Efficient plasmonic water splitting by heteroepitaxial junction-induced faceting of gold nanoparticles on an anatase titanium(IV) oxide nanoplate array electrode

Shin-Ichi Naya; Yoko Morita; Hisashi Sugime; Tetsuro Soejima; Musashi Fujishima; Hiroaki Tada

doi:10.1039/d4nr01013b

Efficient plasmonic water splitting by heteroepitaxial junction-induced faceting of gold nanoparticles on an anatase titanium(IV) oxide nanoplate array electrode

Nanoscale. 2024 Jul 18;16(28):13435-13444. doi: 10.1039/d4nr01013b.

Authors

Shin-Ichi Naya¹, Yoko Morita², Hisashi Sugime^{2

3}, Tetsuro Soejima^{2

3}, Musashi Fujishima^{2

3}, Hiroaki Tada⁴

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Research Laboratory, Kindai University, 3-4-1, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan. [email protected].
² Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, 3-4-1, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan.
³ Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, 3-4-1, Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan.
⁴ Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan. [email protected].

PMID: 38919999
DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01013b

Abstract

Plasmonic photocatalysts represented by gold nanoparticle (NP)-loaded titanium(IV) oxide (Au/TiO₂) can be promising solar-to-fuel converters by virtue of their response to visible-to-near infrared light. Hitherto, Au/rutile (R)-TiO₂ has been recognized as exhibiting photocatalytic activity higher than that of Au/anatase (A)-TiO₂. Herein, we demonstrate that the high potential of A-TiO₂ as the Au NP support can be brought out through atomic level interface control. Faceting of Au NPs is induced by a heteroepitaxial junction on an A-TiO₂(001) nanoplate array (Au/A-TiO₂ NPLA). Photoexcitation towards the Au/A-TiO₂ NPLA electrode generates current for the water oxidation reaction at λ < 900 nm with a maximum efficiency of 0.39% at λ = 600 nm, which is much larger than the values reported so far for the usual electrodes. The striking activity of the Au/A-TiO₂ NPLA electrode was rationalized using a potential-dependent Fowler model. This study presented a novel approach for developing solar-driven electrodes for green and sustainable fuel production.