Tin-grafted TiO sub(2) with enhanced activity for photocatalytic hydrogen generation from aqueous methanol solutions

A series of Sn-modified TiO sub(2) samples was prepared by an anhydrous grafting route and applied in the photocatalytic H sub(2) evolution from aqueous methanol solutions. The synthesized samples were characterized by N sub(2) physisorption, X-ray diffraction, Raman, UV-Vis reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results revealed that the tin species were highly dispersed on the TiO sub(2) surface and did not alter its crystalline structure. Photocatalytic results showed that Sn-grafting led to a significant improvement in the activity compared to bare TiO sub(2) owing to the improved charge separation. The photocatalytic performance of samples was found to depend highly on the Sn content. Additionally, the influence of Rh co-modification on the photocatalytic activity of Sn-grafted TiO sub(2) was investigated, and a synergetic effect between Sn and Rh was identified, which is attributed to the assumed electron relay among TiO sub(2), tin species and photodeposited Rh nanoparticles.