Au/Pt co-loaded ultrathin TiO2 nanosheets for photocatalyzed H2 evolution by the synergistic effect of plasmonic enhancement and co-catalysis

Abstract

Co-catalysis and plasmonic enhancement are two efficient ways to improve the photocatalytic performance of semiconductors. In this work, we systematically investigate their synergistic functions by photo-depositing Au and Pt nanoparticles on the surface of ultrathin TiO₂ nanosheets, where Au stimulates the plasmonic effect and Pt acts as the co-catalyst. It was found that both Au and Pt deposition can increase the H₂ production rate. More importantly, faster H₂ production can be obtained with the co-loading of Au and Pt. Furthermore, a suitable Au loading was important for the photocatalytic performance. As a consequence, the highest H₂ rate of 7.19 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ was achieved by depositing 0.75% Pt and 0.5% Au on TiO₂. Therefore, this work presents the synergistic effect between the plasmonic enhancement of Au and the co-catalysis of Pt for photocatalytic H₂ production, which contributes some guidance to catalyst design and preparation.