What kind of facilities would I need? What are the materials for synthesis? What would be the type of reactor? What sources should I pick to start learning?
At first I think the following should be familiar to you, and then it depends on your interest:
• Water redox reactions in acidic and basic electrolyte
• Pourbaix diagram of water (E versus pH)
• Volcano plots for both HER and OER
• Semiconductor fundamentals
• Band edges positions of the semiconductor used with respect to the standard hydrogen electrode scale or you should know how to convert from the vacuum scale (for physicists ) to the electrochemical scale (electrochemists)
• Tafel slope for OER (OER is the sluggish reaction) to evaluate the catalytic activity of the electrode used.
Hope to see other suggestions from the scientists interested in the subject
Two important mechanisms you should understand in this aspect; direct and indirect photocatalytic mechanisms and when the water splitting thereof play a significant role in the photocatalytic process.
Thanks a lot
What if I just want to investigate the photocatalytic part of water splitting?
I mean synthesis and testing the photocatalytic process
Then I need again all of concepts mentioned above?
You are entering into a very quickly developing and rather complicated area. The question on "the photocatalytic part of water splitting?" does not make much sense. Natural and artificial photosynthesis includes three systems: 1) light harvesting; 2) charge separation; 3) two catalytic centers, water oxidation and water reduction. Ideally all these three systems should be incorporated into one device. There is no short answer for your question. I would advise you to read a special issue on solar fuels
Chemical Society Reviews,
21 March 2013, Issue 6
Splitting water into H2 and O2 is a basic scientific issue for which more inner mechanisms should be investigated to large scale use of solar energy. Photoassited degradation of organic pollutions is another important field for photocatalyst. Both of these two reaction are based on the light adsorption and the separation of electron and hole pairs.
To get more clean and efficuent fuel (H2) and clean water (organic polutions) to future life, more endeavor should be devoted to those basic scientific problems.
I agree Min.
"Splitting water into H2 and O2 is a basic scientific issue." This is thermodynamically unfavorable reaction, which uses light as a source of energy. The photosynthesis/(water splitting) is a conversion of light energy to chemical energy. The term "water decomposition'" is not used in the literature. To degrade organic pollutants in water using UV light is an extremely inefficient way, unless air is involved.
Formally, you are right based on IUPAC definition of “chemical decomposition:
‘The breakdown of a single entity (normal molecule, reaction intermediate, etc.) into two or more fragments.”
Currently, the following definition is generally accepted:
Water splitting is the general term for a chemical reaction in which water is separated into oxygen and hydrogen.
Thus, the term “water splitting” is used specifically for water decomposition.
The concept of PHOTOCATALYST was not introduced by Fujishima-Honda.
Photocatalyst term is much broader (see IUPAC definition):
Change in the rate of a chemical reaction or its initiation under the action of ultraviolet, visible or infrared radiation in the presence of a substance—the photocatalyst—that absorbs light and is involved in the chemical transformation of the reaction partners.
In Photochemistry, the photochemical reaction means: Generally used to describe a chemical reaction caused by absorption of ultraviolet, visible or infrared radiation. There are many ground-state reactions, which have photochemical counterparts. Among these are photochemical nitrogen extrusions, photocycloadditions, photodecarbonylations, photodecarboxylations, photoenolizations, photo-Fries rearrangement, photoisomerizations, photooxidations, photorearrangements, photoreductions, photosubstitutions, etc
Dear Payam,
Recently our research group published two Book Chapters entitled "Materials and processes for energy: communicating current research and technological developments" and "Potential applications for solar photocatalysis: from environmental remediation to energy conversion" which I added in my profile in Research Gate.
I believe that this material could help you to clarify your questions.
Thank you all for guidance
I hope entering this field of science will be successful
Best regards
Hi there.
I started working on this area recently too.
Like was said above, this is a big and fast changing area, so i would strongly advise reading some reviews in first place. That is the best way to keep up to date and learn some concepts at the same time. Study about semiconductors and band theory too.
You can also check the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. There is plenty of good material about water splitting. Try to find the ones similar to your own research, this make the things easier to start.
And more reviews...reviews are vital.
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