Abstract
Cerium doped zinc oxide/carbon nanotubes (Ce doped ZnO/CNTs) composites are synthesized using sol-gel, hydrothermal deposition and one-pot hydrothermal methods. These composites are tested for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water-methanol mixture to check the effect of synthesis method on photocatalytic activity of these composites. Each synthesis method induces unique physiochemical properties in composite and hydrogen evolution rates. The composite prepared by one-pot hydrothermal method shows highest hydrogen evolution of 759 μmolh−1g−1 under sunlight. This hydrogen evolution rate is significantly higher than the sol-gel synthesized photocatalyst (579 μmolh−1g−1) and hydrothermal deposition method (621 μmolh−1g−1). The high hydrogen evolution activity of the prepared composites can be attributed to small crystallite size, low recombination of charge carriers, large active surface area, short diffusion pathway for photoinduced electrons and high oxidation potential of photogenerated holes. Focused on different methods, this study provides a pathway for production of efficient semiconductor photocatalysts for environmental applications.
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