TiO 2 /Cu 2 O Core/Ultrathin Shell Nanorods as Efficient and Stable Photocatalysts for Water Reduction

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2015-12, Vol.54 (50), p.15260-15265
• Main Authors: Liu, Yuanxu, Zhang, Bingsen, Luo, Liangfeng, Chen, Xuanye, Wang, Zhonglei, Wu, Erlong, Su, Dangsheng, Huang, Weixin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201509115

P‐type Cu 2 O has been long considered as an attractive photocatalyst for photocatalytic water reduction, but few successful examples has been reported. Here, we report the synthesis of TiO 2 (core)/Cu 2 O (ultrathin film shell) nanorods by a redox reaction between Cu 2+ and in‐situ generated Ti 3+ when Cu 2+ ‐exchanged H‐titanate nanotubes are calcined in air. Owing to the strong TiO 2 ‐Cu 2 O interfacial interaction, TiO 2 (core)/Cu 2 O (ultrathin film shell) nanorods are highly active and stable in photocatalytic water reduction. The TiO 2 core and Cu 2 O ultrathin film shell respectively act as the photosensitizer and cocatalyst, and both the photoexcited electrons in the conduction band and the holes in the valence band of TiO 2 respectively transfer to the conduction band and valence band of the Cu 2 O ultrathin film shell. Our results unambiguously show that Cu 2 O itself can act as the highly active and stable cocatalyst for photocatalytic water reduction.