Application of the experimental microkinetic approach: case of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on TiO2
Résumé
Since several years, photocatalysis has been used in many applications such as air and water treatment, whereas Fujushima & Hondas [1] have shown that it could also be used for hydrogen production (HER) from water. However, HER mechanisms are not well known. Experimental microkinetic approach [EMA] could be a powerful tool to answer this question. It has been developed in previous works using the following procedure: (i) proposal of a plausible mechanism of the reaction, (ii) experimental determination of the kinetic parameters of each elementary step, (iii) evaluation of the theorical catalytic activity. This procedure has been firstly applied for the study of the photocatalytic oxidation of isopropyl alcohol [2, 3]. The present study concerns the application of the EMA in the case of the Hydrogen Evolution Reac-tion in presence of vapor pressure of methanol on TiO2.