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Physically and Chemically Synthesized TiO2 Composite Thin Films for Hydrogen Production

Current energy systems are depleting rapidly, causing environmental damage. Hydrogen, a clean and renewable energy source, offers advantages such as high energy content and minimal emissions. This research focuses on synthesizing TiO2 composite thin films for hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting. The films are fabricated using physical sputtering and chemical sol-gel methods, with detailed analyses showing their structure, band gap properties, and photocatalytic activity. The study highlights the importance of clean energy sources like solar and wind for sustainable hydrogen production.

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Physically and Chemically Synthesized TiO2 Composite Thin Films for Hydrogen Production

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  1. Physically and chemically synthesized TiO2 composite thin films for hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting Ph. D. Student Rupali Dholam Supervisor Prof. Antonio Miotello Laboratorio Idrogeno Energia Ambiente Dipartimento di Fisica Facoltà di Scienze MM.FF.NN.

  2. Current Energy System Fossil fuel reserves such as oil, natural gas and coal have finite reserves and are depleting rapidly. Environmental Damage of Fossil Fuels: 􀀁 Climate Change 􀀁 Ozone Layer Depletion 􀀁 Acid Rains 􀀁 Air Pollution 􀀁 Oxygen Depletion

  3. Fossil Fuel Production/Demand (Petroleum and Natural Gas)

  4. Why Hydrogen Energy? Hydrogen Economy Global , clean and environment friendly permanent energy system……. • The advantages of Hydrogen as fuel are : • It is the lightest element, and has the highest mass-specific energy content among the fuels: 119.93 MJ/kg, compared to 44.5 MJ/kg for gasoline, at present the transportation fuel of choice. • It is ecologically neutral. • It is the ideal candidate for use in fuel cells, which produce very little emissions. • Hydrogen is safer than commonly used natural gas because it mixes much faster with air than either methane or petrol vapors (due to high diffusion coefficient) which make accidents in the open air less critical. • The major outcome by combustion of hydrogen is water which also contains hydrogen.

  5. But production of H2 from fossil fuels lead to increase in green house effect.

  6. To make the life cycle of hydrogen fuel to be clean and renewable it is very important to produce hydrogen gas from clean and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Transportation H2 water Electricity generation Primary energy source water Energy carrier Energy system consumption

  7. Catalyst used in Hydrogen production by Water Hydrogen Production: Solar light is used as the energy to required break the water molecule by using Photocatalyst 2H+ + 2e- → H2(gas) 2h++ H2O(liquid) → 1/2 O2(gas) + 2H+ 2hν + H2O(liquid) → 1/2 O2(gas) +H2(gas) Overall Reaction: Reaction takes place when the energy of the photons absorbed by the photo-anode are equal to or larger than Et, the threshold energy: Et = hν = 1.23 eV

  8. Energy Diagram of Photo-electrochemical cell.

  9. Requirement of the photocatalyst: • Must have energy band gap ~ 2 eV • Must have high Corrosion and photo-corrosion resistance • CB of semiconductor must be more negative than redox potential of H2 and VB must be more positive than oxidation potential of O2 • low cost of manufacturing Best Photocatalyst TiO2

  10. ITO Glass TiO2 photo-catalyst thin film is been synthesized on conducting ITO glass by Sputtering (physical method) and Sol-gel (chemical method). Sputtering (physical method) Sol-gel (chemical method). TiO2

  11. T = Result and discussion XRD FTIR • Debye-Scherrer equation : • . • sol-gel deposited TiO2 film posses • only anatase phase with low crystalline • degree • Crystal size of anatase phase was 6nm • and of rutile phase was 45nm. However anatase phase is most favorable for photocatalytic reaction.

  12. SEM Sputtered deposited film Sol-gel deposited film • Sol-gel film is quite compact with thickness • 135nm • Typically dense columnar structure with • diameter around 30-50nm is observed in • sputtered film

  13. ln T = ln T0 - C UV-Visible spectroscopy : • Absorption edge of TiO2 film deposited by • sputtering is at higher wavelength (~ 388nm) • Absorption edge of TiO2 film deposited by • sol-gel is at wavelength (~ 370nm) • The energy band gap of chemically prepared • sample is 3.4eV which is higher than theoretical • value for anatase (3.2eV) and rutile (3.0eV) • Sputtered deposited TiO2 band gap is 3.21 eV. • The absorption edge also contains shoulder at • 2.85eV indicating presence of impurity energy • level in the band gap • Band gap is obtained by fitting absorption edge of UV-Visible spectra by following equation

  14. Photocatalytic Activity. • In case of sputtered deposited film Voc shows maximum value when placed on • thinner ITO films as compared to thicker films. • Since the conductivity is inversely proportional to the thickness of ITO film,thus • deposition of TiO2 on thinner ITO films (30 and 50nm) gives better electrical contact • and favoring better photo-voltage. • Thickness of ITO film can be decreased further to enhance the photo-voltage value but • this will result incomplete coverage of the substrate.

  15. Composition analysis along the cross-section of the sol-gel deposited TiO2 thin film (a) beforeand (b) after heat-treatment at 500 oC. • Reverse behavior is observed for sol-gel deposited thin film which showed • increase in Voc by increasing ITO thickness up to certain value. • Heat treatment on sol-gel film causes diffusion of Ti atoms into ITO layer • up to depth of 120-150nm that will change the peculiar properties of ITO • which results in low Voc for thinner thickness. • For thicker ITO film (250 and 300nm) the Ti atoms partially diffused in to • the ITO film thus preserving its properties and shows better Voc.

  16. Electrical contact Apparatus to measure Separate evolution of H2 and O2

  17. Hydrogen measurement • The H2 generation rate for sputtered deposited sample TiO2was 12.5 ±0.1µmole/h and • for sol gel film it was 4.3±0.1µmole/h. • Due to band gap (3.2eV) ,impurity level contributed by stoichiometric defect, the sputtered • deposited TiO2 film leads to higher production of H2 than sol-gel film .

  18. Conclusions • Two different kinds of TiO2 films were prepared using RF sputtering and the other one by sol–gel method for hydrogen production by water splitting in photo- electrochemical cells. • Depositions were performed on electrical conducting ITO whose electrical properties play vital role to reduce the photon energy loss. • The photo-anodes(TiO2) have been characterized by several techniques to infer on their optical and compositional properties. • The observed differences in hydrogen production have been attributed to the peculiarities in absorption properties of the two TiO2 films that in the case of sputter- deposited films are more prone to absorb radiation because of the produced defects during the deposition process. Publication : Physically and chemically synthesized TiO2 composite thin films for hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting. R.Dholam, N. Patel, M. Adami, A. Miotello ,International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 33 (2008) 6896-6903.

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