TiO2 Au
TiO2 Au
art ic l e i nf o a b s t r a c t
Article history: TiO2 is indeed one of the widely used semiconductors employed for photocatalytic hydrogen production.
Received 28 January 2014 Most of its photocatalytic activity is achieved in its crystalline form. However, its photocatalytic activity is
Received in revised form limited to ultraviolet region. For making TiO2 visible light active; Au deposition is strongly recommended
22 November 2015
due to its surface plasmon feature. Au deposition enhances the photocatalytic activity of both crystalline
Accepted 24 December 2015
and nanocrystalline TiO2. Efficiency of photocatalytic activity is controlled by shape and size of Au
nanoparticle subsequently the synthetic methodology plays an important role.
Keywords: Herein, we furnish a brief description of TiO2–Au nanocomposite synthesis by different methods viz.
TiO2 sol–gel, photodeposition, deposition–precipitation simple reducing method and dispersion method. A
Photocatalysis
discussion on physical properties of the resultant material is also provided. Three different types of
Hydrogen generation
mechanism has been described depending on the type of irradiation and form of TiO2 (crystalline and
Nanocomposite
Gold nanoparticle nanocrytalline). A comparative hydrogen production yield is also tabulated to get an idea about the best
synthesis methodology and form of TiO2 for efficient photocatalysis.
& 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1367
2. Background of the content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1367
2.1. Photocatalytic H2 production using TiO2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1367
2.2. Effect of metal on photocatalytic H2 production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1368
2.3. Properties of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1368
3. Synthesis of TiO2–Au nanocomposite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1369
3.1. Chemical reduction method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1369
3.2. Sonochemical reduction method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1369
3.3. Dispersion method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1370
3.4. Photochemical deposition method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1370
3.5. Deposition–precipitation method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1370
3.6. Sol–gel method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
4. Photocatalytic hydrogen production under different irradiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
4.1. TiO2–Au activity in visible light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
4.1.1. Electric near field effect mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1371
4.1.2. Electron transfer (Au to TiO2) mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1372
4.2. Activity in UV and UV–vis region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1372
4.3. Other phenomenon during photocatalytic H2 generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1373
5. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1374
[Link]
1364-0321/& 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
B. Gupta et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 58 (2016) 1366–1375 1367
Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1374
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1374
is not scavenged by alcohol. Presence of O2 in the exhaust gas also Rh3 þ þ 3e ⇄Rh E° ¼0.758 V—————————————————————
gives an indication of water splitting and hole consumption by (7)
water instead of alcohol that ultimately causes formation of O2
Ag þ þe ⇄Ag E° ¼0.7996V——————————————————————
H2Oþ 2h þ -2H þ þO2 (2) (8)
Thus the overall H2 production can be represented by the fol- Pd2 þ þ 2e ⇄Pd E° ¼0.951 V—————————————————————
lowing surface reaction: (9)
CH3OHþ H2O-CO2 þ 3H2 (3) [AuCl4] þ3e ⇄Auþ 4Cl E° ¼1.002 V———————————————
(10)
It is well known that TiO2 is one of the most efficient photo-
catalyst in terms of stability and photoconversion efficiency It is generally inferred that metal with high work function
amongst various other semiconductor materials. But it has some helps in enhancing the Schottky barrier effect, which in turn
drawbacks which opens up multiple directions for research in TiO2 suppresses e –h þ recombination. Usually metal after deposition
based photocatlysis as mentioned below: on semiconductor surface exhibits movement of Fermi level
towards more negative direction, which is a key factor for
1. Rate of recombination in case of excited charge is very high and increasing Schottky barrier or efficiency of charge-transfer [38].
