Simultaneous Photodegradation and Hydrogen Production with TiO2/Pt/CdS Using UV–Visible Light in the Presence of a Sacrificial Agent and a Pollutant

Abstract

AbstractWe present preliminary insights into the application of a composite consisting of a noble metal, CdS, and an in-house developed TiO2 (IH-TiO2) as a photocatalyst for hydrogen generation from waste. The IH-TiO2 shows more than twice the active surface area of commercial Degussa P25® TiO2, and photoelectrochemical responses (charge separation and potential) that are superior to the Degussa P25. This indicates that the composite is a favorable backbone for deposition of visible light absorbers such as CdS. The composites have been used for photocatalytic hydrogen production in the presence of sacrificial agents and UV–visible light. The role of a traditional sacrificial agent—polysulfide—in aiding photocatalytic hydrogen production is examined. Further, the effects of replacing the polysulfide with a representative dye pollutant—methyl orange (MO)—also demonstrate hydrogen production. The MO undergoes photo conversion and preliminary kinetic analysis indicates that it follows a first-order power law degradation model. The study provides a cost-effective synthesis strategy for the development of similar oxide-chalcogenide-metal nanocomposites.KeywordsMethyl OrangeHydrogen ProductionHydrogen GenerationHydrogen Production RateMethyl Orange DegradationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.