Vacancy engineering of TiO2 with low Pt content for efficient hydrogen generation

Abstract

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) supported with low content precious metals is a crucial strategy for attaining optimal performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but the synthesis route is usually energy-consuming and complicated. In this work, an ultra-fast (70 s) and simple microwave strategy is proposed to prepare black TiO₂ with low load Pt (Pt/TiO₂) for the HER. The created oxygen vacancies facilitate electron transfer and enhance the metal–support interactions. Furthermore, the prepared Pt/TiO₂ shows satisfactory catalytic performance in 0.5 M H₂SO₄, with 11 mV to reach 10 mA cm⁻² and a small Tafel slope (24.1 mV dec⁻¹). Moreover, the catalyst's mass activity is ten or more times larger than that of Pt/C, and the turnover frequency of Pt/TiO₂ also far exceeds that of Pt/C. This work supplies a promising strategy for designing regulated metal oxide supports with trace noble metals for energy conversion and storage.