Influence of Nafion loading on hydrogen production in a membrane photocatalytic system

• Nafion was loaded on Pt/TiO2/PTFE photocatalytic membrane to reduce permeability.
• Layered structure of membrane prepared is shown.
• Increase of Nafion and ethanol amounts leads to decrease of permeability.
• Presence of Nafion change hydrogen distribution and decrease H2 evolution rate.

Membrane photocatalytic systems (MPS) can provide efficient separation of gaseous products in reactions of hydrogen production. In order to decrease permeability and improve products separation, Nafion was loaded on a MPS with the structure Pt/chemically loaded TiO2/filtration loaded TiO2/PTFE porous membrane/fibrous support. Influence of Nafion and ethanol amounts on MPS permeability, morphology after and before reaction, H2 production rate, and H2 distribution between compartments of a membrane reactor were investigated. Increase in ethanol content in Nafion impregnation dispersion decreased the membrane permeability up to two times and changed H2 distribution up to three times. An increase of Nafion amount decreased the permeability up to seven times but strongly affected the H2 distribution in eight times in one case only.

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