LAUSR

Abstract Constructing heterojunctions with low-cost materials functional under solar energy is an important way for efficient hydrogen production for energy management applications. In this study, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified TiO2 1D/0D heterojunction dispersed in 2D montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay was designed and fabricated using a facile sol-gel and wet impregnation approach. The samples were characterized by XRD, Raman, FESEM, HRTEM, FTIR, UV–vis and PL-spectroscopy techniques. Dispersing 1D/0D MWCNTs/TiO2 on the 2D MMT structure extends visible light absorption, shorten charges migration distance and provides abundant active sites. The performance of samples was investigated for dynamic photocatalytic H2 evolution with different sacrificial reagents under visible light irradiations. The MWCNTs/TiO2/MMT heterojunction composite exhibits the highest H2 evolution rate of 1888 ppm h−1, which is about 1.49, 3.07 and 7.12 folds higher than MWCNTs/TiO2, MMT/TiO2 and pure TiO2 samples, respectively. Among the different sacrificial reagents, highest H2 production was obtained using glycerol-water mixture due to the presence of α-hydrogen atoms attached to carbon atoms. Next, the photocatalytic turn-over productivity (PTOP) was estimated which demonstrated the molecular H2 production rate with the photon-energy utilization. The maximum PTOP for H2 production was achieved over MWCNTs/TiO2/MMT heterojunction composite, 5.94 times higher than using bare TiO2 NPs. The improved charges efficiency due to the synergistic effect between MWCNTs/TiO2/MMT in 1D/OD/2D heterojunctions is critical for enhanced and dynamic H2 evolution. The ternary composite exhibited excellent and stable performance for H2 production. This study suggests that constructing heterojunction of low cost coupling materials with TiO2 can provide an efficient way for H2 production under solar energy.