The enhanced TiO2-supported CdTe photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide electrooxidation

At present, titanium dioxide (TiO2)-supported CdTe photocatalysts were prepared by wet impregnation method for photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electrooxidation. The structural and morphology surface analyses of these photocatalysts were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX) and mapping analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), ultraviolet–visible (UV–VIS) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CdTe(70–30)/TiO2 photocatalyst exhibited the best photocatalytic activity under UV illumination with a specific activity of 17.28 mA/cm2 both in the dark (7.86 mA/cm2) and compared to other photocatalysts. Furthermore, it was observed that it exhibited the best stability and resistance by chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. It could be a promising photoanode catalyst for photocatalytic fuel cells.

Keyword: electrooxidation; hydrogen peroxide; photocatalyst; photocatalytic fuel cell