Second article: Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation
Another article which would be discussed is entitled, “Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation” by Xiaobo Chen, Shaohua Shen, Liejin Guo and Samuel S. Mao, a team of researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Xi’an Jiaotong University. This article, which was published in Chemical Reviews by the American Chemical Society, is a review of many research conducted in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen generation. With topics ranging from UV-Active Photocatalysts for water splitting, Hydrogen generation systems, Approaches for efficient photo-generated charge separation to Modifying electronic band structure, this 68 page review provides much information about how clean energy in the form of hydrogen gas can be produced. The section that was particularly useful to us would be the Basic Principles of Photocatalytic Hydrogen generation. This section provided us with the fundamental information on electron-hole pair, valence bands, conduction bands, band-gaps and photocatalysts. The article illustrates this by providing the following figure as shown below.
Another article which would be discussed is entitled, “Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation” by Xiaobo Chen, Shaohua Shen, Liejin Guo and Samuel S. Mao, a team of researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Xi’an Jiaotong University. This article, which was published in Chemical Reviews by the American Chemical Society, is a review of many research conducted in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen generation. With topics ranging from UV-Active Photocatalysts for water splitting, Hydrogen generation systems, Approaches for efficient photo-generated charge separation to Modifying electronic band structure, this 68 page review provides much information about how clean energy in the form of hydrogen gas can be produced. The section that was particularly useful to us would be the Basic Principles of Photocatalytic Hydrogen generation. This section provided us with the fundamental information on electron-hole pair, valence bands, conduction bands, band-gaps and photocatalysts. The article illustrates this by providing the following figure as shown below.
In words, this means that upon the irradiation of UV/visible light, “electrons in the valence band of the photocatalyst are excited to the conduction band, while the holes are left in the valence band”, creating “the negative-electron (e-) and positive-hole (h+) pairs”. The electrons then reduce the H+ to hydrogen gas and the holes replenish themselves with electrons by oxidising H2O into O2. |
This article was highly useful as it provided readers with many schematic diagrams to facilitate the understanding of key concepts that account for photocatalytic hydrogen generation, furthermore, large amounts of cross-referencing to past research were present in the article, allowing it to be well-substantiated. However, the article can be improved should there be more evaluation and comparison made between the past researches mentioned, instead of simply listing them, this would in turn allow readers to have a better insight of the industry as a whole.
By understanding how photocatalytic water splitting works, our group was able to decide on a suitable photocatalyst with the appropriate band-gap that was required for our experiments. Our group was also able to explain observations made during our experiments using the concepts of the 2 bands and the band-gap, highlighted in this article, helping us significantly in our research.
By understanding how photocatalytic water splitting works, our group was able to decide on a suitable photocatalyst with the appropriate band-gap that was required for our experiments. Our group was also able to explain observations made during our experiments using the concepts of the 2 bands and the band-gap, highlighted in this article, helping us significantly in our research.