1. Nanoplasmonic Microfluidic Electrolyzer for Membraneless Hydrogen Production
- Author
-
Mahanta, Jiwajyoti, Gupta, Saptarshi, Parmar, Prathu Raja, Saha, Devi Rupa, Parashar, Chintak Kamalesh, De, Mahuya, Mandal, Tapas Kumar, and Bandyopadhyay, Dipankar
- Abstract
Electro-oxidation of alkaline ethanol solutions has emerged as a promising alternative for hydrogen production, overcoming limitations associated with traditional membrane-based proton-exchange and alkaline electrolyzers. In the present study, a T-shaped portable microfluidic electrolyzer has been fabricated, which effectively splits alkaline ethanol using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and nanorods (Au NRs). Simulated solar irradiation generates a high-intensity electric field across screen-printed electrodes (SPE) integrated with the microfluidic channel at a significantly low voltage to electrolyze the alkaline ethanol and generate hydrogen. The presence of Au NPs/NRs in the electrolyte further enhances the field due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and increased electrical conductance of the electrolyte. Electrolytes with Au NPs show superior photoresponsive properties, a lower bandgap (Eg: 3.37 eV), higher current density (e.g., 7,850 A m–2), and increased hydrogen (H2) production (∼252.8 μmol h–1) capacity, highlighting the advantage of Au NPs over Au NRs. A prototype featuring 176 such units demonstrates the capacity of a continuous production of 1 L of H2per hour at a remarkably low capital investment, which highlights the potential of this concept for a μ-VLSI.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF