Abstract
AbstractBACKGROUNDWith an increase in global bioenergy production, the ‘biorefinery concept’ has now become a significant focus of research. The desire to achieve efficient conversion of biomass material into both energy and value‐added products requires a combination of technologies and processes. As such, the photocatalytic reforming of feedstocks such as glycerol to hydrogen (H2) has a lot of potential.RESULTSReported here is the first example of a thin film‐based photocatalytic system capable of achieving H2 evolution using a glycerol feedstock. Using a titania (TiO2) sol–gel, glass columns were coated with a thin TiO2 layer before using photodeposition to add platinum (Pt) as a co‐catalyst. The coated columns were assembled into a simple yet effective recirculating system which used low power UV irradiation. Under optimum conditions (two coated columns and a 40 mL min−1 flow rate), a steady state of 0.9 μmol min−1 H2 with a photonic efficiency [ηphoton (%)] of 10.22 % was achieved. Furthermore, only one column showed flaking and loss of coating whereas the remaining columns were stable for the duration of the study, which equated to > 100 h of experimental testing including replicates and determining optimal parameters.CONCLUSIONH2 evolution via photocatalytic glycerol reforming in a Pt‐TiO2 thin film catalyst recirculating system has been demonstrated under UV irradiation and ambient conditions. The system developed highlights that it is both catalyst development and reactor engineering that are required to continue to advance the field of photocatalysis. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Highlights
The reforming of waste compounds and biomass for the generation of hydrogen (H2) has been shown to be a viable and potentially costeffective method for alternative energy.[1,2,3,4,5] In recent years, photocatalytic applications have turned their attention towards bioenergy and reforming processes with a view towards both energy production and value-added products.[6,7,8] Photocatalytic formation of H2 has been an area of intense research since the initial publication from Fujishima and Honda[9] in 1972; with the stringent requirements of pure water splitting, a number of alternative sources have been investigated
This paper reports on the development of a simple yet effective, small-scale thin film-based system capable of glycerol reforming to H2
Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
Summary
The reforming of waste compounds and biomass for the generation of hydrogen (H2) has been shown to be a viable and potentially costeffective method for alternative energy.[1,2,3,4,5] In recent years, photocatalytic applications have turned their attention towards bioenergy and reforming processes with a view towards both energy production and value-added products.[6,7,8] Photocatalytic formation of H2 has been an area of intense research since the initial publication from Fujishima and Honda[9] in 1972; with the stringent requirements of pure water splitting, a number of alternative sources have been investigated. Cellulose-derived substances have been reported for reforming to H2 by Zhang et al.,[13] Caravaca et al.[14] and more recently by Wakerley et al.[6] cellulose conversion can be limited due to its stable structure, glycerol as a feedstock for reforming to H2 presents a number of advantages including: high potential stoichiometric yield of H2, low commercial value due to overproduction and good solubility in water. The photocatalytic reforming of feedstocks such as glycerol to hydrogen (H2) has a lot of potential
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