Black TiO2 Nanotubes: Cocatalyst-Free Open-Circuit Hydrogen Generation

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 14; no. 6; pp. 3309 - 3313
• Main Authors: Liu, Ning, Schneider, Christopher, Freitag, Detlef, Hartmann, Martin, Venkatesan, Umamaheswari, Müller, Julian, Spiecker, Erdmann, Schmuki, Patrik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 11.06.2014
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotubes; Physics; TiO2 nanotube arrays; cocatalyst; black titania; photocatalysis; hydrogenation; water-splitting; Annealing; Anatase; Atmospheric pressure; Nanotubes; Electron paramagnetic resonance; Defect structure; Arrays; Hydrogen production; High pressure

Here we report that TiO2 nanotube (NT) arrays, converted by a high pressure H2 treatment to anatase-like “black titania”, show a high open-circuit photocatalytic hydrogen production rate without the presence of a cocatalyst. Tubes converted to black titania using classic reduction treatments (e.g.,...