Development of highly efficient water splitting photocatalyst sheets and establishment of their working principles

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H02417
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Catalyst/Resource chemical process
• Research Institution: Shinshu University (2018); The University of Tokyo (2016-2017)
• Principal Investigator: Domen Kazunari 信州大学, 先鋭領域融合研究群環境・エネルギー材料科学研究所, 特別特任教授 (10155624)
• Research Collaborator: HISATOMI Takashi
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: エネルギー変換プロセス / 光触媒 / 水分解 / 人工光合成 / 大面積 / パネル / エネルギー障壁

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The working principles of water-splitting photocatalyst sheets, consisting of particulate photocatalysts fixed on a plane, and panel reactors potentially scalable and inexpensive were studied. It was very important utilizing conductive materials that had low activity against backward reactions and that lowered energy barriers at the interface between photocatalysts and the conductive materials for the improvement of the water splitting activity. The use of conductive materials that did not inhibit sunlight absorption by photocatalysts was also preferable. Moreover, the scalability of panel reactors was experimentally demonstrated using proto-type 1-m2 panel reactors.

Free Research Field

触媒化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題を通じて高効率に水を水素と酸素に分解する光触媒シートの作動原理を明らかにし，人工光合成型プロセスの開発に重要な学術的指針を確立することができた．光触媒材料の合成法の改良，各光触媒材料と導電材の間に理想的な接合を形成させるプロセスの確立，逆反応の抑制に効果的な表面修飾法の開発を継続して検討することで，大規模な高効率太陽光水分解反応の実現に向けて前進できると期待される．