Pt Atomically Dispersed in Black TiO2-x/CuxO with Chiral-Like Nanostructure for Visible-Light H-2 Generation

Material design is one of the major driving forces to enhance the intrinsic light harvesting ability of a photocatalyst. Herein, the design of black TiO2-x/CuxO with chiral-like structures where Pt single atom (SA) is successfully deposited on both black TiO2-x and CuxO for visible-light H-2 generation is reported. Pt is well dispersed not only in the TiO2-x surface but also at the surface of CuxO, forming single-atom alloys. Oxygen defects stabilize the Pt SAs deposition, which significantly enlarge the space charge layer, facilitating both the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. This structural optimization endows the black TiO2-x/CuxO/Pt film excellent light harvesting ability in the visible region, making it a promising visible-light-responsive photocatalyst. This work is expected to provide insights into the rational construction of nanostructured materials with chiral nematic structure exhibiting improved light harvesting ability.