Single-Pt-Atom-Decorated TiO₂ Nanorod Arrays for Photoelectrochemical C-H Chlorination

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Photoelectrochemical (PEC) chloride oxidation is a sustainable route for synthesizing chlorinated compounds.
• Efficient PEC chloride activation is hindered by a lack of effective catalytic sites on photoanodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-performance photoanode for PEC C-H chlorination.
• To enhance catalytic activity and selectivity in PEC chlorination reactions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a photoanode by embedding platinum single atoms onto positively charged TiO2 nanorod arrays (Pt1-p-TiO2 NRAs).
• Utilizing one-dimensional TiO2 nanorods for improved electron transport and suppressed recombination.
• Electrochemical reduction to create a positively charged TiO2 surface for Pt atom anchoring.

Main Results:

• The Pt1-p-TiO2 NRAs demonstrated high selectivity (up to 87%) and Faradaic efficiency (close to 60%) for organic chlorination.
• The nanostructure facilitated efficient charge carrier separation and transport.
• Single Pt atoms acted as active sites, promoting chloride adsorption and electron transfer to generate reactive chloride radicals.

Conclusions:

• The developed Pt1-p-TiO2 NRAs significantly advance PEC C-H chlorination.
• The strategy of embedding single Pt atoms on positively charged TiO2 nanorods offers a promising pathway for efficient and sustainable chemical synthesis.