Green synthesized carbon quantum dots as TiO
2
sensitizers for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Idris Sargin
a,*
, Gizem Yanalak
a
, Gulsin Arslan
a
, Imren Hatay Patir
b
a
Selcuk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Konya, Turkey
b
Selcuk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biotechnology, Konya, Turkey
highlights graphical abstract
Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were
prepared from edible mushroom
Agaricus bisporus.
A facile and green route was fol-
lowed in production of CQDs.
CQD characterization by XRD,
FTIR, XPS, TEM, UV-vis and fluo-
rescence spectra analysis.
CQDs were used as a sensitizer for
TiO
2
in photocatalytic production
of hydrogen.
Photocatalytic H
2
evolution by
TiO
2
/CQD and TiO
2
/CQD/Pt was
2129 and 14143 mmol g
1
.
article info
Article history:
Received 18 April 2019
Received in revised form
31 May 2019
Accepted 25 June 2019
Available online xxx
Keywords:
Carbon quantum dot
Hydrogen evolution
Edible mushroom
Green synthesis
abstract
Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have attracted growing interest due to their superior lumi-
nescent properties, which make them excellent photosensitizers for TiO
2
. This study
presents the green-synthesis of CQDs from edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus through
microwave irradiation. In the study as-synthesized CQDs were used as a sensitizer for TiO
2
in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in aqueous triethanolamine (sacrificial reagent)
under visible-light irradiation. Photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of CQD-
sensitized TiO
2
was found to be 472 mmol g
1
h
1
(without loading any noble metal co-
catalyst) and 1458 mmol g
1
h
1
(with loading Pt co-catalyst). The study revealed that the
CQDs from mushroom A. bisporus can be used as an efficient sensitizer for TiO
2
in pho-
tocatalytic hydrogen production.
© 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
* Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
E-mail address: idris.sargin@selcuk.edu.tr (I. Sargin).
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/he
international journal of hydrogen energy xxx (xxxx) xxx
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.06.168
0360-3199/© 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Please cite this article as: Sargin I et al., Green synthesized carbon quantum dots as TiO
2
sensitizers for photocatalytic hydrogen
evolution, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.06.168