CaIn₂O₄/Fe-TiO₂Composite Photocatalysts with Enhanced Visible Light Performance for Hydrogen Production

A series of CaIn 2 O 4 /Fe-TiO 2 composite photocatalysts with tunable Fe-TiO 2 contents were prepared in which Fe-TiO 2 nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of CaIn 2 O 4 nanorods. The photocatalytic activities of Pt-loaded CaIn 2 O 4 /Fe-TiO 2 composites were evaluated for H 2 evolution from aqueous KI solution under visible light irradiation. It was found that the composites showed higher H 2 evolution rates in comparison with pure CaIn 2 O 4 or Fe-TiO 2, which could be attributed to the increased surface area and enhanced visible light absorption. A high H 2 evolution rate of 280 μmol h –1 g –1 was achieved when the mass ratio of Fe-TiO 2 to CaIn 2 O 4 was 0.5, which was 12.3 and 2.2 times higher than that of pure CaIn 2 O 4 and Fe-TiO 2, respectively. Furthermore, the interfaces between CaIn 2 O 4 nanorods and Fe-TiO 2 nanoparticles facilitated efficient charge separation that also led to the improved photocatalytic activity. This study may provide some inspiration for the fabrication of visible-light-driven photocatalysts with efficient and stable performance.