The role of activated carbon in boosting the activity of clitoria ternatea powder photocatalyst for hydrogen production

Abstract

This research observes hydrogen production from water using biophotocatalyst from activated carbon (AC) and Clitoria ternatea powder (CTP). AC is assembled by defective graphene layers and CTP by aromatic ring with hydroxyl groups. AC and CTP have been tested individually and in combination at irradiation light wave length from 600 to 400 nm. The results show that the same wave length of the absorbance peak of AC and CTP is due to their aromatic ring. The very low absorbance intensity in AC is due to its very low effective surface contact and the negative charges around the pores of AC attract hydrogen proton that hinders hydrogen production. The hydroxyl groups in CTP energize delocalized electron in aromatic ring by attracting the electron to transit them, therefore, absorb high light intensity. When they are combined, the photo catalyst performance in hydrogen production increase almost four fold. This is due to attracted force from the charge in the pores of AC to hydroxyl groups in CTP that further energizes delocalized electron in aromatic ring of CTP, thereby boosts the photocatalyst activity. When the wave length of irradiation light is the same as the catalyst light absorbance wave length, the hydrogen production is the highest.