Enhanced photocatalytic activity in water splitting for hydrogen generation by using TiO2 coated carbon fiber with high reusability

In this study, TiO2 coated carbon fiber (TiO2@CF) was synthesized and used for the improvement of hydrogen (H2) evolution. Obtained results from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), gas adsorption analysis (BET), UV–vis diffuse (UV–vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the surface area and light absorption of the material was significantly improved. The synthesized TiO2@CF photocatalyst exhibited improved photocatalytic performance toward hydrogen generation. The enhancement of photocatalytic H2 evolution capacity by TiO2@CF was ascribed to its narrowed bandgap energy (2.76eV) and minimized recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs The hydrogen production rate by the TiO2@CF reached 3.238 mmolg−1h−1, which was 4.8 times higher than unmodified TiO2 (0.674 mmolg−1h−1). The synthesized TiO2@CF was relatively stable with no distinct reduction in photocatalytic activity after five recycling runs. The photoluminescence and photocurrent were employed to support the photocatalytic H2 production mechanism proposed mechanism. Based on these results, TiO2@CF with unique properties, easy handle, and high reusability could be suggested as an efficient strategy to develop a high-performance photocatalyst for H2 production.