Abstract
The selective reduction of molecular oxygen to superoxide is one of the key reactions in electrochemistry and photocatalysis. Here the effect of Pt co-catalysts, dispersed on titania, either as single atoms or as nanoparticles, on the photocatalytic superoxide (•O2 -) formation in O2 containing solutions is investigated. The •O2 - formation is traced by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assays and in detail by EPR measurements using TEMPO as •O2 - radical scavenger. The results show that the photocatalytic formation rate of •O2 - on titania can strongly be enhanced by using Pt single atoms as a co-catalyst, whereas Pt nanoparticles hardly exhibit any accelerating effect. This finding is of considerable significance regarding photocatalytic degradation and photocatalytic oxidative synthesis processes.
Published Version
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