Virtual Booth

Hydrogen is one of the most promising alternative energy sources, especially green hydrogen, as it does not emit carbon into the atmosphere when used as fuel. Many countries are putting in efforts to develop this field, as it shows promises of great results in the future. However, conventional clean hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water, which requires a significant amount of electrical energy. This high energy demand limits its overall sustainability and cost-effectiveness, particularly when the electricity itself is generated from non-renewable sources. Therefore, new approaches are required to make hydrogen production both greener and more efficient, alongside being less costly. This project investigates the potential of using photocatalysts to assist in water splitting, thereby reducing the amount of external electrical input needed while maintaining or even increasing hydrogen yield. Photocatalytic water splitting utilises two readily available sources, namely water and solar with the aid of abundant photocatalysts. The photocatalysts selected were zinc oxide (ZnO) and iron oxide (Fe3O4), chosen for their low cost, natural abundance, chemical stability, and reported photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet (UV) light. In this study, thin coatings of these materials were deposited onto graphite electrodes and tested in an alkaline potassium hydroxide solution. A UV light source was directed onto the photocatalyst-coated electrodes during electrolysis, allowing comparison of hydrogen production rates both with and without photocatalyst assistance. Hydrogen was collected and measured in cubic centimetres (cm³) using a gas displacement method, while voltage and current were monitored to assess changes in electrical energy consumption. The study also considered the apparent quantum yield (AQY) to evaluate how efficiently photons contributed to hydrogen generation.