TY - JOUR
T1 - TiO2 nanotubes coupled with nano-Cu(OH)2 for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production
AU - Dang, Haifeng
AU - Dong, Xinfa
AU - Dong, Yingchao
AU - Zhang, Yan
AU - Hampshire, Stuart
PY - 2013/2/19
Y1 - 2013/2/19
N2 - Noble-metal-free Cu(OH)2/TNTs (TNTs: TiO2 nanotubes) nanocomposite photocatalysts were successfully prepared by loading nano-Cu(OH)2 on TNTs via a hydrothermal-precipitation process. These were then characterized in terms of morphology and physicochemical properties by employing TEM, XRD, XPS, BET, UV-Vis DRS and PL. The effects of Cu(OH) 2 loading, amount of catalyst on the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of Cu(OH)2/TNTs were investigated in detail in aqueous methanol solution under UV irradiation. The results show that, compared with pure TNTs, the TNTs loaded with highly dispersed 8 wt% Cu(OH)2 exhibited remarkably improved activity for hydrogen production (the largest quantity of evolved hydrogen was ca. 14.94 μmol h-1 g-1 catalyst) with good photostability. This high activity is attributed to the strong synergistic function of Cu(OH)2/TNTs, including suitable potential of Cu(OH)2/Cu (E0 = -0.222 V) between conduction band (-0.260 V) of TNTs and the reduction potential of H+/H 2 (E0 = 0.000 V), a unique tubular microstructure of TNTs coated with nano-Cu(OH)2, large BET specific surface area and high dispersion of Cu(OH)2. Furthermore, a process mechanism for methanol/water decomposition over Cu(OH)2/TNTs is proposed to understand its high activity.
AB - Noble-metal-free Cu(OH)2/TNTs (TNTs: TiO2 nanotubes) nanocomposite photocatalysts were successfully prepared by loading nano-Cu(OH)2 on TNTs via a hydrothermal-precipitation process. These were then characterized in terms of morphology and physicochemical properties by employing TEM, XRD, XPS, BET, UV-Vis DRS and PL. The effects of Cu(OH) 2 loading, amount of catalyst on the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of Cu(OH)2/TNTs were investigated in detail in aqueous methanol solution under UV irradiation. The results show that, compared with pure TNTs, the TNTs loaded with highly dispersed 8 wt% Cu(OH)2 exhibited remarkably improved activity for hydrogen production (the largest quantity of evolved hydrogen was ca. 14.94 μmol h-1 g-1 catalyst) with good photostability. This high activity is attributed to the strong synergistic function of Cu(OH)2/TNTs, including suitable potential of Cu(OH)2/Cu (E0 = -0.222 V) between conduction band (-0.260 V) of TNTs and the reduction potential of H+/H 2 (E0 = 0.000 V), a unique tubular microstructure of TNTs coated with nano-Cu(OH)2, large BET specific surface area and high dispersion of Cu(OH)2. Furthermore, a process mechanism for methanol/water decomposition over Cu(OH)2/TNTs is proposed to understand its high activity.
KW - Hydrogen production
KW - Photocatalysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874108607&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.135
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.11.135
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84874108607
SN - 0360-3199
VL - 38
SP - 2126
EP - 2135
JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
IS - 5
ER -
