Solar desalination coupled with water remediation and molecular hydrogen production: A novel solar water-energy nexus

Kim, S; Piao, G; Han, DS; Shon, HK; Park, H

Solar desalination coupled with water remediation and molecular hydrogen production: A novel solar water-energy nexus

Kim, S Piao, G Han, DS

Shon, HK

Park, H

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Energy and Environmental Science, 2018, 11 (2), pp. 344 - 353
Issue Date:: 2018-02-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kim, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Piao, G	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Han, DS https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4804-5369	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shon, HK https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3777-7169	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Park, H	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-02-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Energy and Environmental Science, 2018, 11 (2), pp. 344 - 353	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1754-5692	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/131953
dc.description.abstract	© 2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry. A novel sunlight-water-energy nexus technology is presented that combines the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) desalination of saline water and desalination-driven wastewater remediation coupled with the production of molecular hydrogen (H2) from water. To accomplish this, morphologically tailored TiO2 nanorod (TNR) and hydrogen-treated TNR (H-TNR) array photoanodes are placed in an anode cell and Pt foils are located in a cathode cell, while a middle cell containing saline water (0.17 M NaCl) faces these cells through anion and cation exchange membranes, respectively. Upon irradiation by simulated sunlight (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2), the photogeneration of charge carriers initiates the transport of chloride and sodium in the middle cell to the anode and cathode cells, respectively, leading to the desalination of saline water. The chloride in the anode cell is converted to reactive chlorine species (RCS), which effectively decompose urea to N2 as a primary product (>80%), while the sodium in the cathode cell accelerates the H2 production from water with a Faradaic efficiency of ∼80%. The PEC performance of the H-TNR photoanodes is superior to that of the TNR in the anodic and cathodic processes because of the reduced charge transfer resistance and sub-nanosecond charge transfer kinetics (∼0.19 ns), leading to a specific energy consumption of 4.4 kW h m-3 for 50% desalination, with an energy recovery of ∼0.8 kW h m-3. The hybrid system is found to operate for a period of ∼60 h with natural seawater, and virtually all the photoanodes are shown to be capable of driving the hybrid process. Although tested as a proof-of-concept, the present technology opens up a novel field involving a sunlight-water-energy nexus, promising high efficiency desalination and the desalination-driven remediation of water with simultaneous H2 production.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Energy and Environmental Science	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1039/c7ee02640d	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Energy	en_US
dc.title	Solar desalination coupled with water remediation and molecular hydrogen production: A novel solar water-energy nexus	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.for	MD Multidisciplinary	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	11	en_US

Abstract:

© 2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry. A novel sunlight-water-energy nexus technology is presented that combines the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) desalination of saline water and desalination-driven wastewater remediation coupled with the production of molecular hydrogen (H2) from water. To accomplish this, morphologically tailored TiO2 nanorod (TNR) and hydrogen-treated TNR (H-TNR) array photoanodes are placed in an anode cell and Pt foils are located in a cathode cell, while a middle cell containing saline water (0.17 M NaCl) faces these cells through anion and cation exchange membranes, respectively. Upon irradiation by simulated sunlight (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2), the photogeneration of charge carriers initiates the transport of chloride and sodium in the middle cell to the anode and cathode cells, respectively, leading to the desalination of saline water. The chloride in the anode cell is converted to reactive chlorine species (RCS), which effectively decompose urea to N2 as a primary product (>80%), while the sodium in the cathode cell accelerates the H2 production from water with a Faradaic efficiency of ∼80%. The PEC performance of the H-TNR photoanodes is superior to that of the TNR in the anodic and cathodic processes because of the reduced charge transfer resistance and sub-nanosecond charge transfer kinetics (∼0.19 ns), leading to a specific energy consumption of 4.4 kW h m-3 for 50% desalination, with an energy recovery of ∼0.8 kW h m-3. The hybrid system is found to operate for a period of ∼60 h with natural seawater, and virtually all the photoanodes are shown to be capable of driving the hybrid process. Although tested as a proof-of-concept, the present technology opens up a novel field involving a sunlight-water-energy nexus, promising high efficiency desalination and the desalination-driven remediation of water with simultaneous H2 production.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/131953