Photocatalytic\nReforming of Ethanol in the Liquid\nPhase Using a Ternary Composite of Rh/TiO<sub>2</sub>/g‑C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> as a Catalyst

Photocatalytic\nreforming of ethanol provides an effective way to\nproduce hydrogen energy using natural and nontoxic ethanol as raw\nmaterial. Developing highly efficient catalysts is central to this\nfield. Although traditional semiconductor/metal heterostructures (e.g.,\nRh/TiO<sub>2</sub>) can result in relatively high catalyst performance\nby promoting the separation of photoinduced hot carriers, it will\nstill be highly promising to further improve the catalytic performance\nvia a cost-effective and convenient method. In this study, we developed\na highly efficient photocatalyst for ethanol reformation by preparing\na ternary composite structure of Rh/TiO<sub>2</sub>/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>. Hydrogen is the main product, and the reaction rate\ncould reach up to 27.5 mmol g<sup>–1</sup> h<sup>–1</sup>, which is ∼1.41-fold higher than that of Rh/TiO<sub>2</sub>. The catalytic performance here is highly dependent on the wavelength\nof the light illumination. Moreover, the photocatalytic reforming\nof ethanol and production of hydrogen were also dependent on the Rh\nloading and g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>:TiO<sub>2</sub> ratio in\nRh/TiO<sub>2</sub>/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> composites as well\nas the ethanol content in the reaction system. The mechanism of the\nenhanced hydrogen production in Rh/TiO<sub>2</sub>/g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> is determined as the improvement in the separation\nof photoinduced hot carriers. This work provides an effective photocatalyst\nfor ethanol reforming, largely expanding its application in the field\nof renewable energy and interface science.