In the future, hydrogen produced from sunlight and water using photocatalysts could provide a source of clean energy. Researchers have developed a method to detect the oxygen produced from this water-splitting reaction 1000 times faster. This new method can be utilized to improve our understanding of artificial photosynthesis’ reaction mechanisms and could contribute towards the development and large-scale implementation of photocatalyst technology for producing hydrogen fuel.
During artificial photosynthesis, oxygen (O2) is produced by the photocatalyst via the water splitting reaction. Working with researchers from Kanazawa University, Shinshu University and The University of Tokyo, Professor ONISHI Hiroshi et al. of Kobe University’s Graduate School of Science developed a measurement evaluation method which is able to detect O2 1000 times faster than conventional methods. It is hoped that the method developed through this research can be utilized to improve our understanding of the reaction mechanisms behind artificial photosynthesis and contribute towards developing photocatalysts that could be implemented in the real world.
The importance of making these research results public as soon as possible has been recognized; the paper published in the American Chemistry Society’s journal ACS Catalysis was given an advanced online release on October 29, 2020.
Research Background
Artificial photosynthesis, which can be utilized to produce chemical energy (hydrogen fuel) from sunlight and water has received much attention for its potential to provide an energy source that does not emit CO2. Photocatalysts are the key component of artificial photosynthesis. The first photocatalyst material was discovered and developed by Japanese researchers in the 1970s, and scientists around the world have continuously strived to improve their efficiency over the last 50 years.
The current research study used a strontium titanate (SrTiO3) photocatalyst, which was originally developed by Special Contract Professor DOMEN Kazunari et al. of Shinshu University (a contributing researcher to this study). As a result of various improvements made by Shinshu’s Associate Professor HISATOMI Takashi et al. (also a contributing researcher), this photocatalytic material achieved the highest reaction yield (i.e. the efficiency of hydrogen conversion from water via illumination by ultraviolet light) in the world. The final remaining issue is improving the efficiency of hydrogen generation from water and sunlight, instead of artificial ultraviolet light. Overcoming this issue would mean the birth of CO2-free hydrogen fuel producing technology that can be utilized by society.
Story Source: Materials provided by Kobe University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.