CaIn2O4/Fe-TiO2 Composite Photocatalysts with Enhanced Visible Light Performance for Hydrogen Production

A series of CaIn2O4/Fe-TiO2 composite photocatalysts with tunable Fe-TiO2 contents were prepared in which Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of CaIn2O4 nanorods. The photocatalytic activities of Pt-loaded CaIn2O4/Fe-TiO2 composites were evaluated for H2 evolution from aqueous KI solution under visible light irradiation. It was found that the composites showed higher H2 evolution rates in comparison with pure CaIn2O4 or Fe-TiO2, which could be attributed to the increased surface area and enhanced visible light absorption. A high H2 evolution rate of 280 μmol h–1 g–1 was achieved when the mass ratio of Fe-TiO2 to CaIn2O4 was 0.5, which was 12.3 and 2.2 times higher than that of pure CaIn2O4 and Fe-TiO2, respectively. Furthermore, the interfaces between CaIn2O4 nanorods and Fe-TiO2 nanoparticles facilitated efficient charge separation that also led to the improved photocatalytic activity. This study may provide some inspiration for the fabrication of visible-light-driven photocat...