Photocatalytic H2 Production Activity Research Articles

One step co-deposition of Ni0.96S and Ag2S on TiO2 nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic H2 generation with superior stability

Introduction of co-catalysts to construct heterojunctions is one of the important strategies to improve the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of semiconductor catalysts. Here, Ni0.96S and Ag2S co-decorated TiO2 composites were prepared by a simple one-step solvothermal method, whose photocatalytic H2 production activities were evaluated and related H2 evolution mechanism was explored. The 5%Ni0.96S-8%Ag2S/TiO2 ternary composite exhibited much enhanced photocatalytic activity with the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 23.67 mmol·h−1·g−1, which is 131.5 fold higher than that of the pure TiO2. Even higher HER, 29.45 mmol·h−1·g−1, was obtained in the presence of 40 mL glycerol. The photocatalytic HERs of the 5%Ni0.96S-8%Ag2S/TiO2 catalyst under visible light (λ > 420 nm) and simulated solar light (AM1.5) were 353.78 and 935.24 µmol·h−1·g−1, respectively. The apparent quantum efficiency (365 nm) is as high as 13.9%. Remarkably, the catalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic cycling stability and durability, beneficial to practice applications. The improved photocatalytic activity of the composite can be attributed to much improved charge carrier transfer/separation, optimized energy band structure and enhanced visible light absorption caused by synergistic effect of Ni0.96S and Ag2S.

A novel noble-metal-free FeS2/Mn0.5Cd0.5S heterojunction for enhancing photocatalytic H2 production activity: Carrier separation, light absorption, active sites

BackgroundThe development of efficient and noble-metal-free photocatalysts is greatly essential for photocatalytic hydrogen production. However, the photocatalytic activity of a single photocatalyst is usually limited for various reasons. MethodsHerein, FeS2/Mn0.5Cd0.5S (FSMCS) heterojunctions were constructed by a simple solvent evaporation method. The morphological characterizations revealed a raspberry-like hollow microsphere structure for FeS2 and irregular granularity for Mn0.5Cd0.5S. Photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemical experiments indicated that the FSMCS composite effectively facilitated the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS) showed that, in FSMCS composite, the visible light absorption range was effectively expanded to the full visible light. Significant findingsExcellent photocatalytic activity in FSMCS heterojunctions without loading noble metals because FeS2 could serve an active site for hydrogen production. The optimum FSMCS composite had excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production activity (6.1 mmol·g−1·h−1), which was 5.6 and 2.3 times higher than that of the pristine Mn0.5Cd0.5S (1.1 mmol·g−1·h−1) and Mn0.5Cd0.5S-1 %Pt (2.7 mmol·g−1·h−1). Meanwhile, in four round-robin tests, the activity of the 5FSMCS photocatalyst did not significantly decrease. This work proved that combining Mn0.5Cd0.5S and non-precious metal cocatalysts to construct heterojunctions is a promising strategy for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

AgCo bimetallic cocatalyst modified g-C3N4 for improving photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Bimetallic AgCo/g-C3N4 photocatalysts were successfully prepared by a facile chemical reduction method and used to investigate their photocatalytic H2 production performance. Bimetallic AgCo as a cocatalyst can be well matched with g-C3N4, which is beneficial for increasing the number of active reaction sites and narrowing the band gap. A possible photocatalytic mechanism was explored by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, UV–vis DRS, BET, and PL characterization. The photocatalytic H2 production activity of the optimal 5%AgCo/g-C3N4 photocatalyst reached 12994.2 μmoL/g, which was 54.7 times higher than g-C3N4. Owing to the close interfacial contact between bimetallic AgCo and g-C3N4, the transfer distance was shortened, and the photogenerated electron and hole pairs were effectively separated. This study provides a new strategy for the synthesis of excellent H2 production photocatalysts using bimetallic nanoparticles.

