PHOTOCATALYST, AND HYDROGEN GENERATION METHOD USING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide: a photocatalyst which has a new chemical composition and structure different than metal oxides and nitrides, and has sufficiently high hydrogen generation activity in water decomposition reaction in the visible light region; and a hydrogen generation method using the catalyst.SOLUTION: A photocatalyst for use in generating hydrogen from water comprises a phosphorus compound having a clathrate structure represented by the general formula (1) defined by MPX(where Mrepresents a tetravalent metal ion, and X represents a halogen ion), and at least one co-catalyst supported by the phosphorus compound and selected from the group consisting of noble metals and noble metal oxides.