Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of Ni modified TiO2/GO nanosheet composites

Solar-driven photocatalytic hydrogen generation via splitting water requires an efficient visible light active photocatalyst. In this work, Ni cocatalysts on a TiO2 composite photocatalyst with different graphene oxide (GO) contents were prepared using a hydrothermal method and characterized by TEM, XRD, UV-vis, Raman and PL spectra. The results show that the synthesized TiO2/GO/Ni nanosheet composites have a large specific surface area and can provide a large number of active sites for a photocatalytic hydrogen production reaction. GO can broaden the optical absorption range of TiO2 and absorb more visible light, thus stimulating more photogenerated electron-hole pairs. At the same time, GO can collect electrons and promote the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Ni, as a cocatalyst, can be used as an active site for hydrogen ion adsorption, which is conducive to promoting the migration of photogenerated electrons in the system and prolonging the life of photogenerated electrons and holes, thus ensuring the high efficiency of the photocatalytic reaction.

Automated summary

In this study, Ni cocatalysts on a TiO2 composite photocatalyst with different graphene oxide (GO) contents were prepared using a hydrothermal method and characterized. It was found that the TiO2/GO/Ni nanosheet composites have a large specific surface area and can provide a large number of active sites for photocatalytic hydrogen production. GO can broaden the optical absorption range of TiO2 and absorb more visible light, stimulating the generation of more electron-hole pairs. Additionally, GO can collect electrons and promote the separation of electron-hole pairs. Ni, as a cocatalyst, can adsorb hydrogen ions and facilitate the migration of photogenerated electrons, thus ensuring high efficiency of the photocatalytic reaction.