Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over Pt supported on mesoporous [formula omitted] prepared by single-step sol–gel process with surfactant template

Abstract

Nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO 2 photocatalyst with narrow pore size distribution was synthesized by a surfactant-assisted templating sol–gel technique and used as a support for Pt towards photocatalytic H 2 evolution. Single-step sol–gel (SSSG) method, in which Pt precursor was introduced into the completely hydrolyzed TiO 2 sol prepared with a mesopore-directing surfactant template, was utilized to load the Pt cocatalyst onto the synthesized mesoporous TiO 2 . In comparison, the conventional loading methods namely incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) and photochemical deposition (PCD) were also performed. The mesoporous Pt / TiO 2 photocatalyst prepared by the SSSG method showed higher photocatalytic activity for H 2 evolution over entire range of Pt loading content (optimum loading of 0.6 wt%) as well as broader photocatalytic activity window with respect to the amount of loaded Pt than those prepared by the other two methods and Pt/Degussa P-25 TiO 2 . Hence, the SSSG method has been postulated as a beneficial alternative for synthesis of effective metal-loaded mesoporous photocatalyst.