Photochemical hydrogen production with cadmium sulfide suspensions

TLDR: In this article, photoetching of CdS microcrystals has been used to improve the efficiency of photochemical hydrogen production by irradiating suspensions of platinized cdS in various electrolyte solutions.

Abstract: Active photocatalysts for photochemical hydrogen production have been prepared by platinum deposition on microcrystals of CdS powders. Hydrogen produced by irradiating suspensions of platinized CdS in various electrolyte solutions (S/sup 2 -/, SO/sub 3//sup 2 -/, H/sub 2/PO/sup 2 -/) has been shown to be significantly improved by photoetching the CdS microcrystals. The efficiency of hydrogen formation in solutions containing S/sup 2 -/ is low due to the formation of disulfide ions. Additional of reducing agents such as sulfite or hypophosphite ions, which efficiently suppresses disulfide formation, allows hydrogen to evolve at a surprisingly high rate. In the case of a solution containing both S/sup 2/ and SO/sub 3//sup 2 -/ ions, the formation of thiosulfate is observed with a quantum yield of 0.25. In mixtures of sulfide and hypophosphite ions, phosphite and phosphate ions are the oxidation products. Hydrogen formation occurs in solutions containing SO/sub 3//sup 2 -/ ions only when the platinized CdS particles have previously been photoetched. Concomitant to the proton reduction, SO/sub 3//sup 2 -/ ions are oxidized to sulfate and dithionate. In 12 days, 9 L of H/sub 2/ was generated by irradiating 1 g of CdS/Pt suspended in an Na/sub 2/SO/sub 3/ solution. Aftermore » this period, the efficiency of the photocatalyst dropped to about 60% of the initial rate. The reaction parameters and the formation of the oxidation products have been investigated in detail. 57 references, 10 figures, 4 tables.« less