ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via a direct precipitation method followed by a hetero- geneous azeotropic distillation and calcination processes, and then characterized by X-ray power diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and ni- trogen adsorption-desorption measurement. The effects of Pt-loading amount, calcination temperature, and sacrificial reagents on the present ZnO suspension were investigated, photocatalytic H2 evolution efficiency from the The experimental results indicate that ZnO rianoparticles calcined at 400℃ exhibit the best photoactivity for the H2 production in comparison with the samples calcined at 300 and 500℃, and the photoeatalytie H2 production efficiency from a methanol solution is much higher than that from a triethanolamine solution. It can be ascribed to the oxidization of methanol also contributes to the H2 production during the photochemical reaction process. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism for the H2 production from the present ZnO suspension system containing methanol solution is also discussed in detail.
