Transforming waste into resource: Enhanced hydrogen evolution with plasma-treated carbon fiber

The increasing global dependence on fossil fuels has led to significant energy crises and environmental issues, highlighting the urgent need for renewable energy sources such as hydrogen. This study presents the development of plasma-treated carbon fiber loaded with Pt (P-CF@Pt) to improve photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The plasma treatment creates surface functional groups that enhance the hydrophilicity of the carbon fibers (CFs), promoting better dispersion in liquid reaction systems and facilitating Pt loading. This interaction between the treated CF surface and the Pt sites significantly boosts charge separation and catalytic performance, resulting in improved photovoltage, lower onset potential for proton reduction, and enhanced electron transport. The P-CF@Pt composite demonstrates better photocatalytic efficiency compared to untreated CF, achieving a 23% increase in hydrogen production. These findings underscore the promise of utilizing plasma-treated CFs in the development of cost-effective and scalable photocatalytic systems for hydrogen generation. This work explores the use of discarded 3 K carbon fiber (CF), activated via plasma treatment, as an efficient electron transfer medium to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The synergy between the plasma-treated surface of CF and the deposited Pt sites significantly enhanced charge separation and catalytic activity, resulting in enhanced photovoltage, reduced onset potential for proton reduction, and enhanced electron transportation. • High promise of employing discarded carbon fibers in visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution (HER). • Activating discarded carbon fiber by rapid and scalable plasma treatment. • Synergistic effect of plasma-treated carbon fiber and metallic Pt on promoting HER. • Cost-effective and scalable photocatalytic system for green generation.