Research on photocatalytic H2 production from acetic acid solution by Pt/TiO2 nanoparticles under UV irradiation

The Pt/TiO2 particles have been prepared by the photodeposition of Pt on TiO2 surface and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Photocatalytic H2 production from acetic acid (HAc) over Pt/TiO2 in aqueous solution has been studied at ambient temperature under UV irradiation. The effects of operational variables such as Pt loading, photocatalyst concentration, HAc concentration, and solution pH, have been systematically investigated. The optimum conditions for H2 production from HAc by Pt/TiO2 were Pt loading 1.0 wt.%, Pt/TiO2 concentration 0.22 g/L, HAc concentration 6.52 g/L and pH 1.0. The H2 yield is 0.27 mol-H2/mol-HAc obtained under prolonged time irradiation. Experimental results showed that the photocatalytic H2 production activity could be enhanced remarkably by depositing a suitable amount Pt on TiO2 surface. Based on our results, a new process for H2 production from biomass can be achieved by coupling fermentative H2 production with photocatalytic H2 production. The process also provides a method for degradation of organic pollutants with simultaneous H2 production. A possible mechanism for photocatalytic decomposition of HAc over Pt/TiO2 was also proposed.