Enhanced hydrogen production by carbon-doped TiO2 decorated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) under visible light irradiation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2016

Abstract

Enhancing visible light utilization by photocatalysts, avoiding electron-hole recombination, and facilitating charge transfer are three major challenges to the success of sustainable photocatalytic systems. In our study, carbon-doped TiO2 was synthesized with decoration of reduced graphene oxide (C-TiO2/rGO) to form a hybrid nanocomposite that exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity and longevity. Morphology, chemical and colloidal stability, crystallinity, surface compositions and band structures were systematically assessed. The results revealed that the hybrid C-TiO2/rGO had a band gap of 2.2 ± 0.2 eV and crystallite sizes of 0.9-2 nm in diameter. Transmission electron microcopy (TEM) images showed that C-TiO2 particles attached to the carbon sheet of rGO. Under irradiation of 135 mW cm-2 at 400-690 nm with methanol as electron donor, C-TiO2 and C-TiO2/rGO yielded incredibly high H2 production rates of 0.67 ± 0.12 to 1.50 ± 0.2 mmol g-1 h-1, respectively, which were greater than those of other titanium hybrid catalysts such as C-TiO2/Pt. rGO not only greatly improved the photocatalytic activity but also led to greater stability of H2 production compared to C-TiO2. This work lays groundwork toward the design of novel visible light-driven photocatalytic systems for harnessing solar energy and environmental applications.

Identifier

84954093419 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Rsc Advances

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1039/c5ra26096e

e-ISSN

20462069

First Page

2479

Last Page

2488

Issue

3

Volume

6

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