Materials Science Forum, Vol.486-487, 81-84, 2005
Preparation and characterization of the visible light responsive TiO2 thin film photocatalysts prepared by magnetron sputtering method and their photocatalytic activities for the water splitting reactions
Visible light responsive TiO2 (Vis-TiO2) thin films were successfully developed by the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering method, and their photocatalytic activities for the water splitting reactions were investigated. Pt-loaded Vis-TiO2 thin films acted as photocatalysts to decompose water involving sacrificial reagent such as methanol or silver nitrate under visible light irradiation (lambda >= 420 nm). Furthermore, the separate evolution of H-2 and O-2 was successfully achieved under solar light irradiation by applying these photocatalysts in a H-type glass container, which consists of two water phases separated by a TiO2 thin film and proton-exchange membrane.