Enhancement of Photocatalytic Water Splitting Rate via Rayleigh Convection

• 作者: Ben Kariya Haruna Banno Hidenori Kato Junki Tsuge Keisuke Sawada Kyota Tokutake Norifumi Isu Saeko Miwa Seiichi Deguchi Shoichiro Imaizumi Shoji Shimasaki
• 来源期刊: 绿色与可持续化学(英文)
• 学科: 化学
• 关键词: Photocatalytic Water Splitting PT/TIO2 Powder RATE ENHANCEMENT VOLUMETRIC Reaction Thermal Treatment RAYLEIGH CONVECTION Thermo-Hydrodynamic Simulation
• 年，卷（期）: 2014,（2）
• 页码范围: 80-86
• 页数: 7页
• 分类号: O6

摘要

In order to enhance photocatalytic water splitting rates with Pt/TiO2 powder, sufficient agitation of the biphasic medium is required to switch surficial reactions to volumetric reactions. Additionally, agitation is conducive to higher diffusion rates of the generated hydrogen and co-produced oxygen, hindering their ability to re-couple to water on Pt loaded to TiO2 powder. In order to create agitation without consuming any electricity, a novel technique utilizing Rayleigh convection was applied, and its ability to enhance photocatalytic water splitting rates was evaluated. Higher Rayleigh convective flow rates resulted in higher photocatalytic water splitting rates. Utilization of Rayleigh convection approximately doubled the photocatalytic water splitting rates, despite relatively low convective flow velocities (obtained through simple thermo-hydrodynamic simulations). The rate enhancement achieved through Rayleigh convection is a result of its ability to disperse the ultrafine Pt/TiO2 particles throughout the whole medium, leading to volumetric reactions.