Photocatalytic hydrogen production by photo-reforming of methanol with one-pot synthesized Pt-containing TiO₂ photocatalysts

Functionalization of semiconductors by metallic nanoparticle is considered to be one of the most effective procedure to improve photocatalytic hydrogen production. Photodeposition is frequently used for functionalization but particle sizes and dispersions are still difficult to control. Here, Pt functionalization is achieved in a one-pot synthesis. The as-prepared samples are compared to reference materials prepared by conventional photodeposition and our results confirm that small and well-dispersed nanoparticles with superior stability are obtained by one-pot synthesis. The enhanced stability is attributed to a limited leaching of Pt nanoparticles during illumination likely caused by the preferable interaction of small, well dispersed Pt nanoparticles with the TiO₂ support material. In addition, our results demonstrate that Na-residues are detrimental for the photocatalytic performance and washing in acidic solution is mandatory to effectively reduce the sodium contamination.