is released in form of heat. After light irradiation followed by electron transfer (TiO2 to M),
2. An absorption response of TiO2 to the electromagnetic radiation Fermi level shift become more pronounced to facilitate further
is very small and is one of the key factors for the low efficiency. electron transfer as shown in Fig. 2. As we know, shift in fermi
3. The chance of backward reaction is also possible i.e. combina- level further depends on work function of a metal. Thus, a metal
tion of H2 and O2. with high work function is more suitable for photocatalytic H2
production. Work functions of Ag, Cu, Rh, Au and Pd are 4.26, 4.65,
To improve the photocatalytic property of TiO2, certain mod- 4.98, 5.1 and 5.12 eV, respectively. This ascending order is also
ifications are required to be done in electron donor or electron observed for photocatalytic activity [39]. Amongst various nano-
acceptor energy level. Electron donor falls in the category of che- metals, Au shows comparatively high photocatalytic activity under
mical additive; however, second one belongs to catalyst mod- visible light due to its distinguishing features as mentioned in the
ification. In terms of electron acceptor, modification is made by following section.
introducing a noble metal, metal ion doping, anion doping, dye
sensitization, composite semiconductors, metal ion-implantation 2.3. Properties of Au nanoparticles (Au NPs)
etc. Amongst the above mentioned techniques, noble metal load-
ing and dye sensitization are useful in photocatalytic H2 genera- Au in the bulk form is inert and does not exhibit significant
tion. There are many reports which deals with the metal i.e. Pt reactivity. In contrast Au NP shows very promising catalytic
deposition over semiconductor which forms p–n junction with the activity in specific reference to the oxidation of carbon monoxide.
semiconductor (photocatalyst) and work as an electron sink, thus Highly disperse Au NPs are very difficult to achieve. Melting point
averting recombination process. However, high cost of Pt reduces of Au (1063 °C) is considerably lower than that of Pt (1769 °C) and
the applicability of such a catalyst. Au NPs are comparatively Pd (1550 °C) [40–42]. One interesting point to note is that Au NPs
cheaper to Pt and due to the inherent plasmonic oscillation; it with a diameter of 2 nm exhibit a drastically reduced melting
absorbs in visible region as well acts as an electron trap. This point of 300 °C due to quantization effect [42,43].
process reduces the e –h þ recombination. Here, we will discuss Free space of face centered cubic lattice of Au is composed of
about TiO2 modification by metal nanoparticle with special three low index planes i.e. (110), (100) and (111). Amongst them,
emphasis on Au. (100) and (111) have lower surface energy compared to (110),
which generally supports the stability of the system. Schematics of
2.2. Effect of metal on photocatalytic H2 production the Au (100) (110) and (111) planes are shown in Fig. 3.
Change in physical properties while going from bulk to nano-
It is reported that the photochemical reduction depends on gold is described on the basis of solid state chemistry. The
metal ion reduction potential and the location of conduction band
level of semiconductor. For a feasible reduction process, conduc-
tion level should be comparatively more negative to that of
reduction potential of the metal ion. Since the energy level of a
semiconductor depends on pH of the medium, the feasibility of
reduction of different metals becomes dependent on the pH of the
electrolyte medium [35–37]. It was reported that at pH ¼7,
reduction is feasible in case of transition metal like Ni, Cu, Ag, Au
and Pd (reduction potentials are mentioned in the following
equations). However, the H2 production is enhanced only in case
of Pt, Pd, Au and Rh along with the reduction process.
Fig. 3. Schematic of the Au planes (100) (left), (111) (middle) and (110) (right).
