Abstract
Photoelectrochemical cells have been constructed with photoanodes based on mesoporous titania deposited on transparent electrodes and sensitized in the Visible by nanoparticulate CdS or CdS combined with CdSe. The cathode electrode was an air–breathing carbon cloth carrying nanoparticulate carbon. These cells functioned in the Photo Fuel Cell mode, i.e., without bias, simply by shining light on the photoanode. The cathode functionality was governed by a two-electron oxygen reduction, which led to formation of hydrogen peroxide. Thus, these devices were employed for photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production. Two-compartment cells have been used, carrying different electrolytes in the photoanode and cathode compartments. Hydrogen peroxide production has been monitored by using various electrolytes in the cathode compartment. In the presence of NaHCO3, the Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen peroxide production exceeded 100% due to a catalytic effect induced by this electrolyte. Photocurrent has been generated by either a CdS/TiO2 or a CdSe/CdS/TiO2 combination, both functioning in the presence of sacrificial agents. Thus, in the first case ethanol was used as fuel, while in the second case a mixture of Na2S with Na2SO3 has been employed.
Highlights
Titanium dioxide (Titania, TiO2 ) is the most popular photocatalyst, and this is justified by the fact that it is stable, it can be synthesized and deposited on solid substrates as mesoporous film of several types of nanostructures, it is considered non–toxic and, most of all, it has very good electronic properties [1,2,3,4]
Dyes as well as organometal halide perovskites have been very successful as sensitizers of titania, but their functionality is limited to specific organic or solid-state environments exclusively applied to solar cells [5,6]
CdSe was added on the top of CdS by a chemical bath deposition (CBD), as in previous publications [8,32]
Summary
Titanium dioxide (Titania, TiO2 ) is the most popular photocatalyst, and this is justified by the fact that it is stable, it can be synthesized and deposited on solid substrates as mesoporous film of several types of nanostructures, it is considered non–toxic and, most of all, it has very good electronic properties [1,2,3,4]. In the sensitization in order to construct photoelectrochemical devices capable of producing a valuable solar present work, we have followed this established route for titania sensitization in order to construct fuel, i.e., hydrogen peroxide. Photoelectrocatalysis, which can directly exploit solar energy and employ biomass-derived which can directly exploit solar energy and employ biomass-derived wastes as fuel may offer the wastes as fuel may offer the means for sustainable hydrogen peroxide production. The purpose of the present work is toisstudy the production of hydrogen peroxide by means. The purpose of the present work to study the production of hydrogen peroxide by of means photoelectrocatalysis. To this goal, we have used a photoelectrochemical cell employing of photoelectrocatalysis.
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