Highly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production via GO-modified Cu-TiO2 system for dehydrogenation of alcohols under UV & sunlight irradiation

Abstract

The high efficiency of the production of hydrogen from alcohols is vital to the advancement of energy technology. This study thoroughly investigates the process of alcohol dehydrogenation utilising GO-modified Cu-TiO2 photocatalyst under UV light and sunlight exposure. GO-modified Cu-TiO2 photocatalyst was synthesised using the hydrothermal method. Various experimental techniques, including FESEM, HRTEM, XPS, and DRS, confirmed the formation of the ternary composite. The influence of different alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol) and their concentrations (same vol% and molarity) on the amount of hydrogen (H2) production was examined in this study. The study thoroughly investigated the impact of various parameters, such as the influence of GO and Cu loading on TiO2 and their combined effect, time course, nature of alcohol and the reaction conditions on the photocatalytic hydrogen production. The GO(0.5 wt%)/Cu(3 wt%)-TiO2 (G0.5C3T) composite demonstrated the highest quantity of hydrogen production during methanol dehydrogenation when subjected to both UV and sunlight irradiation. The composite exhibited remarkably about three-fold higher hydrogen evolution in sunlight(881 mmol) than in UV light(294 mmol). The exceptional performance of this composite can be attributed to the efficient transfer of charge carriers and the delayed recombination of electron-holes, which is a result of the cooperative effect of GO and Cu deposited over the TiO2 system. This approach offers a proactive strategy, signifying the synergetic effect of loading GO and Cu over TiO2 to enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen production, which is regarded as a green fuel solution, and turns these materials into useful energy sources by using inexpensively synthesised photocatalysts.