Solar hydrogen production via photocatalytic water splitting has become an exciting field of study. Among the various materials that have been examined as effective materials, titanium dioxide has become a popular choice. However, its absorption is limited to the Ultra-violet spectrum. Hence, efforts have focused on extending the absorption into the visible region. Towards this goal, metal nanoparticles, metal ions, and non-metals such as Carbon have been incorporated into the titania matrix. In this work the carbon source is synthesized using Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid. Herein, a mesoporous silica material consisting of spatially isolated photocatalytic titania moieties was prepared and characterized. Ascorbic acid was adsorbed on to the surface of the mesoporous material and pyrolyzed. Using carbon as a surface modifier, the absorption onset of titania can be shifted to the visible region. The resulting material was characterized extensively by several physico-chemical methods. In addition, water splitting studies were performed to determine the hydrogen production abilities.

Vitamin C as a surface modifier for solar hydrogen production

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.