Dye Sensitized, Chemically Modified n-TiO2 Photoanode-Based Photoelectrochemical Generation of Hydrogen from Water

InnoSense LLC (ISL), in collaboration with Professor Shahed U.M. Khan at Duquesne University at Pittsburgh, a leading expert within the U.S. and currently active in the photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation area, will design and develop highly efficient, low-cost, lightweight and durable sensitizer-incorporated, chemically modified or carbon modified n-TiO2 (CM-n-TiO2) photoanode-based photo-electrochemical cells for efficient hydrogen generation from water using solar energy. In these cells, the electron excitation by visible light photons occurs not only in the sensitizer layer but also in underlying visible light active CM-TiO2 layer. This is because solar photons would be absorbed both by the sensitizers and by the CM-TiO2 layer to excite electrons from its valence band to conduction band. Hence, H2O will be oxidized to generate O2 both by oxidized sensitizer and by holes of photoexcited CM-TiO2, and the electrons by both layers will move to the cathode (the counter electrode) to generate H2 from H2O. The Phase I project will validate the dye-sensitized CM-TiO2 photoanode design. The Phase II project will develop prototype high-efficiency, lightweight, and low-cost solar cells and deliver them to the Air Force.