Enhanced Hydrogen Production by Photoreforming of Renewable Oxygenates Through Nanostructured Fe2O3 Polymorphs

Sunlight-driven hydrogen production via photoreforming of aqueous solutions containing renewable compounds is an attractive option for sustainable energy generation with reduced carbon footprint. Nevertheless, the absence of photocatalysts combining high efficiency and stability upon solar light activation has up to date strongly hindered the development of this technology. Herein, we report on two scarcely investigated iron(III) oxide polymorphs, beta- and epsilon-Fe2O3, possessing a remarkable activity in sunlight-activated H2 generation from aqueous solutions of renewable oxygenates (i.e., ethanol, glycerol, glucose). For beta-Fe2O3 and epsilon-Fe2O3, H2 production rates up to 225 and 125 mmol h-1 m-2 were obtained, with significantly superior performances with respect the commonly investigated alpha-Fe2O3.