title: TiO2 single crystal with four-truncated-bipyramid morphology as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production.
abstract: Diverse titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) nanostructures have attracted much attention recently due to their potential application in photocatalytic and photovoltaic fields. Here, the synthesis of a TiO2 single crystal with a novel four-truncated-bipyramid morphology is reported for the first time, produced by a simple hydrothermal method. Both peroxo titanic acid precursor and hydrofluoric acid capping agent are essential for the formation of this unique morphology. Moreover, the as-prepared TiO2 photocatalyst exhibits excellent hydrogen production activity from an ethanol-water solution, which is attributed to exposure of both high-energy {001} oxidative and low-energy {101} reductive facets in an optimal ratio. The current findings will contribute greatly to development of more novel photocatalysts with controllable microscopic structures for hydrogen production.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, 11 Zhongguancun Beiyitiao, Beijing 100190, PR China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rubo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jian Ru
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gong
keywords: TiO2; bipyramids; hydrogen production; photocatalysts; single crystals