Enhanced Photocatalyst
ChE Professor Elizabeth Podlaha-Murphy was awarded a patent for “Photocatalyst with enhanced stability for hydrogen production and oxidative reactions”
Abstract Source: US Patent and Trademark Office
A Ti0.sub.2-based photocatalyst is fabricated as a composite of titania with adhered nanostructures which contain a non-noble metal in galvanic contact with a noble metal. The catalyst effectively overcome aging and/or deactivation effects observed in a system free of the non-noble metal. The composite material showed a corrosion protective effect on the photoactivity of fresh catalyst for over 180-240 days, and it enhanced the rate of the water reduction reaction relative to bare Ti0.sub.2. Variations in porosity and non-noble metal content of the alloy portion of the nanostructures influenced the performance of the catalyst composite. The protective effect of the non-noble metal is through a cathodic corrosion protection mechanism.