The negative replica of biomorphic TiO2 with nano-holes structure has been effectively fabricated directly from nano-nipple arrays structure of cicada wings by using a simple, low-cost and highly effective sol-gel ultrasonic method. The nano-holes array structure was well maintained after calcination in air at 500 °C. The Ag nanoparticles (10 nm–25 nm) were homogeneously decorated on the surface and to the side wall of nano-holes structure. It was observed that the biomorphic Ag-TiO2 showed remarkable photocatalytic activity by degradation of methyl blue (MB) under UV-vis light irradiation. The biomorphic Ag-TiO2 with nano-holes structure showed superior photocatalytic activity compared to the biomorphic TiO2 and commercial Degussa P25. This high-performance photocatalytic activity of the biomorphic Ag-TiO2 may be attributed to the nano-holes structure, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property of the Ag nanoparticles, and enhanced electron-hole separation. Moreover, the biomorphic Ag-TiO2 showed more absorption capability in the visible wavelength range. This work provides a new insight to design such a structure which may lead to a range of novel applications.

The Ru@TiO2 sandwich structure of TiO2|Ru|TiO2 is developed by a novel synthesis by etching from two dimensional K2Ti2O5 in a salicylic acid solution and further inserting Ru nanodots between anatase...

Hematite has been demonstrated as a promising surface cocatalyst for photoelectrochemical cathodes in a strong alkaline electrolyte. However, the reliability of hematite-sensitized photocathodes is still inadequate even with an extra TiO 2 passivation layer. Titanium (Ti) doping is shown to significantly enhance the conductivity of hematite. Herein, ordered mesoporous Ti-doped hematite was presynthesized and coated on the surface of TiO 2protected silicon. The obtained composite exhibited greatly improved photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance, where continuous hydrogen production with ∼12 mA cm −2 at 0 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode for over a week (168 h) with only 5% photocurrent decay in 1.0 M KOH solution was achieved, more than an order of magnitude enhancement in lifetime relative to the pristine hematite. The surface potential investigation suggested a more uniform dispersion of photoelectrons on the surface through Ti doping in hematite particles. The low electronic concentration in the TiO 2 layer avoided the self-reduction of TiO 2 , prolonging the lifetime of the device. This study develops an effective protection mechanism for composite photoelectrodes, providing a promising strategy to protect the photocathode via surface decoration of meticulously tailored catalysts.

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