Changeable Active Sites by Pr Doping CuSA-TiO₂ Photocatalyst for Excellent Hydrogen Production

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Photocatalytic water splitting is crucial for clean hydrogen production.
• Understanding active sites in photocatalysis remains a challenge.
• Single-atom catalysts offer high efficiency but require precise characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize Pr-doped TiO2-supported Cu single-atom catalysts (Cu/Pr-TiO2).
• To elucidate the role of Pr doping in modifying active sites and electronic structure.
• To investigate the impact of these modifications on photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Cu/Pr-TiO2 photocatalyst.
• Characterization of catalyst structure and electronic properties.
• Evaluation of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance.

Main Results:

• Pr doping passivates oxygen vacancies, enhancing electron density at Cu single atoms (CuSAs).
• Optimized electronic structure and H* adsorption on CuSA active sites were observed.
• Cu/Pr-TiO2 achieved a hydrogen evolution rate of 32.88 mmol g-1 h-1, 2.3 times higher than Cu/TiO2.
• Active sites shifted from oxygen atoms to CuSAs after Pr doping.

Conclusions:

• Pr doping effectively tunes the active sites in single-atom catalysts for enhanced photocatalysis.
• The study provides critical insights into the function of single atoms in photocatalytic water splitting.
• This work paves the way for designing advanced single-atom photocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.