Reorganization of a photosensitive carbo-benzene layer in a triptych nanocatalyst with enhancement of the photocatalytic hydrogen production from water

The preparation of a triptych nanomaterial made of TiO2 nanoparticles as semiconductor, Ag plasmonic nanoparticles and a carbo-benzene macrocyclic molecule as photosensitizer is described, and used to produce hydrogen by photo-reduction of pure deionized water under 2.2 bar argon pressure without any electrical input. Silver nanoparticles (~5 nm) are grafted onto the surface of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (~23 nm) by a photo-deposition process...