reconstruction of (111) plane is only possible under ultra high 3.1. Chemical reduction method
vaccum (UHV) conditions. The structure obtained by reconstruc-
tion is composed of face-centered cubic and closed-packed hex- Reduction method is one of the simplest methods of Au NP
agonal structures, in which 23 atoms are arranged in a space that deposition/adsorption over TiO2 surface. In terms of Au nano-
is suitable for typically 22 atoms, thus surface energy of the system particle decoration, this technique is highly preferred for its
is lowered by squeezing in more atoms [44]. For a 2 nm size Au availability as well established procedures for the preparation of
particle the Au (110) planes can also be modified in UHV condition colloidal suspensions in water and other solvents. Turkevich
to form Au (111) plane in which 60% of the atoms are present over method [50] and Brust method [51] are well known methods for
the surface. Smaller particle is having comparatively higher energy the synthesis of Au nanoparticles of 5 nm size with narrow size
because of preponderance by free surface where unsaturated co- distribution. It can be done either in the presence or absence of
ordination bonds in the form of dangling bonds are present. Those solid supports like TiO2, It is usually observed that during
states are energetically ahead of bulk Au. Decrease in particle size adsorption process, Au tends to agglomerate, forming Au islands of
causes the electrons to occupy the surface of the particle in free particle size well above 50 nm. In various photocatalytic processes,
unbound form. These unbound orbital or electron plays a crucial the activity of such catalyst is diminished due to reduced surface
role in the manifestation of physical property of the particle as it area and weak interaction with support.
traverses from bulk to nanoscale. As the particle size is diminished, Naldoni et al. synthesized Au:TiO2 nanocomposite and studied
band overlapping of valence electron also diminishes thus repla- these by optical, morphological and structural characterizations.
cing it in the form of discrete energy level characteristics akin to TiO2:Au typically shows absorption at 549 nm attributed to the
molecular orbit. Outcome of this phenomenon unfolds in the form SPR effect without altering the band gap of pure TiO2 [52]. It is also
of decrease in conductivity and appearance of Mie plasmonic observed that reduction procedure of metal nanoparticle does not
resonance as observed in case of Au55 and other smaller clusters. affect the morphology of TiO2. XPS investigation on Au:TiO2
This phenomenon is not only dependent on particle size but is also nanocomposite did not reveal any spectral alteration even after
influenced by the surrounding temperature and dielectric con- sputtering with Ar þ ion for 1 h. This indicates the stability of TiO2
stant. At high temperature, metallic property is observed and vice- matrix supported Au NPs opposite to that of TiO2:Pt nanocompo-
versa [45]. site. However, the size of Au NPs is bigger than that of Pt cluster.
Incorporation of nano Au into TiO2 matrix for water splitting Chiarello et al. made Au:TiO2 composites and observed a 550 nm
reaction has been extensively studied as it enhances the efficiency SPR frequency which is about 20 nm more than that observed for
of the photocatalytic reaction and shifts the photo response pure Au nanoparticles. The alteration of electronic configuration of
towards the visible light regime due to surface plasmon resonance Au due to the interaction with TiO2 support causes such a shift
(SPR) [46,47]. Following section deals with the synthetic strategy [53,54]. Comparative experimental condition is reported in
adopted for the formation of TiO2:Au nanocompsite along with its Table 1. Chemical reduction of Au salt in TiO2 was also performed
resultant physical properties. when TiO2 is in the form of photonic crystal. The deposition of Au
is significantly responsible for tuning the photonic band gap and
subsequently hydrogen production [55].
Besides adsorption of preformed Au colloids on to TiO2, an Deposition–precipitation method for the synthesis of Au:TiO2
alternative that has been widely used to prepare titania supported nanocomposite, has proven to be the most feasible method
Au NPs has been estabilized through photodeposition method. adapted to heterogeneous catalysis. This is because it retains very
This methodology is valid when the support is a semiconductor small Au nanoparticles with an average particle size of about 5 nm.
