Synthesis and characterization of a quaternary nanocomposite based on TiO2/CdS/rGO/Pt and its application in the photoreduction of CO2 to methane under visible light

J. E. Benedetti; D. R. Bernardo; A. Morais; Jefferson Bettini; A. F. Nogueira

doi:10.1039/C4RA15605F

Synthesis and characterization of a quaternary nanocomposite based on TiO₂/CdS/rGO/Pt and its application in the photoreduction of CO₂ to methane under visible light†

J. E. Benedetti,‡^a D. R. Bernardo,‡^a A. Morais,‡^a Jefferson Bettini^b and A. F. Nogueira*^a

* Corresponding authors

^a Chemistry Institute, University of Campinas – UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, SP, Brazil
E-mail: anaflavia@iqm.unicamp.br
Fax: +55 19 35213023
Tel: +55 19 35213029

^b National Nanotechnology Laboratory, National Center for Energy and Materials Research, CNPEM, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

‘Together we are stronger’ In this work, the preparation of the quaternary nanocomposite TiO₂/CdS/rGO/Pt is reported along with its application, for the first time, as a catalyst for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to methane (CH₄). TiO₂/CdS nanoparticles and Pt nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide sheets (rGO/Pt) were synthesized separately and characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical experiments. Hydrocarbon samples were collected and analysed using gas chromatography (GC). After 5 hours of illumination under visible light, 0.11 μmol of CH₄ was produced at an average production rate of 0.0867 μmol h⁻¹, which is higher than the production of CH₄ measured from the TiO₂/CdS and the TiO₂/CdS/Pt control samples. The photoelectrochemical experiments confirmed that the presence of rGO sheets in the nanocomposite enhanced the electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of the nanocomposite as a result of rapid electron transport and the inhibition of charge recombination.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RA15605F
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 01 Dec 2014
Accepted: 30 Mar 2015
First published: 30 Mar 2015

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RSC Adv., 2015,5, 33914-33922

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Synthesis and characterization of a quaternary nanocomposite based on TiO₂/CdS/rGO/Pt and its application in the photoreduction of CO₂ to methane under visible light

J. E. Benedetti, D. R. Bernardo, A. Morais, J. Bettini and A. F. Nogueira, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 33914 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA15605F

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