Photocatalytic activity and physicochemical characteristics of modified potassium polytitanates in the reaction of decomposition of aqueous-alcoholic solutions

Abstract

Study of the photocatalytic activity of nanomaterials based on potassium polytitanate modified with transition metal ions (Ni²⁺, Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺) demonstrated that the cation composition, morphology of photocatalyst particles, and their size strongly affect the photocatalytic activity. The rate of the photoinduced hydrogen evolution from the aqueous-alcoholic solution grows in the series of potassium polytitanates modified with Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cr³⁺ ions, and that from pure water, for potassium polytitanates modified with Ni²⁺,Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺ ions. The capacity for intercalation of water into the interlayer space does not strongly affect the rate of the photoinduced hydrogen evolution. It was shown that potassium polytitanate modified with Cr³⁺ ions has the maximum quantum efficiency (30%).