Photocatalytic systems for visible light driven H2 production from water

Abstract

Water splitting from sunlight is a clean and recyclable way to provide H2 as an alternative choice for energy requirements. The research in this thesis developed four photocatalytic systems realizing the H2 production from water splitting driven by visible light. A series of solid solutions between Zn0.95Cu0.05S and CdS with a cubic structure were synthesized through a simple coprecipitation method at room temperature. A series of CuS(y)-ZnxCd1-xS photocatalysts were synthesized in ethylene glycol using thiourea as the sulfur source. A novel and low-cost NiS/CdS photocatalyst system was synthesized via a simple hydrothermal route by precipitating nickel acetate on the CdS surface in the presence of a large excess of thiourea. A variety of noble-metal-free molecular systems consisting of xanthene dyes as photosensitizers and Ni2+ (or Co2+) coordinating to small sulfur-containing organic chemicals as catalysts were developed. All the developed systems were evaluated for photocatalytic H2 production thoroughly.