COMBINATORIAL DISCOVERY OF PHOTOCATALYSTS FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION

This report summarizes the activities of a project initiated in September 2001 for the development of tools for the combinatorial analysis of materials with respect to the photocatalytic water splitting to generate hydrogen. As this project is just beginning the majority of the initial effort has been in developing prototype analysis modules and assembling the necessary optical, electrochemistry, sampling and analysis equipment. The prototypes for the photoelectrochemical analysis of materials, has been divided into a module for the analysis of nano-particulate suspensions and for monoliths. In the case of the powder suspensions each photolysis cell contains a micropressure transducer and a sampling port for collection of headspace gas for GC analysis. The signal from the micropressure transducer will initiate the autosampling of the headspace gas by an in house modified Gilsen sample handler. In the case of the monolith samples a design that incorporates the ability to make an ohmic contact and hence monitor electrochemical response of the sample has been developed. These tools will then be used to screen materials generated by our partner, NanoGram Corporation, using their proprietary nanoparticulate synthesis.