Research Projects

Hydrogen generation through photocatalytic water splitting using solar light irradiation is a sustainable solution for energy and environmental concerns. However, challenges remain to achieve the nation's goal of becoming a net exporter of green hydrogen. To overcome these challenges, a suitable photocatalyst and upscalable process must be developed. One key limitation of most photocatalysts is the fast recombination of photogenerated charges. Biomass derived glycerol is proposed as a sacrificial agent to boost photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The project proposes a circular economic solution of glycerol photoreforming to enhance hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting. The project also proposes the development of novel TiO2 based nanocomposites as visible light active photocatalysts. TiO2, being the most active and explored catalyst material, is chosen for its commercial viability. Modifications of TiO2 to form heterojunction nanocomposites will be achieved through controlled annealing of MOFs. Continuous flow processes are increasingly adopted in the chemical industry due to their advantages such as scalability, better mass and heat transfer, safety, and seamless integration of downstream processes. However, photocatalytic hydrogen generation using continuous flow has not received much attention. The project aims to develop a patentable product (photocatalyst) and flow reaction process to move closer to translating research outcomes.