Ethanol-quenching modified the surface environment of titanium dioxide for visible light-assisted hydrogen production

Abstract

There are numerous approaches for modifying the surface structure of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) crystals. We report a conceptually different approach to modify TiO₂ crystals by ethanol-quenching. The TiO₂ nanocrystals are heated to a high temperature (700 °C) and immediately quenched by submersion in alcohol. The visible light-assisted hydrogen production of TiO₂ is significantly enhanced.