Visible light response photocatalytic water splitting over CdS-pillared zirconium-titanium phosphate (ZTP)

Abstract

With an attempt to extend the light absorption towards the visible range and inhibit the rapid recombination of excited electrons/holes, a new type photocatalysts, cadmium sulfide intercalated zirconium titanium phosphate (CdS-ZTP) was synthesized. The photocatalysts were characterized by small angle X-ray diffraction studies (SAXS), N(2) adsorption desorption studies, diffused reflectance UV-vis (DRUV-vis) spectroscopic analysis, photoluminescence studies (PL), scanning electron microscopic/energy dispersive spectroscopic (SEM/EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies etc. The samples exhibit a unique property of optical absorption in UV and visible regions with a wavelength, lambda <= 450 nm followed by a clear long tail up to 700 nm. The pillared materials showed excellent activity for UV-visible light driven hydrogen production from photocatalytic splitting of water without using any co-catalyst. The photocatalytic activity of this cadmium sulfide pillared catalyst, as well as that of neat cadmium sulfide powder, was monitored for the visible light-induced evolution of hydrogen from water in the presence of hole scavenger, sulfide (S(2-)). (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.