Plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production over visible-light responsive Cu/TiO₂

Cheap and visible-light responsive Cu/TiO2 photocatalysts were fabricated by illuminating ultraviolet (UV) to a mixture of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and Cu2O NPs in an evacuated reaction chamber. The Cu2O NPs were reduced by UV in an oxygen-free reaction chamber, and hence, metallic Cu NPs with size less than 5 nm were uniformly loaded on TiO2. Due to the plasmon resonance of the Cu NPs, the Cu/TiO2 exhibited a good performance of water-splitting hydrogen production under visible light in the presence of glycerol as a hole scavenger. The optimum hydrogen production rate of Cu/TiO2 was 0.24 mmol h(-1) g(-1). The Cu/TiO2 also showed high stability of the photocatalytic performance in the evacuated chamber; however, the visible-light responsive photocatalytic properties dramatically and rapidly decreased when exposed to air.