Light-driven ethanol dehydrogenation for hydrogen production over CuPt bimetallic catalysts

The ethanol dehydrogenation (ED) reaction is considered a sustainable pathway for hydrogen production. However, the ED reaction is energy-intensive as it requires high temperatures. Here, we report a layered double hydroxide-derived catalyst composed of CuPt bimetallic nanoparticles for efficient light-driven ED reaction without additional thermal energy input, achieving a hydrogen production rate of 136.9 μmol g⁻¹ s⁻¹. This rate is 1.4 times higher than that achieved at the same temperature in the dark. Experimental results and theoretical simulations suggest that the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of Cu reduces the apparent activation energy of the light-driven ED reaction. The presence of Pt nanoparticles around Cu enhances the LSPR effect, thereby significantly increasing the hydrogen production efficiency.