such as TiO2. Irradiation of the semiconductor with light of The size is very suitable as the catalytic activity is most pro-
appropriate wavelength produces the photogenerated electrons nounced [65,66]. This methodology starts with the aqueous solu-
and holes. These electrons can be used to reduce Au salt to Au tion of HAuCl4, brought to the required pH level and followed by
metal that will be simultaneously adsorbed on to the surface of the addition of TiO2 to this solution. Finally the resultant suspension is
semiconductor. A hole scavenger such as an alcohol need to be stirred continuously for a relatively longer time of 24 h at a con-
present as such to avoid accumulation of positive charge during stant pH. The resultant solid is collected by proper washing to
the photodeposition process. Deposition condition adopted by remove traces of Cl ions. The crucial parameters involved in the
various research group is mentioned in Table 2. Chen et al. con- deposition–precipitation process which control the particle size of
solidated the synthesis of Au:TiO2 nanocomposite by photo- Au NP is the pH value of the deposition step [67–69]. The
chemical methods at 4.5 pH in 0.2 N salt solutions of Na2CO3. In deposition–precipitation method is a highly desirable technique
presence of TiO2, Au particle size does reduces from 20 nm to due to the reproducibility of the quality of product. Synthesis
3 nm. However, the corresponding SPR falls at 563 nm with red procedure for nanocomposite fabrication is shown in Fig. 4.
shift of 30 nm as compared to pure Au NPs [33]. Gartner et al. Catalysts made by this method are considered as “reference
synthesized Au NPs in TiO2 matrix using different metal salts. High catalysts” type A and is considered for commercialization by World
deposition is achieved by using NaAuCl4 (0.97 wt%) followed by Gold Council. In order to achieve high photocatalytic activity and
AuCl3 (0.96 wt%), AuCl (0.65 wt%) and [Au(PPh3)]Cl (almost 0). observe the influence of surface hydroxyl group, the acidic pH
Although the average particle size remain almost same (3–12 nm) state is highly favorable. Such a processing condition is amenable
in all these cases, in case of AuCl it was noted that there is some to size regulation of NPs through reducing surface titanol group.
dilution observed on TiO2 surface in terms of Au concentration Silva et al. synthesized TiO2 supported Au NPs by deposition pre-
[61]. A comparative photodeposition process was carried out by cipitation technique by varying pH (4.5, 6 and 9) and temperature
Bamwenda et al. in alcoholic–aqueous solution of Au and Pt salts. (200 and 400 °C). Particle size can easily be controlled by adjusting
Smaller particle size (1–8 nm) with narrow size distribution could the pH of the medium and heat treatment. Higher pH and tem-
be achieved in case of Pt as compared to Au (1–10 nm) [62]. perature causes agglomeration due to the sintering occurring at Au
Yuzawa et al. incorporated Au nanoparticle into TiO2 matrix by and TiO2 interface. Smallest particle is formed by heating the
photochemical reduction process using different grades of TiO2. composite at 200 °C with pH around 9. Agglomeration at higher
With 0.5 wt% of Au loading, NP size of 11.5 nm could be obtained. temperature is supported by absorption spectrum which reveals
This exhibited nearly similar absorption spectra in all the cases red shifting in the plasmonic absorption [70]. Rosseler et al. syn-
indicating the same shape and size of the NPs. In case of TiO2-R3, thesized TiO2 by sol–gel method using different porogen like
there is a peak splitting at 2 wt% Au loading and is explained as Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Polyoxyethylene (10) cetyl ether (Brij
due to the formation of rod shaped particles. Hence, from different 56), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and (10) cetyl ether (Brij 56) and
findings, the author has concluded that the growth of Au NPs take hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Au loading was
place faster on TiO2 of low surface area. Furthermore, growth rate carried out by an ion exchange procedure using HAuCl4. Ammonia
B. Gupta et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 58 (2016) 1366–1375 1371
Table 2
Comparative photochemical methods adopted for the synthesis of TiO2/Au nanocomposite.
Table 3
Comparative photocatlytic H2 production yield using TiO2/Au photocatalyst under different experimental condition.
