Efficient Photocatalytic Fuel Cell via Simultaneous Visible-Photoelectrocatalytic Degradation and Electricity Generation on a Porous Coral-like WO3/W Photoelectrode

Photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) have proven to be effective for generating electricity and degrading pollutants with a goal to resolve environmental and energy problems. However, the degradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), remains challenging. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEnvironmental science & technology Vol. 53; no. 7; pp. 3697 - 3706
Main Authors Pan, Donglai, Xiao, Shuning, Chen, Xiaofeng, Li, Ruping, Cao, Yingnan, Zhang, Dieqing, Pu, Sisi, Li, Zhangcheng, Li, Guisheng, Li, Hexing
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States American Chemical Society 02.04.2019
Subjects
Bionics
Construction
Electric power generation
Electricity
Electricity generation
Energy
Environmental degradation
Fuel cells
Fuel technology
Irradiation
Light irradiation
Oxidation
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Persistent organic pollutants
Photocatalysis
Photodegradation
Photoelectric effect
Photoelectric emission
Pollutants
Tungsten oxides
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Summary:Photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) have proven to be effective for generating electricity and degrading pollutants with a goal to resolve environmental and energy problems. However, the degradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), remains challenging. In the present work, a porous coral-like WO3/W (PCW) photoelectrode with a well-designed energy band structure was used for the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of POPs and the simultaneous generation of electricity. The as-constructed bionic porous coral-like nanostructure greatly improved the light-harvesting capacity of the PCW photoelectrode. A maximum photocurrent density (0.31 mA/cm2) under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation and a high incident photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) value (5.72% at 420 nm) were achieved. Because of the unique porous coral-like structure, the suitable energy band position, and the strong oxidation ability, this PCW photoelectrode-based PFC system exhibited a strong ability for simultaneous photoelectrocatalytic degradation of PFOA and electricity generation under visible-light irradiation, with a power output of 0.0013 mV/cm2 using PFOA as the fuel. This work provides a promising way to construct a reliable PFC using highly toxic POPs to generate electricity.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.8b05685