Development of Cn-Ni/Ti02 BimetaUic Photocatalyst for Solar-Generation of Hydrogen

The depletion of fossil fuels on a global scale is expected to be the greatest problem that the world will face in the 21st century. Thus, an increasing number of scientists are looking for alternative fuels which are both renewable and sustainable, such as hydrogen produced from photocatalytic activity. Existing photocatalytic systems are effective for hydrogen production, but only through the use of efficient semiconductor photocatalysts activated by ultra-violet (UV) light. The demand for visible light activated photocatalytic systems is increasing rapidly. Currently, however, the efficiency and availability of photocatalysts which can be activated effectively by the solar spectrum and especially indoor lighting is severely limited. The objective of this study is to investigate and develop a Ti02 bimetallic photocatalyst for solar-generation of hydrogen by incorporating nickel and copper atoms in efforts to lower the band gap of Ti02, thus shifting its absorption edge into the visible region. An overview of the principles of photocatalysis is first provided. Relevant properties of pure and modified Ti02 are next discussed, and results of studies on structural and photocatalytic properties are presented. Measurements characterizing the bimetallic photocatalyst are carried out using temperature programmed reduction (TPR), diffuse-reflectance UV-Vis (DR UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine its bulk and surface properties. The photoactivity of the bimetallic photocatalyst is carefully studied, and recommendations are provided to improve the photocatalysts under investigation