Photocatalytic H2 production from acetic acid solution over CuO/SnO2 nanocomposites under UV irradiation

The CuO/SnO2 composites have been prepared by the simple co-precipitation method and further characterized by the XRD, FESEM and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic H2 production from acetic acid (HAc) solution over CuO/SnO2 photocatalyst has been investigated at room temperature under UV irradiation. Effects of CuO loading, photocatalyst concentration, acetic acid concentration and pH on H2 production have been systematically studied. Compared with pure SnO2, the 33.3 mol%CuO/SnO2 composite exhibited approximately twentyfold enhancement of H2 production. The H2 yield is about 0.66 mol-H2/mol-HAc obtained under irradiation for prolonged time. The Langmuir-type model is applied to study the dependence of hydrogen production rate on HAc concentration. A possible mechanism for photocatalytic degradation of acetic acid over CuO/SnO2 photocatalyst is proposed as well. Our results provide a method for pollutants removal with simultaneous hydrogen generation. Due to simple preparation, high H2 production activity and low cost, the CuO/SnO2 photocatalyst will find wide application in the coming future of hydrogen economy.