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Updated: Sep 17, 2025

A Continuous-flow Photocatalytic Reactor for the Precisely Controlled Deposition of Metallic Nanoparticles
Published on: April 10, 2019
Simultaneous value-added utilization of photogenerated electrons and holes on Pd/TiO2
Boxin Liu1, Zhuofeng Hu2, Yanfang Li1
1School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P. R. China.
Abstract:
The biggest challenge facing the advancement of photocatalytic technology so far is how to achieve the simultaneous and efficient utilization of photogenerated electrons and holes for dual value-added chemicals. Here we show that Pd/TiO2 with electronic metal-support interaction realizes photocatalytic H2O2 evolution coupled with furfural selective oxidation to furoic acid. We demonstrate that the electronic structure of Pd is modulated to form Pdδ+ active sites and upshifted d-band center via electronic metal-support interaction, enhancing O2 adsorption and H2O2 evolution performance, and the photogenerated holes from TiO2 oxidize furfural undergoing the Aldehyde-Water Shift to furoic acid by sequential breaking of O-H and C-H bonds. The optimal Pd/TiO2 achieves H2O2 and furoic acid evolution rates of 3672.31 and 4529.08 μM h-1 with furfural conversion of 92.66% and furoic acid selectivity of 97.82%. Our work provides a promising approach for enhancing synergistic photosynthesis of dual value-added chemicals, thus advancing carbon neutrality goals.
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