A Novel Synthesis of Rod-shape BaNiSn-Graphene Decorated TiO 2 Composite as a Ternary Photocatalyst to Improve Visible-Light Driven H 2 Evolution with Lactic acid and TEA

A novel rod-shape BaNiSn-Graphene oxide decorated TiO2 composite (BaNiSn-GT) has beeen synthesized using a simple ultrasonic method to enhance the visible-light-driven H2 evolution. The unique structure between the interfaces of BaNiSn-Graphene and TiO2 provides graphene oxide of contact and excellent electron transfer for H2 evolution activity. The BaNiSn-GT ternary photocatalyst showed that the BaNiSn-GT displayed the highest H2-production rate of 1012 µmol h-1 g-1, which was about 4 times that of rod-shape BaNiSn and BaNiSn-G under visible light irradiation with scavenger media. Moreover, the higher photocurrent density of BaNiSn-GT is correlated with electron-hole recombination, providing evidence for its inhibition, which leads to a longer lifetime of carriers produced by photoelectrons. The mechanism of the photocatalytic H2 evolution of BaNiSn-GT based on a full physicochemical characterization was proposed. This study provides new insight into the efficient hydrogen-evolution of graphene-based photocatalysts.