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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Preparation and Use of Photocatalytically Active Segmented Ag|ZnO and Coaxial TiO2-Ag Nanowires Made by Templated Electrodeposition
Published on: May 2, 2014
Photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen generation coupled with reforming of glucose into valuable chemicals using a
Katarzyna Jakubow-Piotrowska1, Bartłomiej Witkowski2, Jan Augustynski3
1Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, S. Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland. k.jakubow@cent.uw.edu.pl.
Abstract:
Coupling the photo-oxidation of biomass derived substrates with water splitting in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell is a broadly discussed approach intended to enhance efficiency of hydrogen generation at the cathode. Here, we report a PEC device employing a nanostructured semitransparent WO3 photoanode that, irradiated with simulated solar light achieves large photocurrents of 6.5 mA cm-2 through oxidation of glucose, a common carbohydrate available in nature that can be obtained by processing waste biomass. The attained photocurrents are in a large part due to the occurrence of the photocurrent doubling, where oxidation of glucose by the photogenerated positive hole is followed by injection by the formed intermediate of an electron into the conduction band of WO3. Selection of an appropriate supporting electrolyte enabled effective reforming of glucose into valuable products: gluconic and glucaric acids, erythrose and arabinose with up to 64% total Faradaic yield attained at ca 15% glucose conversion.
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