Visible light-induced hydrogen evolution from aqueous suspensions of titanium(IV) oxide modified with binaphthol

The reaction between titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) powders and 1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'-diol (bn(OH)(2)), both of which are originally colorless, led to the formation of surface TiO2-bn(OH)(2) complexes giving a broad absorption in the visible-light region below ca. 550 nm. When the surface complex was made on TiO2 loaded with platinum deposits, the powder exhibited photocatalytic activity for H-2 evolution from deaerated triethanolamine solution under visible-light irradiation (>430 nm). On the basis of the experimental results, the reaction mechanism seems to involve visible-light excitation of the surface complexes, electron injection to TiO2, and its migration to platinum deposits, where reduction of H+ takes place.