The effect of cellulose loading on the photoactivity of cellulose-TiO2 hybrids for hydrogen production under simulated sunlight

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.09.022
• Publication Date: 2017-11-01T07:34:11Z
• Authors: Ana C. de M. Oliv...; Marluce S. dos Sa...; Luma M. S. Brandão; Iraí Tadeu F. de ...; Inmaculada M. Leo; Erika S. Morillo; Rufino M. N. Yerga; J.L.G. Fierro; Silvia M. da S. E...; Renan T. Figueiredo
• Keywords: Thermogravimetric analysis

Abstract This work reports the use of cellulose-TiO2 hybrids as photocatalysts for hydrogen production from aqueous ethanol solutions under simulated sunlight. The influence of cellulose loading on hybrids incorporated by impregnation was studied. The cellulose-TiO2 hybrids were characterized by elemental analysis (CHNS), thermo-gravimetric (TGA), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results show that cellulose loading influence on the physico-chemical properties and on photoactivity of cellulose-TiO2 hybrids for H2 production from ethanol solutions. All hybrids show a significant increase in the H2 production rate respect to that achieved on bare TiO2. The H2 production rate over cellulose-TiO2 hybrids depend on the cellulose coverage on TiO2, achieving the better photoactivity the hybrid formed with intermediate cellulose loading.