Steady hydrogen evolution from water on Eosin Y-fixed TiO2 photocatalyst using a silane-coupling reagent under visible light irradiation

A chemical fixation of xanthene dyes on platinized TiO2 particles via silane-coupling reagent was attempted in order to construct a stable dye-sensitized photocatalyst system in water. The Eosin Y fixed Pt-TiO2 (E.Y-TiO2) exhibited steady H-2 production from aqueous triethanolamine solution (TEOA aq.) under visible light irradiation for long time, and the H-2 evolution reproduced even after the exchange of TEOA aq., while the H-2 evolution from the mixture of Eosin Y (E.Y) and Pt-TiO2 ceased in 10h. The turnover number of the dye molecule fixed on TiO2 surface reached more than 10,000, and the quantum yield of the E.Y-TiO2 at 520 nm was determined to be about 10%. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.