Defect-anchored single-atom-layer Pt clusters on TiO2−x/Ti for efficient hydrogen evolution via photothermal reforming plastics

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Environmental, 2023-12, Vol.339, p.123081, Article 123081
• Main Authors: Jiang, Di, Yuan, Haifeng, Liu, Zhen, Chen, Yuke, Li, Yangyang, Zhang, Xiaoli, Xue, Guobin, Liu, Hong, Liu, Xiaoyan, Zhao, Lili, Zhou, Weijia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Defective titanium dioxide; Laser synthesis; Photothermal catalysis; Reforming plastic; Single-atom-layer Pt clusters
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2023.123081

Hydrogen generation from plastics waste is a promising strategy to solve the plastic pollution crisis. Making full use of infrared energy of solar spectrum is an important subject for efficient solar photocatalysis. Herein, single-atom-layer Pt (SAL-Pt) clusters anchored on TiO2−x/Ti was used as photothermal catalyst to generate hydrogen from plastic in liquid conditions. The confinement effect of laser-regulated oxygen vacancies in TiO2−x/Ti plays an important role in anchoring SAL-Pt under mildly temperature and pressure condition. The obtained Pt/TiO2−x/Ti possesses excellent photothermal catalytic hydrogen evolution performance from reforming plastic waste under infrared light (273.12 μmol cm−2 h−1). The enhanced photothermal activity of Pt/TiO2−x/Ti is due to enhanced infrared light absorption via plasmonic effect and hot electron aggregation on SAL-Pt from TiO2−x/Ti. The practical applicability is further verified by photothermal catalytic reforming plastics to H2 under ambient sunlight irradiation, which possesses high performance (25.5 μmol cm−2 h−1) and stability (in consecutive week). [Display omitted] •TiO2−x/Ti with oxygen vacancies were confirmed to atomically disperse metals through strong coordination interaction.•Single-atom-layer Pt clusters on TiO2−x/Ti were formed with the maximum atom-utilization efficiency for catalysis.•Pt/TiO2−x/Ti possessed excellent photothermal catalytic H2 evolution performance from reforming plastic under IR.•An excellent catalytic performance and stability under ambient sunlight verified the practical applicability.