TY - GEN
T1 - A rapid solar reduction method to TiO2/MoO2/graphene nanocomposites for photocatalytic water splitting
AU - Jyothirmayee Aravind, S. S.
AU - Ramanujachary, Kandalam
AU - Vaden, Timothy D.
AU - Mugweru, Amos
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - Semiconductor photocatalysis has emerged as an interesting area of research since the discovery of Honda-Fujishima effect. In this study, TiO2/MoO2/graphene composites have been prepared by a solar radiation-assisted co-reduction method, wherein ammonium tetrathiomolybdate salt and graphite oxide are reduced to M0O2 and graphene respectively along with TiO2. The method involved the utilization of focused pulses of natural sunlight using a simple convex lens, thereby eliminating the need for harmful reducing agents. The compound was characterized by XRD and SEM for phase identification and morphology. The TiO2/MoO2/graphene composite exhibits superior photocatalytic water splitting activity without using a co-catalyst. In addition, we demonstrate the electrocatalytic hydrogen production using this earth abundant catalyst, which shows high current density (60 mA/cm2) and low Tafel slope (47 mV/dec). The hydrogen evolved during photocatalysis was detected by gas chromatography.
AB - Semiconductor photocatalysis has emerged as an interesting area of research since the discovery of Honda-Fujishima effect. In this study, TiO2/MoO2/graphene composites have been prepared by a solar radiation-assisted co-reduction method, wherein ammonium tetrathiomolybdate salt and graphite oxide are reduced to M0O2 and graphene respectively along with TiO2. The method involved the utilization of focused pulses of natural sunlight using a simple convex lens, thereby eliminating the need for harmful reducing agents. The compound was characterized by XRD and SEM for phase identification and morphology. The TiO2/MoO2/graphene composite exhibits superior photocatalytic water splitting activity without using a co-catalyst. In addition, we demonstrate the electrocatalytic hydrogen production using this earth abundant catalyst, which shows high current density (60 mA/cm2) and low Tafel slope (47 mV/dec). The hydrogen evolved during photocatalysis was detected by gas chromatography.
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U2 - 10.1557/opl.2015.296
DO - 10.1557/opl.2015.296
M3 - Conference contribution
T3 - Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings
SP - 60
EP - 65
BT - Sustainable Solar-Energy Conversion Using Earth-Abundant Materials
A2 - Li, Y.
A2 - Mathur, S.
A2 - Zheng, G.
PB - Materials Research Society
T2 - 2014 MRS Fall Meeting
Y2 - 30 November 2014 through 5 December 2014
ER -