H2 spillover enhanced hydrogenation capability of TiO2 used for photocatalytic splitting of water: a traditional phenomenon for new applications.

Black TiO2 was usually obtained via hydrogenation at high pressure and high temperature. Herein, we reported a facile hydrogenation of TiO2 in the presence of a small amount of Pt at relatively low temperature and atmospheric pressure. The hydrogen spillover from Pt to TiO2 accounts well for the greatly enhanced hydrogenation capability. The as-synthesized Pt/TiO2 exhibits remarkably improved photocatalytic activity for water splitting.