Ti@TiO2/Ni nanocomposite for efficient photothermal hydrogen production
Abstract
This study reports the synthesis of a Ti@TiO2/Ni nanocomposite containing 20 wt% Ni via sonohydrothermal treatment combined with ultrasonic reduction of Ni2+ using hydrazine. The composite exhibited notable photothermal activity toward hydrogen production in glycerol solution, achieving a rate of 4.41 mmol h−1 g−1 at 94 °C, which is 5.5 times higher than bare TiO2 with an activation energy of 22 ± 1.5 kJ mol−1. Interestingly, methane (CH4) formation was observed exclusively in the Ni-containing composite, attributed to a Ni-catalyzed methanation pathway. Photoelectrochemical measurements revealed that Ni incorporation does not enhance the photocurrent response, suggesting that the improved performance arises primarily from surface catalytic effects and thermally-assisted reaction pathways rather than enhanced charge separation. These findings demonstrate that Ni modifies the reaction pathway of Ti@TiO2, enabling dual H2 and CH4 production.
Related
- Concomitant Production and Transfer of Hydrogen for Efficient In Situ Reduction of C–C and C–O Unsaturated Substrates by Pt/TiO2 Photocatalyst in Ethanol
- Atomically Precise Platinum Nanocluster Catalysts for Efficient Hydrogen Production via Methylcyclohexane Dehydrogenation
- Assembling giant heterometallic cyclic coordination clusters {MnII2LnIII2}n (n = 6 and 8) for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production
- Visible-light-driven synthesis of quinazoline derivatives using a recyclable CuO/TiO2 nanocomposite photocatalyst
- MnO2–Co3O4@RGO hybrid nanocomposite-modified carbon paste electrode for sensitive electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide in food and edible-oil matrices
BibTeX
@article{zahir2026titio2ni,
title = {{Ti@TiO2/Ni nanocomposite for efficient photothermal hydrogen production}},
author = {Noura Zahir and Sergey Nikitenko and Tony Chave and Jiachen Sun and Dodzi Zigah and Christophe Coutanceau and Bruno Pollet},
journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jphotochem.2026.117614},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05787571v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ti@TiO2/Ni nanocomposite for efficient photothermal hydrogen production
AU - Noura Zahir
AU - Sergey Nikitenko
AU - Tony Chave
AU - Jiachen Sun
AU - Dodzi Zigah
AU - Christophe Coutanceau
AU - Bruno Pollet
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
DO - 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2026.117614
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05787571v1
AB - This study reports the synthesis of a Ti@TiO2/Ni nanocomposite containing 20 wt% Ni via sonohydrothermal treatment combined with ultrasonic reduction of Ni2+ using hydrazine. The composite exhibited notable photothermal activity toward hydrogen production in glycerol solution, achieving a rate of 4.41 mmol h−1 g−1 at 94 °C, which is 5.5 times higher than bare TiO2 with an activation energy of 22 ± 1.5 kJ mol−1. Interestingly, methane (CH4) formation was observed exclusively in the Ni-containing composite, attributed to a Ni-catalyzed methanation pathway. Photoelectrochemical measurements revealed that Ni incorporation does not enhance the photocurrent response, suggesting that the improved performance arises primarily from surface catalytic effects and thermally-assisted reaction pathways rather than enhanced charge separation. These findings demonstrate that Ni modifies the reaction pathway of Ti@TiO2, enabling dual H2 and CH4 production.
SN - 1010-6030
ER -