Pd(II) coordination molecule modified g-C3N4 for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen production

The photocatalytic H2 production activity of polymer carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is limited by the rapid recombination of photoelectron-hole pairs and slow surface reduction dynamic process. Here, a supramolecular complex (named R-TAP-Pd(II)) was fabricated via self-assembly of (R)-N-(1-phenylethyl)-4-(4-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)benzamide (R-TAP) with Pd(II) and used to modify g-C3N4. In the R-TAP-Pd(II)@g-C3N4 composite photocatalyst, the spin polarization of R-TAP-Pd(II) can promote charge transfer and inhibit photogenerated carrier recombination, as confirmed by spectral tests and photoelectrochemical performance tests. Electrochemical tests and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) tests proved that the Pd(II) ion in the R-TAP-Pd(II) molecule can serve as active sites to accelerate H2 production. The R-TAP-Pd(II)@g-C3N4 presented a photocatalytic H2 generation rate of 1085 μmol g−1 h−1 when exposed to visible light, which was a about 278-fold increase compared with g-C3N4. This work finds a new approach to boost the photocatalytic efficiency of g-C3N4 via supramolecular self-assembly.

Enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity by loading Ni complex on flower-like MoS2 nanomaterials

BackgroundExploring efficient H2-production photocatalysts is very important for converting solar energy to chemical energy. Some approaches were developed to prevent the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, ultimately enhancing the photocatalytic H2 production activity. Methods3D flower-like MoS2 nanomaterials were surface-modified by the Ni complex as the redox mediator to make the composite photocatalysts. This work investigated the effect of zeta potential on the Ni-complex loading, charge separation, and photocatalytic H2 production activity of MoS2. Significant findingsThe Ni-complex with central cation can be loaded on MoS2 with negative zeta potential due to the columb attraction force. The photogenerated carriers can transfer from MoS2 to the central Ni ion of the complex due to the ligands-stabilized multiple oxidation states of Ni, leading to suppressed charge recombination. The FE-TEM mapping and XPS confirm the loading of Ni complex. The photoluminescence, photocurrent response, and EIS tests confirm the improved photoinduced charge separation of the Ni complex-modified photocatalyst. The flower-like microstructure of MoS2 provides a large specific surface area and high light absorption. The H2 production activity of MoS2-Ni complex photocatalyst (3320 μmol g−1 h−1) is higher than that of the pristine MoS2 photocatalyst (2576 μmol g−1 h−1).

2D MoB MBene: An Efficient Co-Catalyst for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production under Visible Light.

Highly active and low-cost co-catalysts have a positive effect on the enhancement of solar H2 production. Here, we employ two-dimensional (2D) MBene as a noble-metal-free co-catalyst to boost semiconductor for photocatalytic H2 production. MoB MBene is a 2D nanoboride, which is directly made from MoAlB by a facile hydrothermal etching and manual scraping off process. The as-synthesized MoB MBene with purity >95 wt % is treated by ultrasonic cell pulverization to obtain ultrathin 2D MoB MBene nanosheets (∼0.61 nm) and integrated with CdS via an electrostatic interaction strategy. The CdS/MoB composites exhibit an ultrahigh photocatalytic H2 production activity of 16,892 μmol g-1 h-1 under visible light, surpassing that of pure CdS by an exciting factor of ≈1135%. Theoretical calculations and various measurements account for the high performance in terms of Gibbs free energy, work functions, and photoelectrochemical properties. This work discovers the huge potential of these promising 2D MBene family materials as high-efficiency and low-cost co-catalysts for photocatalytic H2 production.

(Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7/KNbO3 nanocomposites with significantly enhanced photocatalytic H2 generation driven by simulated sunlight

A novel (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7/KNbO3 Z-scheme heterojunction was synthesized by two-step hydrothermal method and its photocatalytic activity for splitting water was studied under simulated sunlight. Compared with KNbO3 and (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7, the as-prepared (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7/KNbO3 samples exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity for H2 production. It was found that the H2 production efficiency of (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7/KNbO3 (1:800) composite was nearly 39.5 times as large as that of pure KNbO3. The potential fields at interfaces between KNbO3 and (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7 with different energy band potential can drive the secondary distribution of photogenerated carriers, thereby improving photocatalytic activity. The composite demonstrates good stability for photocatalytic activities and still has excellent H2 production performance after four cycle experiments. This work verifies that the addition of a small amount of (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7 into the photocatalytically H2-generating semiconducting materials is an efficient strategy for significantly boosting photocatalytic H2 evolution.

