Photoreforming uses solar energy to activate photocatalysts for green hydrogen production while simultaneously facilitating organic oxidation. Compared to overall water splitting, photoreforming provides a more energy-efficient pathway to convert solar energy into hydrogen, significantly enhancing the hydrogen production rate [1].
Glycerol, a major byproduct of biodiesel manufacturing, is an attractive organic substrate for photoreforming [2]. The large quantity and low cost (US$0.11/kg) of glycerol from biodiesel production raise concerns about its disposal and environmental impact. Photoreforming offers a solution by upgrading glycerol to simultaneously generate hydrogen and valuable chemicals like dihydroxyacetone (US$150/kg). This approach can reduce costs for green hydrogen production while addressing environmental challenges [3].
This research aims to design zinc indium sulphide photocatalysts loaded with various metal cocatalysts, optimising hydrogen evolution activity and directing glycerol oxidation towards high-value products.
School
Chemical Engineering
Research Area
Photocatalysis | Renewable energy | Solar fuel conversion
- Research environment
- Expected outcomes
- Supervisory team
- Reference material/links
The student will have the opportunity to work in the Particles and Catalysis Research Group (PartCat) under the guidance of Scientia Professor Rose Amal. The student will have the access to well-equipped laboratories with experimental facilities and computational tools for photocatalysis research. The student will work in a multidisciplinary research environment and learn various functional skills to facilitate future career in academic or industry.
The student is expected to gain experience in nanomaterials synthesis and characterisation as well as photocatalytic activity measurements. The project will also allow the student to work with other research students to gain valuable interdisciplinary experience. The generated knowledge and data will result in a scientific journal publication. Continuing of the research as an 4th year honour thesis project is possible.
- Toe, C. Y., Tsounis, C., Zhang, J., Masood, H., Gunawan, D., Scott, J., Amal, R. (2021). Advancing Photoreforming of Organics: Highlights on Photocatalyst and System Designs for Selective Oxidation Reactions. Energy Environ. Sci. 14, 1140-1175.
- Wen, L., Zhang, X., Abdi, F. F. (2024). Photoelectrochemical Glycerol Oxidation as a Sustainable and Valuable Technology. Mater. Today Energy 44, 101648.
- Gunawan, D., Zhang, J., Li, Q., Toe, C. Y., Scott, J., Antonietti, M., Guo, J., Amal, R. (2024). Materials Advances in Photocatalytic Solar Hydrogen Production: Integrating Systems and Economics for a Sustainable Future. Adv. Mater. 2404618.