The effect of (Pt-loaded)TiO2 crystallite diameter (i.e. Scherrer size) on the photocatalytic water splitting rate was investigated. (Pt-loaded)TiO2 powders with a wide range of crystallite diameters from about 16 to 45 nm with a blank region between about 23 and 41 nm were prepared by various annealing processes from an identical TiO2 powder. Water splitting experiments with these powders were carried out with methanol as an oxidizing sacrificial agent. It was found that the photocatalytic water splitting rate was sensitively affected by the crystallite diameter of the (Pt-loaded)TiO2 powder. More concretely, similar steep improvements of photocatalytic water splitting rates from around 15 and a little over 2 to about 30 μmol•m −2 •hr −1 were obtained in the two (Pt-loaded)TiO2 crystallite diameters ranging from 16 to 23 and from 41 to 45 nm, respectively.

In order to enhance photocatalytic water splitting rates with Pt/TiO2 powder, sufficient agitation of the biphasic medium is required to switch surficial reactions to volumetric reactions. Additionally, agitation is conducive to higher diffusion rates of the generated hydrogen and co-produced oxygen, hindering their ability to re-couple to water on Pt loaded to TiO2 powder. In order to create agitation without consuming any electricity, a novel technique utilizing Rayleigh convection was applied, and its ability to enhance photocatalytic water splitting rates was evaluated. Higher Rayleigh convective flow rates resulted in higher photocatalytic water splitting rates. Utilization of Rayleigh convection approximately doubled the photocatalytic water splitting rates, despite relatively low convective flow velocities (obtained through simple thermo-hydrodynamic simulations). The rate enhancement achieved through Rayleigh convection is a result of its ability to disperse the ultrafine Pt/TiO2 particles throughout the whole medium, leading to volumetric reactions.

Low-temperature thermal energy conversions down to exergy zero to electric power must contribute energy sustainability. That is to say, reinforcements of power harvesting technologies from extremely low temperatures less than 373 K might be at least one of minimum roles for the current generations. Then, piezoelectric power harvesting process for recovering low-temperature heats was invented by using a unique biphasic operating medium of an underlying water-insoluble/low-boiling-point medium (i.e. NOVEC manufactured by 3M Japan Ltd.) in small quantity and upper-layered water in large quantity. The higher piezoelectric power harvesting densities were naturally revealed with an increase in heating temperatures. Excessive cooling of the operating medium deteriorated the power harvesting efficiency. The denser operating medium was surpassingly helpful to the higher piezoelectric power harvesting density. Concretely, only about 5% density increase of main operating medium (i.e. water with dissolving alum at 0.10 mol/dm 3) came to the champion piezoelectric power harvesting density of 92.6 pW/dm 2 in this study, which was about 1.4 times compared to that with the original biphasic medium of pure water together with a small quantity of NOVEC.