A novel all-organic S-scheme heterojunction with rapid interfacial charges migration for efficient photocatalytic H2 production

Poly (triazine imide), as a kind of highly crystalline g-C3N4, exhibits a promising potential for photocatalytic hydrogen production, however, some drawbacks still limit its photocatalytic performance. The strategy of constructing S-scheme heterojunction with different semiconductor photocatalysts enables the effective separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, and the strong oxidative and reductive properties of the original photocatalysts could be retained, which will significantly improve the photocatalytic activity. In this work, we synthesized the organic-organic S-scheme heterojunction between PTI and organic small molecule poly (barbituric acid) (PBA) by hydrogen bond self-assembly method, which results in a significant enhancement of photocatalytic H2 production activity. The H2 production rate of the optimum PBA/PTI-2 sample under visible light irradiation is about 0.92 mmol g–1, which is 5.5 times higher than that of PTI and 14.4 times higher than that of PBA. This excellent photocatalytic performance is attributed to the successful construction of S-scheme heterojunction between PTI and PBA, which effectively accelerates carrier transport and spatial segregation by the formation of a built-in electric field and band bending at the interface. In addition, the S-scheme heterojunction could also reserve the maximum redox capability and enhance the light absorption of the prepared photocatalytic system. This work provides a new strategy and understanding for the design and development of organic-organic S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts.

Anisotropic Charge Migration on Perovskite Oxysulfide for Boosting Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting.

The synthesis of photocatalysts with both broad light absorption and efficient charge separation is significant for a high solar energy conversion, which still remains to be a challenge. Herein, a narrow-bandgap Y2Ti2O5S2 (YTOS) oxysulfide nanosheet coexposed with defined {101} and {001} facets synthesized by a flux-assisted solid-state reaction was revealed to display the character of an anisotropic charge migration. The selective photodeposition of cocatalysts demonstrated that the {101} and {001} surfaces of YTOS nanosheets were the reduction and oxidation regions during photocatalysis, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicated a band energy level difference between the {101} and {001} facets of YTOS, which contributes to the anisotropic charge migration between them. The exposed Ti atoms on the {101} surface and S atoms on the {001} surface were identified, respectively, as reducing and oxidizing centers of YTOS nanosheets. This anisotropic charge migration generated a built-in electric field between these two facets, quantified by spatially resolved surface photovoltage microscopy, the intensity of which was found to be highly correlated with photocatalytic H2 production activity of YTOS, especially exhibiting a high apparent quantum yield of 18.2% (420 nm) after on-site modification of a Pt@Au cocatalyst assisted by Na2S-Na2SO3 hole scavengers. In conjunction with an oxygen-production photocatalyst and a [Co(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox shuttle, the YTOS nanosheets achieved a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 0.15% via a Z-scheme overall water splitting. Our work is the first to confirm anisotropic charge migration in a perovskite oxysulfide photocatalyst, which is crucial for enhancing charge separation and surface catalytic efficiency in this material.

Heterointerface and crystallinity engineering of Ru/RuS2 dual co-catalysts for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