TiO2/Au (1 wt%)- 25 mg UV (2.4 W Xenon lamp) 8.4 μmol/mg h Water:methanol (1:1)-10 ml [33]
TiO2/Au (2 wt%) Vis (150 W metal halide lamp) 120 μmol/min Water:methanol (99:1)-100 ml [34]
TiO2/AuCl4 (0.25 wt%)- 20 mg UV (LED lamp) 4 μmol/h g 40 ml (16 wt% glucose) [37]
TiO2/Au (2 wt%)-10-25mg Sun light (0.3–0.4 mW/cm2) 400 mmol/h g Water:ethanol (120:1)-60 ml [55]
TiO2 /Au (1 wt%)- 255 mg Vis (450 W Hg Lamp) 6.9 μmol/h Water:methanol (18:1)-340 ml [58]
TiO2/Au (70 nm)-45 mg Vis (Hg lamp) 56.6 ml/h Water:isopropanol (4:1)- ml [59]
TiO2/Au (1 wt%)- 1.7 g/dm3 UV–vis (500 W Hg lamp) 0.207 μmol/h Water:methanol (0.4:1)-10 ml [60]
TiO2/Au (0.1 wt%)- 500 mg Vis (300 W xenon lamp) 20 μmol/ m2 g Water:ethanol (7:3)-100 ml [62]
TiO2/Au (1 wt%)-20 mg 300 W power UV–vis (100 mW cm 2) Vis (92 mW cm 2) 307 mmol/h g 66 mmol/h g Water:methanol (3:1)-40 ml [64]
TiO2/Au (1.5 wt%)-45 mg Vis (xenon doped Hg lamp) 0.96 ml/h Water:methanol (3:1)-100 ml [68]
TiO2/Au (2 wt%)- 10 mg UV–vis (300 W arc lamp) 195/h.g Water:methanol (8:2)-120 ml [69]
TiO2/Au (2 wt%)- 10 mg Vis (300 W xenon lamp) 7 μmol/h g 10 ml (0.1 mM-ascorbic acid) [70]
TiO2/Au (4 wt%)- 6–20 mg UV (90 W lamp) 1 μmol/m2 min Water:ethanol (7:3)-100 ml [71]
making the effect of plasmonic induced enhancement on absorp- control experiment to justify the existence of two mechanism i.e.
tion by TiO2 [33]. Bamwenda et al. first compared Pt and Au electron transfer from TiO2 to Au and vice versa. To see the effect of
composite followed by different technique used for the synthesis electron transfer from Au to TiO2 a comparison between TiO2–Au
of TiO2–Au nanocomposite and showed that Pt is more efficient and TiO2–Pt was made and found that photocatalytic activity is high
than Au in terms of H2/CO2 ratio. However, CO2/CH4 is higher in in case of TiO2–Au in comparison to TiO2–Pt under visible light
case of Au composites and amongst different technique of synthesis irradiation. Amongst TiO2, TiO2 derived from P123 and P25, Au
(photodeposition, deposition precipitation, imprementation and nanocomposite with P123 was more affected by plasmonic effect
simple mixing) photodeposition yield's highest H2 evolution rate. In due to sublevel present just below the conduction band due to
deposition–precipitation technique, the temperature used for defect. To justify the electron transfer from Au to TiO2 author stu-
reduction plays a crucial role in photocatalysis. Low temperature died the wavelength effect on photocatalytic activity and it was
synthesized materials are more active than high temperature syn- found that of 550 nm, H2 generation was less than that at 500 nm
thesized materials due to more amount of anatase phase [62]. irradiation. This is because maximum absorption distribution
Mizukoshi et al. describes photocatalytic H2 generation using TiO2– occurs at 500 nm. Rosseler et al. synthesized TiO2 by sol–gel
MNP (Pt, Pd and Au) nanocomposite with the same loading method using different porogen like Polyethylene glycol (PEG),
amounts and it was found that H2 generation is highest in case of Pt Polyoxyethylene (10) cety ether (Brij 56), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
based nanocomposite followed by Pd and Au [58]. This difference and (10) cetyl ether (Brij 56) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium
could be due to difference in work function value and size of the bromide (CTAB). Au loading was carried out by an ion exchange
metal nanoparticle. Moreover the authors conclude that ultrasonic procedure using HAuCl4. Ammonia (35 vol%) was used for washing
method for metal deposition is better in terms of photocatalysis followed by calcinations at 300 °C for 4 h. Amongst all TiO2, TiO2
than simple impregnation method due to uniform dispersity and (Brij 56) possess highest surface area and least rutile phase content
