Rhus Semialata Derived Carbon Quantum Dots Decorated Pt Deposited TiO₂ for Efficient Light‐Driven Hydrogen Production

Abstract

As a fuel, hydrogen may effectively replace the traditional fossil fuels. TiO 2 has been in use the most in semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen generation, according to a detailed review of the prior art. In our research, we created a photocatalytic system made of an H-CD/PtÀ TiO 2 heterostructure, where carbon dots (H-CD) were derived from a natural plant source called Rhus Semialata and 1 wt% PtÀ TiO 2 using photodeposition technique. After thorough characterization using various techniques including XPS, XRD, UV-DRS, etc., the nanocomposites as-prepared as well as the pristine materials were examined for their hydrogen generation capabilities using a 450 W XeÀ Hg lamp. Inference from the experimental data showed that 1 wt %-Pt/TiO 2 nanocomposite with 1 % H-CD demonstrated a higher rate of hydrogen production (180.7 mmol h À 1 g À 1 cat ) than 1 wt%-Pt/TiO 2 . In this work, H-CD and Pt play the role of photosensitizer and co-catalyst respectively in enhancing the hydrogen generation of the nanocomposite compared to that of pure anatase TiO 2 under similar conditions.