Synthesis and photocatalytic property of hectorite/(Pt,TiO2) and H4Nb6O17/(Pt,TiO2) nanocomposites

TiO2 and Pt have been intercalated in hectorite and H4Nb6O17. The height of TiO2 and Pt pillars was less than 0.8 nm and the band gap energy of TiO2 p illars was ca. 3.3 eV. Both hectorite/TiO2 and H4Nb6O17/(Pt,TiO2) were capa ble of hydrogen evolution following irradiation from a high pressure mercur y arc (lambda > 290 nm) in the presence of methanol as a sacrificial hole a cceptor and the hydrogen evolution was enhanced by co-incorporation of Pt, although hectorite and hectorite/Pt did nor show photocatalytic activity. I ncorporation of Pr or Pt and TiO2 in the interlayer of H4Nb6 O-17 has resul ted in enhanced photo evolution of hydrogen, however, TiO2 alone in the int erlayer of H4Nb6O17 showed adverse photocatalytic activity.