Water collection from air by ionic liquids for efficient visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution by metal-free conjugated polymer photocatalysts. (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Yu; Gao, Xiang; Liu, Xinwei; Ji, Guipeng; Fu, Li; Yang, Yingze; Yu, Qiqi; Zhang, Wenjing; Xue, Xiaomeng
• Is Part Of: Renewable energy. Volume 147(2020)Part 1
• Page Start: 594
• Page End: 601
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: Conjugated polymer -- Photocatalyst -- Hydrogen evolution -- Ionic liquids -- Visible light -- Water collection from air; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.09.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-1481

Abstract

Abstract: The scarcity of Groundwater on Earth increases the necessity to make full use of the ubiquitous atmospheric water (H2 O). Photocatalytic conversion of the H2 O from the air to hydrogen (H2 ) under visible-light irradiation by metal-free conjugated polymer photocatalysts (CMPs) would be an interesting and challenging route for fully utilizing H2 O resources and converting to sustainable and green energy. However, there is no such strategy reported up to now, to the best of our knowledge. Here, for the first time, we used various CMPs for H2 production using captured moisture by ionic liquids (ILs) under visible-light irradiation. The presence of ILs in the H2 O-absobed H2 O/ILs mixtures could enhance photocatalytic H2 evolution rate when compared to the pure H2 O. Particularly, the accelerated effect of [BMIM][BF4 ] was the highest (29-fold), with the highest H2 production rate of 96.5 μmol g −1 h −1 among all the IL-related systems investigated. We attributed the high efficiency of H2 photo-evolution from atmospheric H2 O to the activation of H2 O by ILs and the highly dispersion of photocatalysts in H2 O/ILs system. This work might open a new field to convert sustainable and ubiquitous atmospheric H2 O resources to clean H2 fuels. Highlights: Water is captured from air by ILs for photocatalytic H2 generation. Effect of ILs and metal-free CMPs types is investigated. ILs activate the water for improved photocatalytic H2 production.