Reforming of Soluble Biomass and Plastic Derived Waste Using a Bias‐Free Cu<sub>30</sub>Pd<sub>70</sub>|Perovskite|Pt Photoelectrochemical Device
Subhajit Bhattacharjee, Virgil Andrei, Chanon Pornrungroj, Motiar Rahaman, Christian M. Pichler, Erwin Reisner
Abstract
Abstract The production of clean fuels and chemicals from waste feedstocks is an appealing approach towards creating a circular economy. However, waste photoreforming commonly employs particulate photocatalysts, which display low product yields, selectivity, and reusability. Here, a perovskite‐based photoelectrochemical (PEC) device is reported, which produces H 2 fuel and simultaneously reforms waste substrates. A novel Cu 30 Pd 70 oxidation catalyst is integrated in the PEC device to generate value‐added products using simulated solar light, achieving 60–90% product selectivity and ≈ 70–130 µ mol cm −2 h −1 product formation rates, which corresponds to 10 2 –10 4 times higher activity than conventional photoreforming systems. The single‐light absorber device offers versatility in terms of substrate scope, sustaining unassisted photocurrents of 4–9 mA cm −2 for plastic, biomass, and glycerol conversion, in either a two‐compartment or integrated “artificial leaf” configuration. These configurations enable an effective reforming of non‐transparent waste streams and facile device retrieval from the reaction mixture. Accordingly, the presented PEC platform provides a proof‐of‐concept alternative towards photoreforming, approaching more closely the performance and versatility required for commercially viable waste utilization.