Photocatalytic activity of metal (Pt, Ag, and Cu)-deposited TiO2 photoelectrodes for degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solution

A series of metal (Pt, Ag, and Cu)-deposited TiO2 films with nanocrystalline structure was prepared. Compared with TiO2 film, the degradation efficiency of formic acid for the metal-deposited TiO2 films was significantly higher in both photocatalytic (PC) and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) processes, the enhanced order in PC and PEC activity for the metal-deposited film is Pt–TiO2 > Ag–TiO2 > Cu–TiO2. However, the electrochemical dissolution of deposited metals (Ag, and Cu) on TiO2 film would be a technical problem in PEC processes, an alternate PC and PEC processes intermittently provide a positive approach to maintain deposited metals (Ag, and Cu) on the TiO2 films well.