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Performance of Pt–MoS2 co-modified 3-dimensional TiO2 nanoflowers in photocatalytic water splitting reaction

  • Original Paper: Nano-structured materials (particles, fibers, colloids, composites, etc.)
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Abstract

3-dimensional TiO2 nanoflowers (TiO2-NF) constituted by TiO2 nanosheets were synthesized successfully via a facile hydrothermal method in this work. To enhance the photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanoflowers, MoS2 and Pt were used as modifiers. The experimental results indicated that the MoS2/TiO2-NF had better photocatalytic performance than the original TiO2-NF, and MoS2/TiO2-NF containing 2.0% MoS2 exhibited the best photocatalytic activity for water splitting reaction. Under the irradiation of simulated sunlight, the H2 evolution rates over MoS2/TiO2-NF (2.0%) and TiO2-NF were 1700 and 630 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of MoS2/TiO2-NF (2.0%) was enhanced by Pt modification, and the H2 evolution rate over Pt–MoS2/TiO2-NF (2.0%) rose to 7500 μmol g−1 h−1. The Pt–MoS2/TiO2-NF (2.0%) was recyclable, and retained its original photocatalytic activity after five cycles.

Highlights

  • MoS2/TiO2 catalysts with 3D nanoflower (NF) structure were synthesized successfully. MoS2/TiO2-NF containing 2.0% MoS2 exhibited high hydrogenproductionrates under the irradiation of visible light (1566 μmol g−1 h−1) and simulated sunlight (1700 μmol g−1 h−1).

  • Pt nanoparticles were loaded on MoS2/TiO2-NF catalysts as electron receptors to improve the catalysts’ photocatalytic performance.

  • Due to the cooperativity of Pt NPs and MoS2, the hydrogen-production rates of Pt–MoS2/TiO2-NF (2.0%) were 7500 μmol g−1 h−1 (under the illumination of simulated sunlight) and 6400 μmol g−1 h−1 (under the visible light).

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Data availability

All data generated during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21373120, 21301098, 21071086, and 21271110), project IRT13022, B12015, and Training Program for Top Students in Basic Subject (20180206).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Xiaotong Liu, Ya Chen, Baolin Zhu, Shoumin Zhang & Weiping Huang

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin); Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry, Ministry of Education (Nankai University), Tianjin, 300071, China

    Weiping Huang

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  1. Xiaotong Liu
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  3. Baolin Zhu
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Liu, X., Chen, Y., Zhu, B. et al. Performance of Pt–MoS2 co-modified 3-dimensional TiO2 nanoflowers in photocatalytic water splitting reaction. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 98, 517–527 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-021-05506-0

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