Photocatalytic hydrogen generation of Pt-Sr(Zr_1-xY_x)O_3-δ-TiO₂ heterojunction under the irradiation of simulated sunlight

Abstract

The Pt-Sr(Zr_1-xY_x)O_3-δ-TiO₂ (Pt-SZYT) heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared by a photodeposition method. The composite particles were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-Vis DRS, and PL techniques. Photocatalytic hydrogen generation in H₂C₂O₄ aqueous solution under the irradiation of simulated sunlight was used as a probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts. The effects of the content of Pt loading and the concentration of oxalic acid on the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst were discussed. The continuous photocatalytic activity of the Pt-SZYT and the relationship between PL intensity and hydrogen generation were also discussed. The results show that Pt-SZYT catalysts had high photocatalytic activity of hydrogen generation. The content of Pt loading and the concentration of oxalic acid have important influence on the photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The optimal loading content of platinum was 0.90 mass%. Under this condition, the average rate of photocatalytic hydrogen generation was 1.68 mmol•h^-1 when the concentration of oxalic acid was 50 mmol•L^-1. The higher the photocatalytic activity, the weaker the PL intensity, which was demonstrated by the analysis of PL spectra.

Keywords

heterojunction / photocatalysis / hydrogen generation / Pt / oxalic acid

References

[1] Wilke K, Breuer H D. Influence of transition metal doping on the physical and photocatalytic properties of titania. J Photochem Photobio A: Chem, 1999, 121(1): 49–53

[2] Jiang H Q, Wang P, Xian H Z. Preparation and photocatalytic activities of low amount Yb³⁺ doped TiO₂ composite nano-powders. Acta Chim Sinica, 2006, 64(2): 145–150 (in Chinese)

[3] Liu S X, Qu Z P, Han X W, Sun C L, Bao X H. Effect of silver deposition on photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. Chinese J Catal, 2004, 25(2): 133–137 (in Chinese)

[4] Liu Q, Guan L X, Yan J H, Xu L. Preparation and photocatalytic property of SrZr_1-xY_xO_3-δ-TiO₂ composite particles. J Inor Chem, 2007, 23(2): 347–352 (in Chinese)

[5] Sakthivel S, Geeissen S U, Bahnemann D W, Murugesan V, Vogelpohl A. Enhancement of photocatalytic activity by semiconductor heterojunctions: α-Fe₂O₃, WO₃ and CdS deposited on ZnO. J Photochem Photobio A: Chem, 2002, 148: 283–293

[6] Bessekhouad Y, Robert D, Weber J V. Bi₂S₃/TiO₂ and CdS/TiO₂ heterojunctions as an available configuration for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant. J Photoch Photobio A, 2004, 163: 569–580

[7] Omata T, Otsuka-Yao-Matsuo S. Photocatalytic behavior of titanium oxide-perovskite type SrZr_1-xY_xO_3-δ composite particles. J Photochem Photobio A: Chem, 2003, 156: 243–248

[8] Bessekhouad Y, Robert D, Weber J V. Photocatalytic activity of Cu₂O/TiO₂, Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ and ZnMn₂O₄/TiO₂ heterojunctions. Catal Today, 2005, 101: 315–321

[9] Abe R, Sayama K, Arakawa H. Efficient hydrogen evolution from aqueous mixture of I^- and acetonitrile using a merocyanine dye-sensitized Pt/TiO₂ photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. Chem Phys Lett, 2002, 362: 441–444

[10] Mei C S, Zhong S H. Photocatalytic synthesis of MAA from propylene and carbon dioxide over Cu/WO₃-TiO₂ catalyst. Chem J Chinese Universities, 2005, 26: 1093–1097

[11] Zhang W F, Zhang M S, Yin Z. Photoluminescence in anatase titanium dioxide nanocrystals. Appl Phys B, 2000, 70, 261–265

[12] Li X Z, Li F B, Yang C L, Ge W K. Photocatalytic activity of WO_x-TiO₂ under visible light irradiation. J Photochem Photobiol A: Chem, 2001, 141: 209–217.

[13] Jing L Q, Sun X J, Cai W M, Xu Z L, Du Y G, FuH G. The preparation and characterization of nanoparticle TiO₂/Ti films and their photocatalytic activity. J Phys Chem Solid, 2003, 64: 615–623

[14] Liu L, Jiang X, Liang J H, Li Y D, Li F L. Photoluminescence of tetragonal ZrO₂ nanoparticles synthesized by severral methods. Spectro and Spectral Anal, 2005, 25: 1026–1029

[15] Zhang L D, Mo C M. Luminescence in nanostructured materials. Nanostructured Mater, 1995, 6: 831–834

[16] Linsebigler A L, Lu G Q, Yates J T. Photocatalysis on TiO₂ surface: principles, mechanisms and selected results. Chem Rev, 1995, 95: 735–758

[17] Fujihara K, Izumi S, Ohoo T. Time-resolved photoluminescence of particulate TiO₂ photocatalysts suspended in aqueous solutions. J Photochem Photobiol A: Chem, 2000, 132: 99–104

[18] Hiramoto M, Hashimoto K, Sakata T. Electron transfer and photoluminescence dynamics of CdS particles deposited on porous vycor glass. Chem Phys Lett, 1987, 133: 440–444

[19] Jing L Q, Sun X J, Cai W M, Li X Q, Fu H G, Hou H G, Fan N Y. Photoluminescence of Ce doped TiO₂ Nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activity. Acta Chim Sinica, 2003, 61(8): 1241–1245 (in Chinese)

[20] Jing L Q, Xu Z L, Sun X J, Shang J, Cai W M, Du Y G, Fu H G. Photocatalytic activity of ZnO and TiO₂ particles and their deactivation and regeneration. Chinese J Catal, 2003, 24(3): 175–180 (in Chinese)

Acknowledgements

This work was supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20876039), the Scientific Research Foundation of Hunan Provincial Education Department of China (No. 08A026).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg