Photocatalyts for sunlight driven simultaneous hydrogen generation and plastic degradation.

Hydrogen is an important feedstock for various chemical processes and a promising green energy source for producing electricity and heat. However, its production via steam-methane reforming releases ~8.6 tons of carbon dioxide per ton of hydrogen manufactured. Alternatively, its generation via water electrolysis using renewable energy is greener but currently expensive. Sustainable and affordable production of hydrogen is extremely important for its extensive commercialization and adaptation. Plastics are the third-largest produced material globally and according to the assessment of the United Nations Environment Programme, 85% of the total weight of marine debris is made of plastic waste. The most common ways of handling plastics are landfill disposal, incineration, and mechanical reprocessing which cause significant soil, air, water, and food pollution. Therefore, photocatalytic technologies that can simultaneously generate hydrogen and upcycle plastics into value added products using sunlight as the only energy source is an attractive solution to address these two major challenges.

This project will focus on the development of photocatalysts composed of earth abundant elements and a photoreactor that can efficiently harvest sunlight. The absorbed light will be used to directly convert water into hydrogen and plastics into value added oxidation products. The lifetime of the catalyst, the light-to-fuel conversion efficiency, and the selectivity of plastic oxidation process will be established under 1-sun illumination and concentrated sunlight (2-5 suns). The expected outcome is to build photocatalytic system that is low-cost compared to electrolysis due to simpler system designs and fewer infrastructure requirements and can be scaled to various sizes allowing for decentralized operation. The commercial application of this technology can offer economic benefits by creating new industries and job opportunities in both waste management and clean energy sectors.