Synthesis of graphene/Cu2O thin film photoelectrode via facile hydrothermal method for photoelectrochemical measurement

The process of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction by using efficient non-precious-metal catalyst to make the process be economical has brought a comprehensive research in the area. In this study, graphene layer in copper foil was easily synthesized using hydrothermal method at temperature 200°C in 3 h duration. Diffraction peaks in XRD at around 29°, 36°, 42° and 74° in the composites correlate to the (110), (111), (200) and (311) crystalline planes of cubic cuprous oxide (Cu2O), while peak at 27° showed the carbon graphitic peak. Raman confirms the presence of the graphene layer on Cu2O. Photoelectrochemical performance test of Graphene/Cu2O demonstrated that the photoelectrocatalyst showing the photocurrent density 9.6 mA cm-2 at -0.8V vs Ag/AgCl. This study demonstrated a potential of semiconductor-based hybrid electrode for an efficient photoelectrocatalytic of CO2 reduction

Photochemical Biofuel Cells

A photobioelectrochemical Fuel Cell (PBEC-FC) relies on the synergic effect of electroactive and photo-electroactive microorganisms with or without photosensitive electrode to degrade organic matter for diverse bioelectrochemical application. In addition to wastewater treatment, PBEC-FC is also versatile in producing bioelectricity, biofuel, and pollutant degradation. PBEC-FC can come with a different configuration to accommodate for various applications under specific reaction. As a result of continuous research, there are three developing configurations which are: photosynthetic-BFC (PS-BFC), photovoltaic BFC (PV-BFC), and photoelectrode-BFC (PE-BFC). Studies have demonstrated that light-driven BFC has improved the substrate oxidation in the anode and concurrent bioelectrochemical reaction in the cathode as compared to dark conditions. Motivated by the increasing number of publications for this technology, the various configurations of PBEC-FC that suit different applications and their performance will be discussed in this chapter. Although the current performance of PBEC-FC remains low, but, with a continuous advancement to develop a durable and high photoactive material, this green technology will be realized into practicality in the future