In this paper, the Ru/RuS2 nanoparticles as dual co-catalysts were self-assembled on the surface of g-C3N4 nanotubes (Ru/RuS2/g-C3N4 NTs) for photocatalytic H2 production. The Ru/RuS2/g-C3N4 NTs showed greatly enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity (1409 μmol·g−1·h−1), 1.16 times of RuS2/g-C3N4 NTs (1212 μmol·h−1·g−1), 10.51 times of Ru/g-C3N4 NTs (134 μmol·g−1·h−1), and 82.88 times of the pure g-C3N4 NTs (17 μmol·g−1·h−1). Besides, the apparent quantum yield value (AQE) of Ru/RuS2/g-C3N4 NTs is 3.92% at 370 nm. Ru/RuS2 as dual co-catalysts are self-assembled on the surface of g-C3N4 NTs and show strong electronic synergistic interaction between the interfaces, reduce ΔGH* of RuS2 and desorption energy of Ru, and promote the selectivity and activity of HER kinetically and thermodynamically respectively, which exhibits higher photogenerated carrier concentration and lower charge migration resistance than RuS2 and Ru, showing the synergistic effect to facilitate the generation and migration of carriers and provides active sites for photocatalysis.

Facile fabrication of TT-T Nb2O5 heterophase junctions via in situ phase transformation towards enhanced photocatalytic H2-production activity

TT-T Nb2O5 heterophase junctions synthesized via a facile in situ phase transformation method showed much higher photocatalytic H2-production activity as compared with TT-Nb2O5 and T-Nb2O5 due to the oriented built-in electric field.

Cu(I)-4,4′-bipyridine coordination polymer for photocatalytic H2 generation

Solar water splitting represents one of the most promising strategies in the quest for clean and renewable energy. However, high cost, low conversion efficiency, large amount of sacrificial agents, and complex water splitting system limits its practical application. Herein, the previously reported earth-abundant Cu(I)-4,4′-bipyridine coordination polymer (denoted as Cu–BPY) has been investigated, which exhibits highly photocatalytic activity for H2 production (5275 μmol·g–1·h–1) with the relatively low amount of triethylamine (TEA) as sacrificial donor but without additional co-catalyst and photosensitizer. Moreover, DFT calculations establish the electronic structure of Cu(I)-4,4′-bipyridine with a narrow band gap of 2.39 eV, which is consistent with the experimental value of 2.21 eV. This finding provides a new experimental basis for designing water splitting and related photocatalytic materials.

Construction novel highly active photocatalytic H2 evolution over noble-metal-free trifunctional Cu3P/CdS nanosphere decorated g-C3N4 nanosheet

Hydrogen energy possesses immense potential in developing a green renewable energy system. However, a significant problem still exists in improving the photocatalytic H2 production activity of metal-free graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) based photocatalysts. Here is a novel Cu3P/CdS/g-C3N4 ternary nanocomposite for increasing photocatalytic H2 evolution activity. In this study, systematic characterizations have been carried out using techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Raman spectra, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface area analysis (BET), electrochemical impedance (EIS), and transient photocurrent response measurements. Surprisingly, the improved 3CP/Cd-6.25CN photocatalyst displays a high H2 evolution rate of 125721 μmol h−1 g−1. The value obtained exceeds pristine g-C3N4 and Cu3P/CdS by 339.8 and 7.6 times, respectively. This could be the maximum rate of hydrogen generation for a g–C3N4–based ternary nanocomposite ever seen when exposed to whole solar spectrum and visible light (λ > 420 nm). This research provides fresh perspectives on the rational manufacture of metal-free g-C3N4 based photocatalysts that will increase the conversion of solar energy. By reusing the used 3CP/Cd/g-C3N4 photocatalyst in five consecutive runs, the stability of the catalyst was investigated, and their individual activity in the H2 production activity was assessed. To comprehend the reaction mechanisms and emphasise the value of synergy between the three components, several comparison systems are built.

