Non-noble metal Cu-loaded TiO2 for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production

Abstract

Here we have demonstrated the preparation of high-quality, monodispersed and tunable phases of Cu nanoparticles. Structural and chemical composition studies depict the evolution of Cu–Cu₂O–CuO nanoparticles at various process stages. The loading of Cu and Cu oxide nanoparticles on TiO₂ catalyst has enhanced the photocatalytic H₂ production. Comparatively, H₂ treatment produces well-dispersed Cu nanoparticles with thin oxide shells that show the highest H₂ production amongst the samples. The relatively higher photocatalytic performance is deemed to result from reduced structural defects, higher surface area and dispersivity as well as favorable charge transfer, which inhibits recombination. The Cu nanoparticles are shown to be a promising alternative to noble metal-loaded TiO₂ catalyst systems due to their low cost and high performance in photocatalytic applications.