Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution over Platinum and Boron Co-doped TiO2 Photoatalysts

Abstract

In this paper, the new photocatalyst, Pt^x-/TiO_2-yB_y was prepared by impregnation method via coupling with a inorganic water splitting system, namely, a ternary system K⁺,Na⁺/B₄O₇^2- - H₂O for hydrogen evolution. The integration process of the preparation for B doping Pt/TiO₂ with the significant photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in the ternary system K⁺,Mg²⁺/B₄O₇^2- - H₂O and K⁺,Na⁺/B₄O₇^2- - H₂O were accomplished by impregnation in situ. The photocatalyst Pt^x-/TiO_2-yB_y synthesis and the photocatalytic hydrogen production of the isothermal solubility of the ternary system K⁺,Mg²⁺/B₄O₇^2- - H₂O and K⁺,Na⁺/B₄O₇^2- - H₂O at 25 ºC have been studied. Thus, the present challenge is not only to demonstrate a suitable photocatalytical system that can efficiently produce hydrogen under the borate exsited, but also research that the addition of borate to the suspensions greatly enhanced the stability of the  photocatalysts over semiconductor catalysts.The results show that borate solution is a suitable for B doped TiO₂ photocatalysts preparation and a novel photocatalyst Pt^x-/TiO_2-yB_y was successfully prepared by this way. XRD and XPS characterization showed that both anatase and rutile are coexisted and the B is incorporated into the crystal of the TiO₂.So the TiO₂ can be denoted as TiO_2-xB_x. The effect of borate on the photocatalytic properties were investigated. The results showed that the amount of hydrogen evolved is enhanced by factors of 4 with the addition of H₃BO₃ to the ethanol/water reaction solutions. The role of boron anion does not act as a sacrificial electron donors.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.20.4.6412