IMPROVED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN

摘要

The present invention relates to the conversion of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and more particularly to a conversion of water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight and an inorganic catalyst. More specifically, the invention relates to systems and processes for generating hydrogen molecules from sunlight and water, such as a process comprising the steps of: i) contacting the water with nanoparticles of an inorganic photocatalyst compound in a reaction zone of a reaction chamber; ii) concentrating sunlight with an optical intensifier such that the intensity is increased by a factor greater than 2; iii) heating the reaction zone to one or more reaction temperatures greater than 140°C using the concentrated sunlight; and iv) exposing water in the heated reaction zone and in the presence of the inorganic photocatalyst compound, while at the one or more reaction temperatures, to the concentrated sunlight so that a reaction occurs that generates hydrogen molecules from the water; wherein the photocatalyst includes an element selected from Cu, Al, Ti, Ga, Cd, Zn, W, Fe, Sn, Si, or any combination thereof, the water is in the form of water vapor, the step of heating the reaction zone includes a step of converting the sun light into thermal energy, the reaction zone is free of any electrode for a photoelectrochemical process; and wherein the photocatalyst is characterized by one of the following: (1 ) the nanoparticles are calcined nanoparticles; (2) the nanoparticles includes an element selected from Cu, Al, Ti, Ga, Cd, Zn, W, Fe, Sn, Si, or nay combination thereof; or (3) both (1 ) and (2).