title: Renewable energy production by photoelectrochemical oxidation of organic wastes using WO3photoanodes.
abstract: The present work has studied renewable hydrogen production by photoelectrocatalytic degradation of model organic substances representing biomass derived organic wastes. Its purpose was to show that renewable energy can be produced by consuming wastes. The study has been carried out by employing nanoparticulate WO3photoanodes in the presence of ethanol, glycerol or sorbitol, i.e. three substances which are among typical biomass products. In these substances, the molecular weight and the number of hydroxyl groups increases from ethanol to sorbitol. The photocurrent produced by the cell was the highest in the presence of ethanol, smaller in the case of glycerol and further decreased in the presence of sorbitol. The photocurrent was roughly the double of that produced in the absence of an organic additive thus demonstrating current doubling phenomena. Hydrogen was produced only under illumination and was monitored at two forward bias, 0.8 and 1.6V vs Ag/AgCl. Hydrogen production rates followed the same order as the photocurrent thus indicating that hydrogen production by reduction of protons mainly depends on the current flowing through the external circuit connecting photoanode with cathode. The maximum solar-to-hydrogen efficiency reached by the present system was 2.35%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raptis
authors.affiliation: FORTH/ICE-HT, P.O. Box 1414, 26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dracopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece. Electronic address: lianos@upatras.gr.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lianos
keywords: Hydrogen production; Organic wastes; Renewable energy; WO(3) photoanode