A detailed investigation of the effect of graphene/Ag nanoparticles on the ion exchange properties of PVDF membrane for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 66; pp. 185 - 194
• Main Authors: Saha, Sanjit, Das, Gour Mohan, Chhetri, Suman, Vadivel, Govindan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 13-05-2024
• Subjects: Hydrogen generation; In-situ spectro-electrochemistry; Ion-exchange membrane; Photo anode; Solar water splitting; Ion-exchange membrane; In-situ spectro-electrochemistry; Hydrogen generation; Photo anode; Solar water splitting
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.04.072

This research article presents a comprehensive investigation into the effect of graphene and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) on the electrochemical and photo-catalytic properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based membranes. A combined in-situ spectro-electrochemical and theoretical approach was employed to explore the wavelength-dependent charge transfer properties of PVDF-based membranes where flower-like MoS2 was employed as the electrode substrate. The incorporation of graphene enhanced the surface area and thermal stability of the PVDF membrane. Electrochemical microscopy ensured that the surface adsorption as well as charge transfer properties of PVDF-membrane significantly increased due to the association of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and Ag-NP doping, which lowers charge transfer and Warburg resistance, facilitating fast diffusion. In-situ photo-electrochemical mapping revealed wavelength-dependent responses for anodic bias where the cathodic reduction was wavelength-independent. Theoretical analysis correlated enhanced photocurrent with generated electric fields under specific illumination conditions. The synergistic effects of graphene and Ag-NP in PVDF membranes offer promising applications in catalytic photocatalytic water splitting, achieving a high photo-current (25.65 mA/cm2) and large polarization currents (27 and 43.20 mA/cm2) under anodic and cathodic biases. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing PVDF-based membranes for advanced energy conversion as well as in diverse technological contexts.
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•Structurally modified of PVDF membrane shows enhanced hydrogen evolution properties.•Graphene and silver nano-particle provided enhanced ion exchange of PVDF membrane.•PVDF/rGO/Ag membrane shows high photo-current under 450–600 nm illumination.•Theoretical study confirms wavelength-dependent catalytic behavior of PVDF membranes.•In-situ Spectro-electrochemistry and microscopy provided 3D/2D current mapping.