Abstract:

The use of semiconductor photocatalysts (CdS, g-C₃N₄, TiO₂, etc.) to generate hydrogen (H₂) is a prospective strategy that can convert solar energy into hydrogen energy, thereby meeting future energy demands. Among the numerous photocatalysts, TiO₂ has attracted significant attention because of its suitable reduction potential and excellent chemical stability. However, the photoexcited electrons and holes of TiO₂ are easily quenched, leading to limited photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, graphene has been used as an effective electron cocatalyst in the accelerated transport of photoinduced electrons to enhance the H₂-production performance of TiO₂, owing to its excellent conductivity and high charge carrier mobility. For an efficient graphene-based photocatalyst, the rapid transfer of photogenerated electrons is extremely important along with an effectual interfacial H₂-production reaction on the graphene surface. Therefore, it is necessary to further optimize the graphene microstructures (functionalized graphene) to improve the H₂-production performance of graphene-based TiO₂ photocatalysts. The introduction of H₂-evolution active sites onto the graphene surface is an effective strategy for the functionalization of graphene. Compared with the noncovalent functionalization of graphene (such as loading Pt, MoS_x, and CoS_x on the graphene surface), its covalent functionalization can provide a strong interaction between graphene and organic molecules in the form of H₂-evolution active sites that are produced by chemical reactions. In this study, carboxyl-functionalized graphene (rGO-COOH) was successfully modified via ring-opening and esterification reactions on the TiO₂ surface by using an ultrasound-assisted self-assembly method to prepare a high-activity TiO₂/rGO-COOH photocatalyst. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric (TG) curves revealed the successful covalent functionalization of GO to rGO-COOH by significantly enhanced ―COOH groups in FTIR and increased peak area of carboxyl groups in XPS. A series of characterizations, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), XPS, and UV-Vis adsorption spectra, were performed to demonstrate the successful synthesis of TiO₂/rGO-COOH photocatalysts. The experimental data for the hydrogen-evolution rate showed that the TiO₂/rGO-COOH displayed an extremely high hydrogen-generation activity (254.2 μmol∙h⁻¹∙g⁻¹), which was 2.06- and 4.48-fold higher than those of TiO₂/GO and TiO₂, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO₂/rGO-COOH is ascribed to the carboxyl groups of carboxyl-functionalized graphene, which act as effective hydrogen-generation active sites and enrich hydrogen ions owing to their excellent nucleophilicity that facilitates the interfacial hydrogen production reaction of TiO₂. This study provides novel insights into the development of high-activity graphene-supported photocatalysts in the hydrogen-generation field.

Key words: Carboxyl-functionalized graphene, Carboxyl groups, TiO₂, Photocatalytic H₂ evolution