Loading Pt clusters is more conductive for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution compared to single atoms and nanoparticles

Abstract

Pt/TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using incipient wetness impregnation followed by oxidative and/or reductive thermal treatments. The loading dimensions of Pt elements on the TiO2 surface (PtP, PtSA, and PtC) were controlled by varying the impregnated solution. Experimental results demonstrate that PtC with intermediate size exhibits the highest photolysis rate under 300W xenon lamp irradiation, achieving a hydrogen yield of 11.42 mmol g^-1 h^-1 and an apparent quantum yield of 40.65%. Similarly, Ru/TiO2 and Ir/TiO2 photocatalysts prepared under the same conditions exhibited the same pattern. Photoelectrochemical tests reveal that PtC/TiO2 has the narrowest band gap, the highest interfacial charge transfer capacity, and the greatest carrier separation efficiency. DFT calculations indicate that PtC/TiO2 has the most suitable d-band center, resulting in a close-to-zero ΔGH* value of 0.05 eV. This optimal value significantly balances the adsorption and desorption of hydrogen intermediates (H*) during the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) reaction. This study provides new insights into the preparation of precious metal-loaded photocatalysts.

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 Apr 2025
Accepted
29 May 2025
First published
30 May 2025

Nanoscale, 2025, Accepted Manuscript

Loading Pt clusters is more conductive for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution compared to single atoms and nanoparticles

B. Li, L. Luo, Y. Liu, X. Zhou, Y. Zhang, L. Song, N. Liu, Q. Tang and Z. Li, Nanoscale, 2025, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D5NR01463H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements