Constructing Anatase-Brookite TiO Phase Junction by Thermal Topotactic Transition to Promote Charge Separation for Superior Photocatalytic H Generation.

Phase junctions of photocatalysts can promote the separation of photogenerated charge carriers for efficient utilization of the carriers. Construction of phase junctions and establishing their structure-performance relationship are still required. Herein, polycrystalline TiO decahedral plates with different phases were synthesized by thermal treatment-induced topotactic transition of titanium oxalate crystals. The phase of TiO evolved from pure anatase to anatase-brookite, anatase-brookite-rutile, and then to anatase-rutile, while the morphology of the decahedral plates was well maintained. The biphase anatase-brookite was found to be most efficient in photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Specifically, the hydrogen generation rate of the biphase anatase-brookite TiO was nearly 2.4 times greater than that of the biphase anatase-rutile TiO. The spatially resolved surface photovoltage measurements indicate the more efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers and thus greater photocatalytic activity of the former. This work provides a strategy for developing efficient phase-junction photocatalysts.