Facile preparation and enhanced photocatalytic H2-production activity of Cu(OH)2 cluster modified TiO2

Cu(OH)2 cluster-modified TiO2 (Cu(OH)2/TiO2) photocatalysts were prepared by a simple precipitation method using Degussa P25 TiO2 powder (P25) as a support and copper nitrate as a precursor. Low-power ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) were used as the light source for a photocatalytic water splitting reaction. The prepared samples show especially high photocatalytic H2-production activity from aqueous solutions containing ethylene glycol as sacrificial reagent even without a Pt co-catalyst. The optimal Cu(OH)2 loading content was found to be 0.29 mol%, giving an H2-production rate of 3418 μmol h−1 g−1 with a quantum efficiency (QE) of 13.9%, which exceeded the rate on pure TiO2 by more than 205…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China