Fuel Cell Geared in Reverse: Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Using a TiO2/Nafion/Pt Membrane Assembly with No Applied Bias

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• 作者：Brian Seger ; Prashant V. Kamat
• 刊名：Journal of Physical Chemistry C
• 出版年：2009
• 出版时间：October 29, 2009
• 年：2009
• 卷：113
• 期：43
• 页码：18946-18952
• 全文大小：357K
• 年卷期：v.113,no.43(October 29, 2009)
• ISSN：1932-7455

文摘

A polymer membrane electrode assembly (MEA) consisting of a TiO₂ photoanode, a Pt cathode, and a proton exchange membrane (PEM) was constructed to generate hydrogen continuously under UV excitation with no applied bias. The acidified methanol is oxidized at the UV-irradiated TiO₂ photocatalyst, and H⁺ ions are driven to the Pt cathode surface through the Nafion membrane. Photocurrent generation of 0.34 mA/cm² under UV irradiation (λ > 300 nm) shows effective operation of the fuel cell in reverse for solar hydrogen production. A polarization curve of the photoelectrolysis cell exhibits an open circuit voltage of 0.5 V and a maximum power of 45 μW/cm². The reduction of H⁺ at a Pt cathode under no applied bias was confirmed from the evolution of H₂ gas with a rate of 69 μL h⁻¹ cm⁻².