Silver bromide as a photocatalyst for hydrogen generation from CH3OH/H2O solution

A AgBr/SiO2 catalyst prepared from Schumann emulsion has been used for phot olysis of CH3OH/H2O solution. Under UV illumination, Hz generation was obse rved and hydrogen was continuously evolved for 200 h without destruction of AgBr although Ag-0 was detected by X-ray diffraction analysis after the re action. It is presumed that the hydrogen production from methanol in distil led water occurs on the Ag-0 and the support plays important roles for the photocatalysis as well as TiO2/SiO2 (J. Phys. Chem. B 1997, 101, 2611).