Photocurrent and photoelectrochemical hydrogen production with tin porphyrin and platinum nanowires immobilized with nafion on glassy carbon electrode

Platinum nanowires mixed with Tin meso-tetra (4-pyridyl) porphine dichloride and nafion solution was used to modify the surface of glassy carbon electrode for photocurrent generation and photo-electrochemical hydrogen production. Different concentrations of porphyrin (50 μM, 100 μM, 300 μM and 500 μM) and platinum loading (200 μg/cm2, 400 μg/cm2, 600 μg/cm2 and 800 μg/cm2) were tested at −150 mV Vs Ag/AgCl in reaction cell containing the modified glassy carbon electrode as working electrode, platinum wire as counter electrode and Ag/AgCl as reference electrode, under illumination to determine the optimum, based on photocurrent production in 50 mM potassium hydrogen phthalate buffer (pH 3) containing 0.1Na2SO4 as supporting electrolyte. Optimum photocurrent was obtained at 100 μM tin porphyrin and 600 μg/cm2 platinum loading. Detectable amount of hydrogen was produced at −350 mV Vs Ag/AgCl under irradiation with visible light.