Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production over Ni@C/TiO 2 nanocomposite under visible light irradiation

Abstract

A novel visible-light-driven carbon-coated Ni (Ni@C)/TiO 2 nanocomposite photocatalyst with enhanced photoactivity for hydrogen production was synthesized and characterized for the first time. The resultant Ni@C/TiO 2 nanocomposites are composed of nanorods with an average diameter of ca. 10 nm and length in the range of 40–100 nm, and exhibit remarkable photostability in an aqueous suspension by using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial reagent. Moreover, a hydrogen generation rate of up to 300 μmol h −1 over 5 wt% Ni@C/TiO 2 without Pt-loading is achieved under visible light ( λ ⩾ 420 nm) irradiation.