ABSTRACT
The sustainable production of hydrogen is a key step in the transition and accomplishment of Net Zero. A promising method of achieving this is via solar conversion of water either directly or indirectly. Photocatalytic hydrogen production is challenging; however, it also has the greatest potential for impact. Since the initial report of water splitting in 1972 by Fujishima and Honda, research has focused on improving overall system efficiency, synthesising novel materials and designing suitable reactors. Direct water splitting is the ideal process for photocatalytic H2 production, however, thermodynamically it’s an ‘uphill’ reaction which makes it unfavourable. The use of sacrificial electron donors (SEDs) however present an alternative method for production. SEDs can undergo irreversible photocatalytic oxidation and in doing facilitate the reduction of protons to H2. Previously, compounds such as alcohols and acids have all been used, however there is now focus on using sustainable materials that come from waste sources and have a low commercial value such as cellulose, glycerol and lignocellulose. As part of the EPSRC Supergen Bioenergy Hub, we have been investigating the impact pre-treatment processes and varying feedstock substrates have on photocatalytic H2 generation. A key objective of the work has been looking at the whole process from the fundamental reactions on the photocatalyst surface through to how these mechanisms can be maximized by effective reactor design. An overview of our key findings is presented here, which highlights the potential of the technology for sustainable and green H2 production.
Slide deck: Chris Hardacre_Johnson Matthey 2023
BIOGRAPHY
Chris Hardacre is Head of the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Manchester. He obtained a PhD from Cambridge University in 1994 and moved to Queen’s University, Belfast in 1995 and was appointed as Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2003. In 2016, he moved to the University of Manchester. He was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Encouraging Innovation Award with Merck Chemicals Ltd and was part of the team to win the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education, in 2013 was the inaugural winner of the IChemE’s Andrew Medal for catalysis and in 2022 won the Tilden prize from the RSC. His group has strong research interests in catalysis and ionic liquids. He is a co-PI of the UK Catalysis Hub and is an elected member of the Royal Irish Academy. He has >490 publications and 11 patents.