Issue 10, 2012

An eco-friendly, highly stable and efficient nanostructured p-type N-doped ZnO photocatalyst for environmentally benign solar hydrogen production

Abstract

We have investigated an economical green route for the synthesis of a p-type N-doped ZnO photocatalyst by a wet chemical method. Significantly, hazardous H2S waste was converted into eco-friendly hydrogen energy using the p-type N-doped ZnO photocatalyst under solar light, which has previously been unattempted. The as-synthesized p-type N-doped ZnO shows a hexagonal wurtzite structure. The optical study shows a drastic shift in the band gap of the doped ZnO in the visible region (3.19–2.3 eV). The doping of nitrogen into the ZnO lattice is conclusively proved from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and Raman scattering. The morphological features of the N-doped ZnO are studied from FESEM, TEM and reveal particle sizes to be in the range of ∼4–5 nm. The N-doped ZnO exhibits enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation (∼3957 μmol h−1) by photodecomposition of hydrogen sulfide under visible light irradiation, which is much higher as compared to semiconductor metal oxides reported so far. It is noteworthy that a green catalyst is investigated to curtail H2S pollution along with production of hydrogen (green fuel) using solar light, i.e., a renewable energy source. The green process investigated will have the potential to synthesize other N-doped metal oxides.

Graphical abstract: An eco-friendly, highly stable and efficient nanostructured p-type N-doped ZnO photocatalyst for environmentally benign solar hydrogen production

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Apr 2012
Accepted
10 Jul 2012
First published
10 Jul 2012

Green Chem., 2012,14, 2790-2798

An eco-friendly, highly stable and efficient nanostructured p-type N-doped ZnO photocatalyst for environmentally benign solar hydrogen production

A. P. Bhirud, S. D. Sathaye, R. P. Waichal, L. K. Nikam and B. B. Kale, Green Chem., 2012, 14, 2790 DOI: 10.1039/C2GC35519A

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