Plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production over visible-light responsive Cu/TiO 2

Cheap and visible-light responsive Cu/TiO 2 photocatalysts were fabricated by illuminating ultraviolet (UV) to a mixture of TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) and Cu 2 O NPs in an evacuated reaction chamber. The Cu 2 O NPs were reduced by UV in an oxygen-free reaction chamber, and hence, metallic Cu NPs with size less than 5 nm were uniformly loaded on TiO 2 . Due to the plasmon resonance of the Cu NPs, the Cu/TiO 2 exhibited a good performance of water-splitting hydrogen production under visible light in the presence of glycerol as a hole scavenger. The optimum hydrogen production rate of Cu/TiO 2 was 0.24 mmol h ?1 g ?1 . The Cu/TiO 2 also showed high stability of the photocatalytic performance in the evacuated chamber; however, the visible-light responsive photocatalytic properties dramatically and rapidly decreased when exposed to air.

Jong Min Kum, Yang Jeong Park, Hyun Jin Kim and Sung Oh Cho

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