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Efficient hydrogen evolution by liquid phase plasma irradiation over Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalyst

Authors :
Sajjad Ur Rehman
Shazia Shukrullah
Mukhtar Ahmad
Ejaz Ahmed
Muhammad Shoaib Akhtar
Irshad Ahmad
Muhammad Yasin Naz
Mohamed M. Makhlouf
Source :
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 46:30019-30030
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2021.

Abstract

In this study, the liquid phase plasma (LPP) was irradiated over pure zinc oxide (ZnO), strontium (Sn) doped ZnO, and Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from pure water and from aqueous solution of water-methanol. The possible relationship between hydrogen evolution and optical emissions from LPP for activation of ZnO based photocatalysts was revealed. The role of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a support material for improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was also investigated in this study. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water mixed methanol under LPP irradiation was compared with pure water splitting. The photolysis produced negligible amount of hydrogen due to minimal photodecomposition of water molecules under LPP irradiation. The plasma born reactive species also played crucial role in photolysis. However, the hydrogen evolution rate increased significantly in the presence of ZnO photocatalyst. Further improvement in hydrogen evolution rate was noticed on Sn doping of ZnO and compositing with CNTs. The highest hydrogen evolution rate of 11.46 mmh−1g−1 from water mixed methanol was achieved with Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalyst. This hydrogen evolution rate from water-methanol solution was 9 times higher than from the splitting of pure water. This hydrogen evolution rate is attributed to excessive production of hydroxyl radicals, red shift in optical band gap of Sn doped ZnO/CNTs photocatalyst, slow electron-hole recombination and fast decomposition of methanol as sacrificial reagent.

Details

ISSN :
03603199
Volume :
46
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........d6f918f1245e37b8fb49a0e797ded2b2
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.06.147