strong metal support interaction obtained. Naldoni et al. described [34]. By changing wt% from 0.3 to 2 wt%, the particle size was found
the effect of Au and Pt loading on TiO2 on H2 and CO2 generations to increase form 3 nm to 8 nm in all types of TiO2. Effect of Au on
and it was reported that both of the products formed in higher TiO2 is also maximum in case of TiO2 (Brij 56) in terms of its band
amounts in case of Pt nanocomposite for Au. In all these studies, gap. In XPS studies, no change in Ti peak position could be detected
TiO2 treated with NaBH4 was considered as a reference. The effi- even the deposition of Au NPs. However, the peak related to oxygen
ciency of different catalysts is further proved by ESR technique by in Ti-OH gets shifted towards higher binding energy side amounting
monitoring the signal of O and O2 formed by hole and electron to 1 eV because of strong interaction with Au. This happened due
trapping by O2 and O2: . Signal of O is highest in case of Pt than Au to strong ion-exchange of [Au(OH)4]- with TiOH. Gomathisankar
nanocomposite due to smaller size. However O2 signal is weak in et al. found positive effect of glucose concentration in the medium
Pt under either vacuum or O2 saturated solution with UV–vis irra- both in the case of Pd (comparatively more) and Au for H2 evolution
diation. O2 signal also does not get enhanced in typical visible light rate. However, by increasing metal salt concentration, H2 evolution
irradiation condition which indicates that SPR absorption does not rate decreases due to light filteration by NPs. Also the blockage is
contribute to its activation in case of TiO2–Au nanocomposites [52]. increased by particle over TiO2 surface. Increase activity from
Effect of metal loading in case of Au is varied from 1–2 wt%. How- TiO2 oTiO2–AuoTiO2–Pd is due to decreasing band gap trend [37].
ever in case of Pt it is in the range of 0.3–1 wt%. There is no effect of Mechanism is based on the hole consumption by glucose. However,
surface area on the photocatalytic activity as seen in the case of Pt. electron gets consumed by water molecule to form CO2 and H2.
This is opposite to the case of Au, where changing Au wt% changes
size of Au nanoparticle drastically. Comparative hydrogen produc- 4.3. Other phenomenon during photocatalytic H2 generation
tion (reported by different research group) along with reaction
parameter is given in Table 3. Photocatalysis is more active in the Chiarello et al. studied the evolution rate of different compo-
pH range 4–7 and least in the case of basic media. Gartner et al. nents during photocatalytic process and fitted it for three
described the effect of different metal salt of Au and sacrificial mechanism i.e. direct path (hole consumption by methanol),
agents on photocatalytic activity towards H2 generation. It was indirect path (hole consumption by OH) and lastly water assisted
found that NaAuCl4 2H2O and methanol combination is most effi- path (hole-methanol interaction in bulk water medium) for Pt
cient amongst AuCl3, AuCl, and Au[(PPh3)]Cl as salts, whereas, gly- (0.5)/TiO2 and Au (1)/TiO2 nanocomposite. In both the composites,
cerin, iprOH, glucose and methanol as sacrificial agents [61]. Further formic acid and formaldehyde first increased and then decreased
isotopic studies reveals that methanol reforming is not a rate with the increase in methanol content in the mixture. However,
determining step, the water reduction process is affected by deu- CO2 concentration continuously decreased [53]. This states that
teration of methanol (–CH3) hydrogen. Fang et al. carried out several high methanol concentration mechanistically supports indirect
1374 B. Gupta et al. / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 58 (2016) 1366–1375
path and this diminishes due to low probability of hole interaction References
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