AK&M 18 November 2024 14:21
Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) in collaboration with colleagues from the African University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) A new class of nanostructured materials has been synthesized that can be used as photocatalysts for splitting water molecules. Such materials are of great interest in the field of hydrogen energy.
Hydrogen is considered as a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels. To date, the most environmentally friendly way to produce so-called “green” hydrogen is considered to be its production by splitting water molecules during electrolysis in photoelectrochemical cells. Sunlight is used as an energy source.
This method uses electrodes made of expensive and scarce platinum group metals (MPG). The scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic University were faced with the task of obtaining alternative anode materials — cheaper, but no less effective than MPG.
“One of the most studied and widely used materials for photocatalytic devices and applications is zinc oxide (ZnO). ZnO particles by themselves cannot provide sufficient electron transfer, which is necessary for the chemical reaction of splitting a water molecule. However, zinc oxide can be modified and converted into nanostructures that will have good semiconductor and optoelectronic properties,” said Damir Valiev, project manager, Associate Professor of Materials Science at the Engineering School of New Production Technologies of TPU.
The researchers synthesized binary nanocomposite materials from tungsten disulfide and zinc oxide (WS2–ZnO). The synthesis of nanostructures was carried out by the method of electric spark erosion of zinc granules in aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide with simultaneous addition of nanostructured WS2 powder to the reaction zone. Previously, this method has not been used for the manufacture of such nanoheterostructures.
The results of the study showed that the obtained WS2–ZnO nanostructures have a good potential for use as a photoanode material for photoelectrochemical splitting of water in order to produce hydrogen for use in “green” energy.
The research was carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation under the Priority 2030 program of the national project “Science and Universities”.
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