Formation of multilayer-Eosin Y-sensitized TiO2 via Fe3+ coupling for efficient visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

An efficient visible-light active photocatalyst of multilayer-Eosin Y-sensitized TiO2 is prepared through linkage of Fe3+ between not only TiO2 and Eosin Y but also different Eosin Y molecules to form three-dimensional polymeric dye structure. The multilayer-dye-sensitized photocatalyst is found to have high light harvesting efficiency and photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). On the optimum conditions (1:1 initial molar ratio of Eosin Y to Fe(NO3)3, initial 10 × 10−3 M Eosin Y, and 1.0 wt% Pt deposited by in situ photoreduction), its maximal apparent quantum yield for hydrogen evolution is 19.1% from aqueous triethanolamine solution (TEOA aq). The present study highlights linking between dye molecules via metal ions as a general way to develop efficient visible-light photocatalyst.