Photocatalytic water splitting of improved strontium titanate for simultaneous separation of H2 in a twin photoreactor

A core-shell structural Rh-CrOx loaded on Al3+ doped strontium titanate was used for photocatalytic water splitting. A specially designed twin photoreactor, which integrates the water splitting and the degradation of isopropanol, can simultaneously carry out the degradation of isopropanol and hydrogen production. A flux method was conducted to prepare Rh@CrO3 cocatalyst on Al3+ doped high-crystallinity strontium titanate for the photocatalyst of hydrogen evolution. Nearly 1200 mu mole/g of hydrogen was evolved in photocatalytic whole water splitting in five hours under simulated AM 1.5 G sunlight. Pt-loaded WO3 was utilized to degrade 100 ppm isopropanol solution. The above photocatalysts were used in the twin reactor with electron-mediator I-/IO3- and a Neosepta anion-exchanged membrane. Hydrogen evolution of 1102 mu mole/g and isopropanol removal of 10.1% were achieved in five hours, indicating the rate-limiting H2 rate was overcome. The quantum efficiencies on the hydrogen-evolution and degradation sides were estimated to be 0.102% and 0.123%, respectively.

Automated summary

A core-shell structural Rh-CrOx loaded on Al3+ doped strontium titanate was used for simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of isopropanol and hydrogen production. A specially designed twin photoreactor was utilized, and with the help of an electron-mediator and an anion-exchanged membrane, high amounts of hydrogen gas were evolved through photocatalytic water splitting under simulated sunlight. The rate-limiting H2 rate was successfully overcome, indicating the potential of this system for efficient hydrogen production.