Preparation of heterostructured mesoporous In2O3/Ta2O5 nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution

A heterostructured mesoporous In2O3/Ta2O5 nanocomposite photocatalyst for hydrogen production was prepared by a one-step sol-gel process, employing a triblock copolymer surfactant (Pluronic P123) as a structure-directing agent. The incorporation of In2O3 significantly improves the thermal stability of mesoporous Ta2O5 and gets heterostructured In2O3/Ta2O5 nanocomposites with a reduced band gap. The as-prepared In2O3/Ta2O5 nanocomposite shows an obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production with a long-term stability due to the synergistic effect of the heterojunctions and the large specific surface area as well as the thin walls from the mesoporous structures. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.