Photoreforming of Biomass - Producing Hydrogen from Sugar

Abstract

The future hunger for hydrogen in industry or for private cars will demand a growing production rate and will have to meet the requirements of sustainability. Photoreforming biomass to produce green hydrogen seems to be a promising way for fulfilling sustainable industrial processes. In this article the photoreforming of sugars is used as an example to implement this subject in science classes. For educational purposes an experiment is presented that demonstrates the photoreforming of a glucose solution with a TiO2/Pt-photocatalyst. The developed gas can be examined by gas chromatography or a detonating gas test. The aim of implementing this subject in school is to pick out an innovative way of producing (green) hydrogen. Photoreforming of biomass is also a suitable context to discuss and evaluate social, environmental and economical perspectives for sustainable energy resources and industrial processes in the chemistry classroom. Students can discuss different ways of how to reach the sustainable development goals presented by the United Nations in 2015 and learn to deal with contradictions by reaching these goals. This subject is therefore ideal for integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) in school education.