Ternary photocatalyst of atomic-scale Pt coupled with MoS2 co-loaded on TiO2 surface for highly efficient degradation of gaseous toluene

Photocatalysis by semiconducting materials loaded with non-metal or noble metals is an excellent strategy for removal of gaseous toluene. Herein, a new photocatalytic system was successfully prepared via simultaneously coupling atomic-scale Pt with MoS2 as co-catalysts to load on the surface of TiO2. The obtained photocatalysts exhibited good performance in toluene degradation by promoting the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The most efficient toluene degradation was achieved by the photocatalyst with a content of 2.0 wt% Pt-MT-1.0 (i.e., coupling 2.0 wt% atomic-scale Pt with 1.0 wt% MoS2), with a conversion ratio of 91.5%. This conversion ratio was higher than those of platinum-free MT-1.0 (33.9%) and pure TiO2 (72.3%). The results demonstrate the potential application of this new nanocomposite for efficient photocatalytic degradation of toluene.