A facile development of highly efficient photocatalytic nanostructures for solar fuel production via controlled cocatalyst deposition is described. 2 nm-Pt nanoparticles were selectively synthesized by radiolysis on polypyrrole (PPy), TiO₂ or on both PPy-TiO₂ (noted respectively (Pt-PPy)-TiO₂, (Pt-TiO₂)-PPy and Pt-(PPy-TiO₂)). The PPy nanostructures not only act a photosensitizer, but also as a connection bridge between two light-harvesting semiconductors to form a p-n heterojunction, which absorbs UV and visible light efficiently. The designed heterojunction photocatalyst nanostructures (Pt-(PPy-TiO₂)) exhibit broadened absorption to the visible region, long life-time of charge carriers and high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production. This activity is markedly enhanced compared with that of (Pt-PPy)-TiO₂ and (Pt-TiO₂)-PPy, and is ascribed to more efficient multiple electron transfer pathways. Such designed structures provide promising ways for selected site deposition of metal nanoparticles on heterojunction semiconductors in high efficiency conversion from solar energy to solar fuel application.

描述了通过可控的助催化剂沉积用于太阳能燃料生产的高效光催化纳米结构的简便发展。通过在聚吡咯（PPy），TiO ₂或两个PPy-TiO ₂（分别为（Pt-PPy）-TiO ₂，（Pt-TiO ₂）-PPy和Pt-（PPy ）上进行辐射分解选择性地合成了2 nm-Pt纳米颗粒-TiO ₂））。PPy纳米结构不仅充当光敏剂，而且还充当两个光收集半导体之间的连接桥，以形成pn异质结，该异质结可有效吸收紫外线和可见光。设计的异质结光催化剂纳米结构（Pt-（PPy-TiO ₂））对可见光区域的吸收较宽，电荷载流子的使用寿命长，并且对制氢有很高的光催化活性。与（Pt-PPy）-TiO ₂和（Pt-TiO ₂）-PPy相比，该活性显着​​增强，并且归因于更有效的多个电子转移途径。这种设计的结构为从太阳能到太阳能应用的高效转化提供了在异质结半导体上选择性沉积金属纳米颗粒的有前途的方法。