Metal Ni nanoparticles in-situ anchored on CdS nanowires as effective cocatalyst for boosting the photocatalytic H2 production and degradation activity

Rapid recombination of photoinduced charge carriers and photoinstability greatly hinder the large-scale application of CdS photocatalysis. Herein, non-noble metal Ni nanoparticles (NPs) as highly efficient co-catalysts are evenly anchored onto the surface of CdS nanowires (NWs) via a facile freeze calcination method. As a result, the H2 production performance of the optimal Ni/CdS NWs under the filter (λ ≥ 420 nm) is about 80 times that of the bare CdS NWs, reaching 13,267.2 μmol h−1 g−1 and the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) is 9.3%. Furthermore, Ni/CdS NWs photocatalysts have a surprising performance in the degradation of reactive red (RR2) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), and the optimal photodegradation properties are 0.125 and 0.069 min−1, respectively. According to the experimental characterization and theoretical calculation analysis, the deposition of Ni NPs not only increases the active sites of the reaction but also restrains the recombination of photoinduced charge carriers, so ameliorating the photocatalytic performance of CdS photocatalysts. This work provides a novel standpoint for designing non-noble metal co-catalyst/semiconductor photocatalysts for efficient solar energy conversion.

3D/2D photocatalyst fabricated from Pt loading TiO2 nanoparticles and converter slag-derived Fe-doped hydroxyapatite for efficient H2 evolution

H2 generation for partially substituting coke by the photocatalysts fabricated from steel slag presents a desirable approach to on-site carbon footprint reduction in the iron and steel-making industry, both environmentally and economically. However, achieving high photocatalytic H2 production activity is primarily limited by the scarcity of active sites due to a small specific surface area, inefficient charge transfer, and partly restricted by slow kinetics of the H2 generation reaction. In this study, 1 wt% Pt clusters are photo-reduced onto sub-15 nm TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-Pt) in 20 vol% methanol. Subsequently, the electrostatic assembling method has been employed to combine steel-making converter slag-derived Fe-doped hydroxyapatite (FeHAp) with TiO2-Pt, forming a type II 3D/2D TiO2-Pt/FeHAp heterojunction. Excellent connectivity between these two phases contributes to efficient charge separation, forming a built-in electric field that drives the photo-generated electrons to flow from FeHAp to the Pt cocatalyst on TiO2 nanoparticles through the type-II path. By the synergistic effects, including the large specific surface of sub-15 nm TiO2, Pt cocatalyst-offered rapid H2 generation kinetics,. and the heterostructure-provided enhancement of interfacial charge migration and separation, 60 mg TiO2-Pt/5FeHAp presents an enhanced H2 production activity in 120 mL of 10 vol% triethanolamine (TEOA), enabling the H2 generation rate (3026 μmol·g−1·h−1) to reach 1.85 and 75.78 times greater than that of pristine TiO2-Pt (1638 μmol·g−1·h−1) and FeHAp-Pt (40 μmol·g−1·h−1), respectively, under UV–visible light irradiation for 3 h at 8 °C and obtaining an apparent quantum yield of 4.72 % at 370 nm. This study provides a promising strategy for green hydrogen-based steel-making in the sustainable development of the steel industry.

Sulfur and carbon co-doped g-C3N4 microtubes with enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity

Sulfur and carbon co-doped g-C3N4 microtubes with enhanced photocatalytic H2 production activity

Photoredox Cascade Catalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Production with Biomass Photoreforming.

Biomass photoreforming is a promising method to provide both a clean energy resource in the form of hydrogen (H2 ) and valuable chemicals as the results of water reduction and biomass oxidation. To overcome the poor contact between heterogeneous photocatalysts and biomass substrates, we fabricated a new photoredox cascade catalyst by combining a homogeneous catalyst, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO), and a heterogeneous dual-dye sensitized photocatalyst (DDSP) composed of two Ru(II)-polypyridine photosensitizers (RuP6 and RuCP6 ) and Pt-loaded TiO2 nanoparticles. During blue-light irradiation (λ=460±15 nm; 80 mW), the DDSP photocatalytically reduced aqueous protons to form H2 and simultaneously oxidized TEMPO• radicals to generate catalytically active TEMPO+ . It oxidized biomass substrates (water-soluble glycerol and insoluble cellulose) to regenerate TEMPO• . In the presence of N-methyl imidazole as a proton transfer mediator, the photocatalytic H2 production activities for glycerol and cellulose reforming reached 2670 and 1590 μmol H2 (gTiO2 )-1 h-1 , respectively, which were comparable to those of state-of-the-art heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Photoredox Cascade Catalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Production with Biomass Photoreforming

