In-Situ Preparation of Black TiO2/Cu2O/Cu Composites as an Efficient Photocatalyst for Degradation Pollutants and Hydrogen Production

In the present work, non-precious Cu2O and Cu loaded hydrogenated black TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared, and the H-2 evolution and the removal of a waterbased organic pollutant under UV light were studied. The results revealed that the BTiO2/Cu2O/Cu (TC6-350) sample exhibited an improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance, about 47 times higher than that of the TiO2, and photocatalytic degradation of the Rhodamine B aqueous solution about 2.2 times faster than the TiO2. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the integration of energy band alignment, effective carrier separation, and low charge transfer resistance. In addition, the constructed B-TiO2/Cu2O/Cu nanocomposite exhibited light stability, making it a long-term competitive photocatalyst for H-2 evolution. Therefore, the B-TiO2/Cu2O photocatalyst is a promising candidate for a variety of photocatalytic applications. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

Non-precious Cu2O and Cu loaded hydrogenated black TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared and studied for their photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and organic pollutant degradation under UV light. The results showed that the BTiO2/Cu2O/Cu sample exhibited significantly improved photocatalytic performance, with hydrogen evolution about 47 times higher than TiO2 and degradation of Rhodamine B solution 2.2 times faster than TiO2. The enhanced activity can be attributed to energy band alignment, effective carrier separation, and low charge transfer resistance.