TITLE:
1,4-Hydroquinone is a Hydrogen Reservoir for Fuel Cells and Recyclable via Photocatalytic Water Splitting
AUTHORS:
Thorsten Wilke, Michael Schneider, Karl Kleinermanns
KEYWORDS:
Fuel Cell; DMFC; Water Splitting; Recyclable Fue; TiO2; Chemical Hydrogen Storage; Quinones
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Physical Chemistry,
Vol.3 No.2,
May
24,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Photocatalytic
splitting of water was carried out in a two-phase system. Nanocrystalline
titanium dioxide was used as photocatalyst and potassium hexacyanoferrate(III)/(II)
as electron transporter. Generated hydrogen was chemically stored by use of a
1,4-benzoquinone/1,4-hydroquinone system, which was used as a recyclable fuel
in a commercialised direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The electrical output of
the cell was about half compared to methanol. The conversion process for water
splitting and recombination in a fuel cell was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy
and compared to a simulated spectrum. Products of side reactions, which lead to
a decrease of the overall efficiency, were identified based on UV-Vis
investigations. A proof of principle for the use of quinoide systems as a
recyclable hydrogen storage system in a photocatalytic water splitting and fuel
cell cyclic process was given.