Boosting photocatalytic activity of Pd decorated TiO2 nanocrystal with exposed (001) facets for selective alcohol oxidations.

Pd decorated TiO 2 nanocrystal with exposed (001) facets was synthesized via solvothermal hydrolysis combining photoreduction deposition route, which exhibited a great enhancement in activity and stability of photocatalytic selective alcohol oxidations under UV light irradiation in aqueous medium. The superior activity of Pd decorated TiO 2 nanocrystal with exposed (001) facets was attributed to the synergistic promoting effects of the following factors: firstly, the exposed (001) facets with higher surface energy facilitated the activation of reactant molecules and the photocatalytic oxidation; secondly, the increased oxygen vacancies and enhanced O 2 adsorption on (001) facets could trap photoelectrons and thus, inhibit their recombination with holes; thirdly, the decoration with Pd nanoparticles effectively reduce the photocharge recombination rate by capturing photoelectrons. Meanwhile, this photocatalyst displayed excellent durability owning to the strong Pd-TiO 2 interaction against deactivation caused by either Pd leaching or Pd aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]