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Multiphase interface engineering of thermal plasma synthesized TiC/TiO2 heterostructures for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Nano Research 2026, 19(5): 94908172
Published: 01 April 2026
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Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a promising photocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction owing to its chemical stability and low cost. However, pristine TiO2 suffers from insufficient light absorption and rapid charge recombination, severely constraining its efficiency. Although oxygen vacancy (OV) extends light absorption and optimizes thermodynamic/kinetic conditions, they may function as recombination centers that compromise carrier separation. Constructing multiphase interfaces offers an effective way to overcome this constraint. In this work, we synergize OV optimization and multiphase interface engineering in TiC/TiO2 heterostructures to ensure abundant active sites while enhancing charge dynamics. The photocatalyst delivers 1646 μmol·h−1·g−1 H2 under simulated AM1.5G illumination. This performance enhancement arises from three cooperative mechanisms: (i) abundant OV formed during plasma pyrolysis provides reactive sites for proton adsorption; (ii) TiC broadens light absorption regions; and crucially, (iii) multiphase interfaces among rutile (R-TiO2), anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2) and TiC establish directional charge-transfer channels that promote carrier dissociation. This study demonstrates that integrating thermal plasma synthesis with controlled oxidation provides a versatile design strategy for multiphase interface engineering efficient photocatalysts toward photocatalytic hydrogen production.

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Dynamic apertures with diffusion-regulatory functionality in soft porous crystals: A key to solving the century puzzle on isotopologues separation
Nano Research 2023, 16(2): 3254-3255
Published: 28 October 2022
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