Exploring the photocatalytic hydrogen production potential of titania doped with alumina derived from foil waste

The multifunctional potential of a catalyst previously synthesised for thermal processes is explored by investigating its activity for photocatalytic production of H₂ from glycerol, a by-product from the manufacture of bio-diesel. The studied catalyst contains TiO₂ doped with Al₂O₃ that was derived from aluminum foil waste. This catalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity than the analogous catalyst prepared with a commercial Al₂O₃. Pt and Pd act as electron traps while the Al₂O₃ demonstrated a promotional effect, partially through proton donation. Under optimum conditions, a steady-state of 4.2 mmol H₂ gTiO₂⁻¹ hr⁻¹ was produced, which is comparable to the 4.7 mmol H₂ gTiO₂⁻¹ hr⁻¹ obtained with Pt–TiO₂, which is a standard photocatalytic material. It should be noted that the reported Pt/Pd/TiO₂-ANFL catalyst has not yet been optimised and so this result is encouraging. It is hoped that these findings can inspire more sustainable and less expensive hydrogen production, including from biomass feedstocks such as glycerol.