water splitting , phase (matter) , nanotechnology , chemistry , metallurgy , organic chemistry , engineering
Summary In this study, reduced graphene oxide (RGO)‐Cd (1 − x) Zn x S nanocomposites have been synthesized with the solvothermal method in one pot. Moreover Pt, Ru, and Rh nanoparticles have been loaded on the RGO‐Cd (1 − x) Zn x S nanocomposites as cocatalysts with the aim of increasing the photocatalytic (PC) performance for hydrogen evolution reaction. The structure of Cd (1 − x) Zn x S blend transforms from cubic to hexagonal structure during the PC hydrogen evolution reaction (PCHER) at the room temperature. This photo‐induced phase transformation (PIPT) enhances not only the hydrogen evolution rate, but also the stability of the photocatalysts. Interestingly, RGO triggers the PIPT process only during the PCHER under solar light illumination. On the other hand, the loading of Pt, Ru, and Rh cocatalysts do not affect the PIPT process. However, they enhance the PC and photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production activity of RGO‐Cd (1 − x) Zn x S photocatalyst. PEC performance increases about 5.5 times when Pt (5%) and RGO are added to the Cd 0.60 Zn 0.40 S catalyst. RGO‐Cd 0.60 Zn 0.40 S including 1.5% Rh photocatalyst reaches a remarkable PC hydrogen production rate of 135 μmolh −1 with QE of 23.3% at 460 nm. Therefore, Rh cocatalyst appears as a good alternative to Pt.