Value Added Conversion of Ethanol on Morphologically Controlled and Defect-Engineered Titanium Dioxide Nanorods

Developing an environmentally benign and highly effective strategy for the value-added conversion of biomass platform molecules such as ethanol has emerged as a significant challenge and opportunity. This challenge stems from the need to harness renewable solar energy and conduct thermodynamically unfavorable reactions at room temperature. To tackle this challenge, one-dimensional titanium dioxide photocatalysts have been designed and fabricated to achieve a remarkable photocatalytic selectivity of almost 100 % for transforming ethanol into value-added 1,1-diethoxyethane, contrasting the primary production of acetaldehyde in titanium dioxide nanoparticles. By incorporating a Pt co-catalyst and infusing oxygen vacancies into the one-dimensional catalyst, the ethanol transformation rate was doubled to 128.8 mmol g-1 h-1 with respect to that of its unmodified counterpart (about 66.7 mmol g-1 h-1). The underlying mechanism for this high conversion and selectivity resides in the narrowed bandgap of the catalyst and the prolonged lifetime of the photo-generated carriers. This is a promising strategy for the photocatalytic transformation of essential biomass platform molecules that intertwines morphological control and defect engineering. One-dimensional titanium dioxide photocatalysts with a Pt co-catalyst exhibit a remarkable selectivity of nearly 100 % in converting ethanol into valuable 1,1-diethoxyethane, which is different from typical acetaldehyde production on titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The introduced oxygen vacancies in the catalyst help double the ethanol transformation rate with respect to that of its pristine counterpart.image

Automated summary

By designing and fabricating one-dimensional titanium dioxide photocatalysts and incorporating a Pt co-catalyst and oxygen vacancies, efficient transformation of ethanol into value-added 1,1-diethoxyethane has been achieved. This strategy shows high conversion rate, selectivity, and potential for widespread applications.