A highly efficient and recyclable Pt/TiO2 thin film photocatalytic system for sustainable hydrogen production

Powder samples (P) of TiO2 and Pt/TiO2 were prepared using conventional methods. Then, thin films (TF) incorporating these powders onto SiO2 films were prepared via dip coating. The powder and thin film samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, FESEM, elemental mapping, ICP-OES, HRTEM, UV–vis DRS, and XPS. The samples were then tested in a water-splitting reaction to generate hydrogen, using a water/methanol mixture (1:1 vol ratio), and two purple lamps as the radiation source. The results suggest that the powder photocatalyst incorporation into the thin film produces a significant improvement in the photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, thin film samples were more stable during three consecutive runs.