Abstract
In this paper, we construct differently exposed crystal surface structures by a novel water-plasma surface modification method to enhance specific photocatalytic reactions. Water plasma treatment of 001-faceted TiO2 (T001) results in 2-fold and 12-fold increased photoactivity for hydrogen evolution and nitrogen fixation but significantly deteriorates its oxidation capability for photodegrading bisphenol A (BPA) contaminants. In contrast, treating 101-faceted TiO2 (T101) under the same conditions accelerates the photodegradation of pollutants while weakening the photoreduction activity. Advanced characterizations reveal that water plasma treatment generates oxygen vacancy defects in T001, which can act as electron traps for improving the photoreduction capability. Differently, the surface hydroxyl groups on T101 caused by plasma discharging facilitate the generation of hydroxyl radicals, thus increasing its oxidation capability for contaminant degradation. This study not only sheds light on the relationship between the structure and activity of TiO2 photocatalysts, but also presents a simple method for modifying the surface active sites through water plasma treatment.
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