Hydrogen production using a platinum modified TiO2 photocatalyst and an organic scavenger. Kinetic modeling

Abstract

This contribution reports the kinetics of the photocatalytic production of hydrogen using a modified DP25 (TiO2)-1 wt% Pt and ethanol as an organic scavenger. This study is carried out in a Photo-CREC water II Reactor with a specially designed H2 collector tank. Experiments are developed under the following conditions: (a) An optimum photocatalyst loading, (b) Near-UV irradiation, (c) An acid pH and (d) Using ethanol as an organic scavenger. This research considers an ‘‘In Series–Parallel” kinetics to describe the photocatalytic conversion of ethanol (the organic scavenger) and of other carbon containing product species. Rate equations considered are of the Langmuir–Hinshelwood type leading to a set of ordinary differential equations. Furthermore, it is observed that hydrogen formation is a near zero order reaction. Regression analyses are used to calculate kinetic parameters with a cross-correlation matrix and 95% confidence intervals.