Research Progress of Copper and Copper-based Nanoparticles Modified TiO₂ in Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

With the rapid development of society, people’s demand for energy is also increasing, but the traditional energy will always face the problem of resource exhaustion. Among many green and sustainable new energy options, producing hydrogen by semiconductor photocatalysts is expected to be one of the most promising technologies because of its utilization of clean and renewable solar energy to produce efficient and clean hydrogen energy. Titanium dioxide（TiO₂） occupies a dominant position among many photocatalytic materials, which has been widely studied due to its unique physical and chemical characteristics. Meanwhile, the abundant and cheap copper（Cu） and Cu-based compounds as cocatalysts in the field of catalysis have aroused great interest of researchers. This paper reviews the research status of modifying TiO₂ photocatalysts by Cu-based materials to improve their photocatalytic activity, including the design, preparation and hydrogen production mechanisms of photocatalysts. Some problems in photocatalysis are put forward, which will contribute to the development of photocatalysis.