Abstract
In this study, the impact of supported Pt particles on the thermal and photocatalytic activity of well-defined anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2) nanocrystals (NCs) was investigated. Pt-decorated NCs were characterized using scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The activity of the Pt-decorated NCs for the thermal and photocatalytic reactions of acetaldehyde was then studied using temperature-programmed desorption in ultrahigh vacuum. The bare TiO2 NCs demonstrated thermal activity primarily for aldol condensation, partial oxidation, and reductive coupling pathways. For the Pt-decorated NCs, the Pt deposits were found to act mainly as a site blocker for the thermal aldol condensation and partial oxidation pathways, as well as acting as recombination centers for photogenerated electrons and holes at the surface, suppressing the photocatalytic activity of the NCs. Upon pretreating with O2, however, the photocatalytic activity of the Pt-deco...
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