Synergetic effect of Cu and graphene as cocatalyst on TiO2 for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from solar water splitting

In photocatalytic solar water splitting systems, non-noble and highly active cocatalysts have always been pursued with tremendous interest. Herein an active and cheap photocatalyst, using Cu and graphene synergetically as co-catalysts immobilized on TiO2, was studied. This synergetic photocatalyst displayed enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water splitting in the presence of methanol as a sacrificial reagent. The hydrogen generation efficiency from the Cu–graphene synergetic cocatalyst was about 5 times higher than that of a pure graphene cocatalyst, and can be compared with that of systems containing the well-known Pt cocatalyst. Therefore this Cu–graphene synergetic cocatalyst provides an inexpensive means of harnessing solar energy to achieve efficient hydrogen evolution from water splitting.