TiO₂ single crystal with four-truncated-bipyramid morphology as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production

Diverse titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanostructures have attracted much attention recently due to their potential application in photocatalytic and photovoltaic fields. Here, the synthesis of a TiO₂ single crystal with a novel four-truncated-bipyramid morphology is reported for the first time, produced by a simple hydrothermal method. Both peroxo titanic acid precursor and hydrofluoric acid capping agent are essential for the formation of this unique morphology. Moreover, the as-prepared TiO₂ photocatalyst exhibits excellent hydrogen production activity from an ethanol-water solution, which is attributed to exposure of both high-energy {001} oxidative and low-energy {101} reductive facets in an optimal ratio. The current findings will contribute greatly to development of more novel photocatalysts with controllable microscopic structures for hydrogen production.