title: Hydrazine as a hydrogen carrier in the photocatalytic generation of H2using CdS quantum dots.
abstract: The compelling need for safe storage and transportation of H2has made liquid-phase materials safer H2-carriers with a high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen density. Unlike thermal or electrocatalytic decomposition on precious metal catalysts, a photocatalytic route to decomposing these liquid-phase materials can offer triggered onboard production of H2and help mitigate the safety issues concerned with H2storage. We have investigated visible-light induced H2evolution from aqueous hydrazine using CdS quantum dots (QDs) as metal-free photocatalysts. Hydrazine acts as a H2carrier as well as a donor, giving rise to a visible-light induced H2evolution activity as high as 33 mmol h-1g-1at pH 8. This has been achieved by the use of CdS QDs capped with S2-ligands. The use of larger ligands such as mercaptopropionic acid hinders the adsorption of hydrazine onto CdS QDs and significantly decreases the activity. The effect of pH on the hydrogen yield in aqueous hydrazine has also been examined.
authors.affiliation: New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O, Bangalore 560064, India. cnrrao@jncasr.ac.in.
authors.forename: Manoj K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.affiliation: Chemistry and Physics Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India.
authors.forename: Uttam
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O, Bangalore 560064, India. cnrrao@jncasr.ac.in and Chemistry and Physics Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India.
authors.forename: C N R
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Rao