Solar hydrogen generation from spinel ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst: effect of synthesis methods. (17th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dom, Rekha; Chary, A. Sadananda; Subasri, Raghavan; Hebalkar, Neha Y.; Borse, Pramod H.
• Is Part Of: International journal of energy research. Volume 39:Number 10(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1378
• Page End: 1390
• Publication Date: 2015-04-17
• Subjects: Power resources -- Periodicals; Power (Mechanics) -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Research -- Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1002/er.3340
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0363-907X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="er3340-abs-0001"> <title>Summary</title> <p id="er3340-para-0002">This paper investigates solar radiation‐induced photocatalytic hydrogen generation using spinel ZnFe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> (ZFO) photocatalysts fabricated using different routes, viz., solid state reaction (SSR), polymer complex (PC), microwave sintering (μW) and self‐propagating combustion (SPC) method. The physicochemical properties of the photocatalysts like crystallinity, surface area, band gap and band energetics is studied as it influences their photochemical behavior. The study reveals a high crystallinity of the ZFO photocatalysts, those are synthesized using SSR, PC and μW methods, where SSR method yields the larger dimension crystallites of ~53 nm. The nanoparticles obtained from SPC methodology exhibit a relatively large surface area and a smaller crystallite size of around ~18 nm. Monodispersed particles with comparatively large surface area are obtained in the case of PC method. ZFO obtained from μW synthesis exhibits enhanced optical properties, thus favoring high absorption of solar photons. A relatively more negative flat band potential is displayed by the μW samples (−0.543 vs normal hydrogen electrode) as estimated from the electrochemical measurements. Consequently, these samples yield a higher quantum yield (0.19%) for hydrogen evolution even without <italic>co‐catalyst</italic> loading. On the contrary, the photocatalysts obtained by SSR and PC methods did display an enhancement in the quantum yield as compared to the μW samples but only after Pt <italic>co‐catalyst</italic> loading. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.</p> </abstract>