Photo-electrochemical hydrogen production using novel carbon based material

Abstract

A transition to hydrogen as a major fuel could transform the US as well as global energy system increasing energy security while reducing environmental impact. This major transformation of our energy system would require a sustainable production of hydrogen using renewable resources. Hydrogen production using photo-electrochemical water splitting has been considered as a “holy grail” of sustainable hydrogen economy. Despite four decades of research since it was first shown that n-type TiO2 can be used for water splitting using sunlight, the search for a material that can efficiently harness solar energy for photo-electrolysis is still on. This paper will address some of the key challenges in the development of a material that is photoactive, stable, corrosion resistant and cost effective. This paper presents for the first time photo-electrochemical characterization of novel phosphorus, nitrogen doped carbon material (PNDC). The photocurrent density obtained was 0.416 mA/cm2, which is quite significant under visible radiation. This discovery opens up a large number of possibilities in development of a new class of carbon based materials for photo-electrochemical hydrogen production.