Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation

A novel photocathode has been developed for H2 gas generation from sewage water, utilizing a bismuthyl chloride–poly m-toluidine (BiOCl–PMT) nanocomposite supported on poly-1H pyrrole (P1HP). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms the formation of bismuth oxide intercalated within the po...

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Main Authors: Alnuwaiser Maha Abdallah, Rabia Mohamed, Elsayed Asmaa M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: De Gruyter 2024-12-01
Series:Open Physics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1515/phys-2024-0111
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author Alnuwaiser Maha Abdallah
Rabia Mohamed
Elsayed Asmaa M.
author_facet Alnuwaiser Maha Abdallah
Rabia Mohamed
Elsayed Asmaa M.
author_sort Alnuwaiser Maha Abdallah
collection DOAJ
description A novel photocathode has been developed for H2 gas generation from sewage water, utilizing a bismuthyl chloride–poly m-toluidine (BiOCl–PMT) nanocomposite supported on poly-1H pyrrole (P1HP). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms the formation of bismuth oxide intercalated within the polymer network through a chemical reaction, resulting in the creation of bismuth oxide chloride (BiOCl). This photocathode exhibits strong absorption in the UV region, extending into the visible spectrum, with a bandgap of 2.75 eV, enabling effective interaction with photons and efficient energy transfer to the photocatalyst nanomaterials. The material’s crystalline size is limited to 39 nm, and it features a highly porous polymer structure with a pore size of 20 nm, aggregating into larger structures approximately 300 nm thick. When employed as the working electrode in a three-electrode cell, the BiOCl/PMT/P1HP photocathode shows a measured photocurrent density (J ph) of −0.046 mA/cm² under illumination, which drops to −0.032 mA/cm² when the light is turned off. The resulting photocurrent of 0.012 mA/cm² reflects the photocathode’s efficient photoelectrochemical behavior. The performance of the photocathode during sewage water splitting can be adjusted by varying the photon energies between 3.6 and 1.7 eV, using filters to control photon wavelengths. This variation is evident in the linear sweep voltammetry curves, with J ph values ranging from −0.045 mA/cm² at 3.4 eV to about −0.042 mA/cm² at 1.7 eV under an applied bias voltage of −0.7 V. The photocathode’s high efficiency is further demonstrated by its ability to produce 15 µmol/h of H2 gas for a 10 cm² area. This promising performance, combined with cost-effectiveness, makes the BiOCl/PMT/P1HP photocathode an attractive option for green chemistry and industrial applications.
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spelling doaj-art-02d520516e9f41cda5fbe8fe6713f7232025-01-07T07:56:17ZengDe GruyterOpen Physics2391-54712024-12-0122111310.1515/phys-2024-0111Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generationAlnuwaiser Maha Abdallah0Rabia Mohamed1Elsayed Asmaa M.2Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh11671, Saudi ArabiaNanomaterials Science Research Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, EgyptTH-PPM Group, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, EgyptA novel photocathode has been developed for H2 gas generation from sewage water, utilizing a bismuthyl chloride–poly m-toluidine (BiOCl–PMT) nanocomposite supported on poly-1H pyrrole (P1HP). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms the formation of bismuth oxide intercalated within the polymer network through a chemical reaction, resulting in the creation of bismuth oxide chloride (BiOCl). This photocathode exhibits strong absorption in the UV region, extending into the visible spectrum, with a bandgap of 2.75 eV, enabling effective interaction with photons and efficient energy transfer to the photocatalyst nanomaterials. The material’s crystalline size is limited to 39 nm, and it features a highly porous polymer structure with a pore size of 20 nm, aggregating into larger structures approximately 300 nm thick. When employed as the working electrode in a three-electrode cell, the BiOCl/PMT/P1HP photocathode shows a measured photocurrent density (J ph) of −0.046 mA/cm² under illumination, which drops to −0.032 mA/cm² when the light is turned off. The resulting photocurrent of 0.012 mA/cm² reflects the photocathode’s efficient photoelectrochemical behavior. The performance of the photocathode during sewage water splitting can be adjusted by varying the photon energies between 3.6 and 1.7 eV, using filters to control photon wavelengths. This variation is evident in the linear sweep voltammetry curves, with J ph values ranging from −0.045 mA/cm² at 3.4 eV to about −0.042 mA/cm² at 1.7 eV under an applied bias voltage of −0.7 V. The photocathode’s high efficiency is further demonstrated by its ability to produce 15 µmol/h of H2 gas for a 10 cm² area. This promising performance, combined with cost-effectiveness, makes the BiOCl/PMT/P1HP photocathode an attractive option for green chemistry and industrial applications.https://doi.org/10.1515/phys-2024-0111bismuthyl chloridepoly(m-toluidine)nanocompositephotocathodehydrogen generation
spellingShingle Alnuwaiser Maha Abdallah
Rabia Mohamed
Elsayed Asmaa M.
Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation
Open Physics
bismuthyl chloride
poly(m-toluidine)
nanocomposite
photocathode
hydrogen generation
title Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation
title_full Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation
title_fullStr Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation
title_full_unstemmed Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation
title_short Bismuthyl chloride/poly(m-toluidine) nanocomposite seeded on poly-1H pyrrole: Photocathode for green hydrogen generation
title_sort bismuthyl chloride poly m toluidine nanocomposite seeded on poly 1h pyrrole photocathode for green hydrogen generation
topic bismuthyl chloride
poly(m-toluidine)
nanocomposite
photocathode
hydrogen generation
url https://doi.org/10.1515/phys-2024-0111
work_keys_str_mv AT alnuwaisermahaabdallah bismuthylchloridepolymtoluidinenanocompositeseededonpoly1hpyrrolephotocathodeforgreenhydrogengeneration
AT rabiamohamed bismuthylchloridepolymtoluidinenanocompositeseededonpoly1hpyrrolephotocathodeforgreenhydrogengeneration
AT elsayedasmaam bismuthylchloridepolymtoluidinenanocompositeseededonpoly1hpyrrolephotocathodeforgreenhydrogengeneration