Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production via water splitting using cobalt-based organic nanofibers under visible light irradiation

• Published in: RSC advances 2024-10, Vol.14 (47), p.34904-34917
• Main Authors: Barakat, Nasser A M, Tayeb, Aghareed M, Hamad, Rahma, Hashem, Mohamed, Fouad, Hassan, Kim, Hak Yong, Hefny, Rasha A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative energy; Alternative energy sources; Chemistry; Clean energy; Cobalt; Cobalt acetates; Cobalt oxides; Energy gap; Hydrogen production; Light irradiation; Nanofibers; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Polyvinyl alcohol; Reactor design; Water gas; Water splitting; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/d4ra06778a

This study focuses on the development of cobalt-based organic nanofibers as efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production water splitting under visible light irradiation. The depletion of fossil fuels necessitates the exploration of alternative energy sources, with hydrogen emerging as a promising candidate due to its clean and renewable nature. While conventional photocatalysts have shown potential, their limited activity under visible light and fast electron-hole recombination hinder their efficiency. In this work, cobalt acetate/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CoAc/PVA) nanofibers were electrospun and treated in a novel reactor design under water gas atmosphere at 160 °C to produce continuous, smooth, and stable nanobelts. The nanofibers displayed a band gap energy of 2.29 eV, indicating strong absorption in the visible light range. Detailed characterization using FTIR, XPS, SEM, and TGA confirmed the formation of organic-inorganic hybrid nanofibers with uniform cobalt distribution. Hydrogen production experiments showed that the proposed nanofibers significantly outperformed Co O nanofibers, with an optimal hydrogen generation rate of 3.266 mmol g s at 70 vol% methanol. Furthermore, the treated nanofibers demonstrated good stability over multiple cycles, maintaining a constant hydrogen production rate after the third run. The study highlights the advantages of cobalt-based organic nanofibers in overcoming the limitations of traditional photocatalysts, providing a novel route for sustainable hydrogen production.