AbstractBiomass photoreforming is a promising method to provide both a clean energy resource in the form of hydrogen (H2) and valuable chemicals as the results of water reduction and biomass oxidation. To overcome the poor contact between heterogeneous photocatalysts and biomass substrates, we fabricated a new photoredox cascade catalyst by combining a homogeneous catalyst, 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine 1‐oxyl (TEMPO), and a heterogeneous dual‐dye sensitized photocatalyst (DDSP) composed of two Ru(II)‐polypyridine photosensitizers (RuP6 and RuCP6) and Pt‐loaded TiO2 nanoparticles. During blue‐light irradiation (λ=460±15 nm; 80 mW), the DDSP photocatalytically reduced aqueous protons to form H2 and simultaneously oxidized TEMPO• radicals to generate catalytically active TEMPO+. It oxidized biomass substrates (water‐soluble glycerol and insoluble cellulose) to regenerate TEMPO•. In the presence of N‐methyl imidazole as a proton transfer mediator, the photocatalytic H2 production activities for glycerol and cellulose reforming reached 2670 and 1590 μmol H2 (gTiO2)−1 h−1, respectively, which were comparable to those of state‐of‐the‐art heterogeneous photocatalysts.

Construction of S-scheme heterojunction catalytic nanoreactor for boosted photothermal-assisted photocatalytic H2 production

Reasonable design of heterojunction band structure and strengthening of the photothermal effect is an important method to promote the photothermal-assisted photocatalytic H2 production activity of photocatalysts. Herein, a composite material named as Co3O4/CNNVs S-scheme heterojunction nanoreactor was constructed by loading Co3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of g-C3N4 nanovesicles (CNNVs) through a simple hydrothermal method and used to achieve efficient photothermal-assisted photocatalytic H2 production. In the absence of Pt as a cocatalyst, Co3O4/CNNVs-22.5 exhibited a photocatalytic H2 production rate up to 772.9 μmol g-1h−1 under irradiation with a 300 W Xenon lamp, which is much higher than that of pure CNNVs (15.5 μmol g-1h−1). In the Co3O4/CNNVs photothermal-assisted photocatalytic system, the synergistic effect of the strong photothermal effect of Co3O4 nanoparticles and the thermal insulation effect of hollow CNNVs nanoreactor was shown to be the main reasons for promoting the surface temperature increase of the heterojunction photocatalyst, which effectively facilitates the separation and transfer of photo-generated carriers, thus increasing the photocatalytic H2 production. In addition, the S-scheme heterojunction formed between Co3O4 and CNNVs optimize the charge transfer path. This work presents a reasonable design of highly efficient photocatalyst with a S-scheme heterojunction nanoreactor for the photothermal-assisted photocatalysis.

Au-Deposited Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 Nanostructures for Photocatalytic H2 Production under Visible Light

Pure Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 and Au (0.1–1.0 wt.%)-deposited Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 nanomaterials were synthesized via hydrothermal and non-aqueous precipitation methods using gold acetate as a chloride-free Au precursor. The synthesized nanostructures exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production via aqueous bioethanol photoreforming under visible light. Different characterization tools such as powder XRD, HRTEM, FT-IR, DR UV-vis, XPS and N2 gas adsorption were used to analyze the physicochemical properties of the synthesized photocatalysts. The band gap value was lowered from 3.25 eV to 2.86 eV after Au nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of Ce0.5Zr0.5O2. The 1.0 wt.% Au-deposited Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity for H2 production (3210 μmol g−1) due to its low band gap, the presence of more oxygen vacancies and its porous character. The EIS results reveal that the deposition of 1.0 wt.% Au nanoparticles is responsible for the highest charge separation efficiency with an increased lifetime of photogenerated e−/h+ species compared to the other samples. In addition, the presence of plasmonic Au is responsible for the effectiveness of the electron trap in improving the rate of H2 formation.