Bio-waste-derived few-layered graphene/SrTiO3/PAN as efficient photocatalytic system for water splitting

• Published in: Applied surface science 2021-05, Vol.549, p.149176, Article 149176
• Main Authors: Daulbayev, Chingis, Sultanov, Fail, Korobeinyk, Alina V., Yeleuov, Mukhtar, Azat, Seitkhan, Bakbolat, Baglan, Umirzakov, Arman, Mansurov, Zulkhair
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bio-waste; Graphene; Hydrogen production; Photocatalyst; SrTiO3; Water-splitting
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.149176

[Display omitted] •Bio-waste few-layered Graphene/SrTiO3/PAN nanofibers exhibits multifunctional electrocatalytic behavior.•Composite photocatalysts were synthesized via electrospinning.•Few-layered graphene improved the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. Bio-waste-derived few-layered graphene/SrTiO3/PAN photocatalytic systems obtained via electrospinning technique have been investigated as promising, inexpensive and efficient photoelectrochemical materials for hydrogen production through the solar water-splitting. For the first time, a few-layered graphene synthesized from biologically waste materials such as a rice husk and walnut shell was used as a co-catalyst in a composite photocatalytic system. Results obtained in this work showed that the presence of the graphene is not only promoting the decrease of the band gap of the photocatalytic system, but also positively alter the effective separation of photoinduced charges. At the same time, those composite photocatalytic systems demonstrated a higher rate of the hydrogen release during the water splitting reaction when compared with the pure SrTiO3. Performance of the bio-waste-derived few-layered graphene/SrTiO3/PAN as a photocatalyst in the water-splitting reaction under the UV has been investigated. The developed photocatalytic systems based on few-layered graphene derived from bio-wastes, SrTiO3 and PAN are perspective candidates for production of hydrogen under splitting water-alcohol mixtures.