NANOSTRUCTURED TiO2 SENSITIZED WITH PORPHYRINS FOR SOLAR WATER-SPLITTING
MARCELA-CORINA ROŞU , RAMONA-CRINA SUCIU, SIMINA DREVE, T.D. SILIPAŞ, I. BRATU
AND E. INDREA
ABSTRACT. – Nanostructured TiO2 sensitized with porphyrins for Solar
water-splitting.The production of hydrogen from water using solar light is very
promising for generations of an ecologically pure carrier contributing to a
clean, sustainable and renewable energy system. The selection of specific
photocatalyst material for hydrogen production in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs)
is based on some important characteristics of semiconductor, such as
photo-corrosion and chemical corrosion stability, photocatalytic potential, high
sensitivity for UV-visible light. In the present paper, different
nanocrystalline TiO2 photoanodes have been prepared via wet-chemical techniques
followed by annealing treatment and sensitized with porphyrins and
supramolecular complexes of porphyrins. The so obtained photocatalysts were
characterized with UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy and spectrofluorimetry. The
purpose of these experiments is to show if the prepared materials possess the
necessary photocatalytic characteristics and if they can be used with success in
H2 production from water decomposition in PECs.
Keywords: TiO2, Porphyrins, Ruthenium complex compounds, Sensitizers.