WS₂ sensitized mesoporous TiO₂ for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production from water under visible light irradiation

Nanosized WS₂ sensitized mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO₂) was prepared to extend the adsorption of the wide band gap TiO₂ into visible light region. Compared with TiO₂ substrate without mesopores, it was found that the mesoporous substrate is beneficial for larger amount of WS₂ loading and inhibition of the light-induced detachment of WS₂ particles from the substrate during photocatalytic reaction, which leads to higher photocatalytic activity and better stability. We also found that the rate-determining step for photocatalytic hydrogen production is the transfer of electrons from TiO₂ substrate to H⁺ in solution, when the recombination between electrons and holes within TiO₂ could be neglected. In this case, deposition of Pt at the surface of semiconductor is indispensable for efficient hydrogen production.