Synthesis of layered compound from walnut shell by template method TiO 2 /CdS/CoP application of photocatalyst in efficient hydrogen productions

The photocatalytic H 2 production requires catalysts with specific and optimized crystal morphology, surface area and interfacial bonding. In this work, we used a template based on walnut shell biomass to prevent particle aggregation. Using this approach, we obtained nano-TiO 2 with a brookite structure. CdS nanoparticles were then grown in situ on the TiO 2 surface. This material was then combined with the inexpensive non-noble-metal cocatalyst (CoP) for consequent H 2 production. During the calcination and TiO 2 crystallization steps, the walnut shell template was removed, and the nonmetallic components of this composite catalyst were doped with C and/or P. The resulting TiO 2 /CdS/CoP composite photocatalyst demonstrated excellent activity during the H 2 production reaction under the simulated sunlight, which was equal to 35.9 mmol/g after 2.5 h.