LAUSR

Abstract Deposition of Pt NPs with preferred dispersion and morphologies on TiO2 have been the focus of studies in photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. Green synthesis of TiO2/Pt NPs nanocomposites with narrow size distribution of Pt NPs still remain a challenge. Herein, we report that sucrose is highly efficient for the preparation of well-dispersed TiO2/Pt NPs photocatalysts. Moreover, the sucrose could act as an electron donor, showing higher hydrogen production activity under simulated sunlight than pure water. The as-synthesized photocatalysts have been characterized by techniques of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Compared with TiO2/Pt NPs photocatalysts prepared through conventional photodeposition, the photocatalysts as prepared showed higher photocatalytic efficiency. Moreover, the catalyst could be reused easily without apparent degradation of their original photocatalytic activities. This approach presents a promising and low-cost strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 from biomass.