Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production over Ni@C/TiO2 nanocomposite under visible light irradiation

A novel visible-light-driven carbon-coated Ni (Ni@C)/TiO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst with enhanced photoactivity for hydrogen production was synthesized and characterized for the first time. The resultant Ni@C/TiO2 nanocomposites are composed of nanorods with an average diameter of ca. 10 nm and length in the range of 40–100 nm, and exhibit remarkable photostability in an aqueous suspension by using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial reagent. Moreover, a hydrogen generation rate of up to 300 μmol h−1 over 5 wt% Ni@C/TiO2 without Pt-loading is achieved under visible light (λ ⩾ 420 nm) irradiation.