Visible-Light Driven Conversion of Pollutants into Hydrogen and Electricity Based on a Polyaniline Dynamic Electrode

A polyaniline dynamic electrode is prepared on titanium round plate through the galvanostatic polymerization synchronized with protonation and possesses the characteristics of conducting emeraldine salt state, granular surface structure, narrow bandgap energy, visible-light excitation. A photo-driving energy conversion system equipped with the polyaniline dynamic photoanode can degrade organic pollutants (i.e. reactive brilliant red x-3b dye) and concurrently generate hydrogen and electric flow. The hydrogen evolution amounts are 300.2 mu mol and 163.5 mu mol under ultraviolet light and visible irradiation, respectively. Based on its rapid doping/dedoping property, the polyaniline dynamic electrode is easily regenerated and almost recovered to the initial through re-doping with an acid. This work confirms the feasibility that polyaniline can be used alone as photocatalyst to construct a dynamic electrode, which is equipped in a photo-driving energy conversion system can convert organic pollutants into useful forms of energy (viz. hydrogen and electricity). (C) 2019 The Electrochemical Society.