Abstract
Research on hydrogen (H(2)) production has been intensively investigated due to the critical need for transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. This study demonstrates a dual-purpose approach where water pollutant degradation and H(2) production occur simultaneously, eliminating the need for sacrificial materials and reducing costs. CuO-TiO(2) calcined xerogels were employed in solutions containing NaOH and acid black dye 1 (AB1). The CuO-TiO(2)/AB1/NaOH system successfully degraded recalcitrant pollutants while producing H(2) under optimized conditions. H(2) evolution occurred at the photocatalyst holes due to AB1's lower potential compared to water, while AB1 decomposition proceeded via O2(•-) radical formation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses showed sponge-like structures with 20 nm crystals. Polarization curves confirmed H(2) generation in the cathodic region. Bode diagrams of the CuO-TiO(2)/AB1/NaOH system (0.3 M NaOH and 60 mg/L AB1) exhibited noble/passive behavior, consistent with the polarization curve data. Using 0.3-0.4 M NaOH and 60 mg/L AB1, 636-647 ppb H(2)/g(catalyst) was produced in 60 min, and only 0.07 mg/L AB1 was left as indicated by absorbance measurements at 618 nm. H(2) evolution decreased as dye degradation increased. The best system for dye degradation has a k constant of 0.066 min(-1) and R(2) of 0.99, contains 40 mg/L AB1, and runs at 40 °C, whereas the maximum dual performance required 0.5 M NaOH, yielding 5050 ppb H(2)/g(catalyst).