CaIn2O4/Fe-TiO2 Composite Photocatalysts with Enhanced Visible Light Performance for Hydrogen Production

A series of CaIn2O4/Fe-TiO2 composite photocatalysts with tunable Fe-TiO2 contents were prepared in which Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of CaIn2O4 nanorods. The photocatalytic activities of Pt-loaded CaIn2O4/Fe-TiO2 composites were evaluated for H-2 evolution from aqueous KI solution under visible light irradiation. It was found that the composites showed higher H-2 evolution rates in comparison with pure CaIn2O4 or Fe-TiO2, which could be attributed to the increased surface area and enhanced visible light absorption. A high H-2 evolution rate of 280 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) was achieved when the mass ratio of Fe-TiO2 to CaIn2O4 was 0.5, which was 12.3 and 2.2 times higher than that of pure CaIn2O4 and Fe-TiO2, respectively. Furthermore, the interfaces between CaIn2O4 nanorods and Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles facilitated efficient charge separation that also led to the improved photocatalytic activity. This study may provide some inspiration for the fabrication of visible-light-driven photocatalysts with efficient and stable performance.