Photoelectrocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production Using Nanoparticulate WO3 as Photocatalyst and Glycerol or Ethanol as Sacrificial Agents

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide was studied by using a cell functioning with a WO3 photoanode and an air breathing cathode made of carbon cloth with a hydrophobic layer of carbon black. The photoanode functioned in the absence of any sacrificial agent by water splitting, but the produced photocurrent was doubled in the presence of glycerol or ethanol. Hydrogen peroxide production was monitored in all cases, mainly in the presence of glycerol. The presence or absence of the organic fuel affected only the obtained photocurrent. The Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen peroxide production was the same in all cases, mounting up to 74%. The duplication of the photocurrent in the presence of biomass derivatives such as glycerol or ethanol and the fact that WO3 absorbed light in a substantial range of the visible spectrum promotes the presently studied system as a sustainable source of hydrogen peroxide production.