Glycol Reduction Research Articles

Achieving acetone efficient deep decomposition by strengthening reactants adsorption and activation over difunctional Au(OH)Kx/hierarchical MFI catalyst

Realizing the simultaneous adsorption and activation of O2 and reactants over supported noble metal catalysts is crucial for the oxidation of organic hydrocarbons. Herein, we report a facile one-step ethylene glycol reduction method to synthesize difunctional Au(OH)Kx sites, which were anchored on a hierarchical hollow MFI support and adopted for acetone decomposition. The alkali ion-associated adjacent surface hydroxyl groups were coordinated with Au nanoparticles, resulting in partially oxidized Au1+ sites with improved dispersion. The results obtained from exclusive ex situ and in situ experiments illustrated that the proper content of K and hydroxyl groups significantly enhanced the adsorption of surface O2 and acetone molecules around the Au sites simultaneously, whereas the excess K species inhibited the catalytic performance by blocking the pore structure and decreasing the acidity of catalysts. The Au(OH)K0.7/h-MFI catalyst exhibited the highest efficiency for acetone oxidation, over which 1500 ppm acetone can be completely oxidized at just 280 °C with an extremely low activation energy of 32.5 kJ mol−1. The carbonate species were detected as the main intermediates during acetone decomposition over the difunctional Au(OH)Kx sites through a Langmuir − Hinshelwood (L − H) mechanism. This finding paves the way for designing and constructing efficient functional active sites for the complete oxidation of hydrocarbons.

Efficient conversion of lactic acid to alanine over noble metal supported on Ni@C catalysts.

Alanine (Ala), regarded as the building block for protein synthesis, has been widely used in the field of food processing, pharmaceutical, and bio-based plastic industries. Containing plenty of oxygenic functional groups, biomass-derived chemicals are proper for Ala synthesis in an economic and green way via amination. In this work, lactic acid (LA) derived from renewable biomass and waste glycerol (the major by-product of biodiesel industry) was used to produce Ala. Here, a series of magnetic catalysts M/Ni@C (M = Ru, Pt, Pd, Ir, and Rh) were synthesized by ethylene glycol reduction of metal M supported on encapsulated Ni@C. Compared with catalysts based on other M metals, Ru/Ni@C catalysts exhibited extraordinary efficiency with 91.4% selectivity for Ala synthesis from LA (63.7% yield of Ala and 69.7% conversion of LA). The results of experiments and catalyst characterization indicated that the doping of M metals could improve the dehydrogenation ability of catalysts, as well as the ability of NH3 adsorption, facilitating the reaction towards Ala. Overall, this study provides an efficient chemo-catalytic way for the production of Ala from biomass-derived substrates.

Bi‐Modified Bi2WO6/BiOI Heterojunction with Enhanced Visible‐Light‐Driven Photoactivity for Antibiotic Degradation

A flower‐like metallic Bi‐modified Bi2WO6/BiOI heterojunction was fabricated by a two‐step approach of hydrothermal method and in situ ethylene glycol reduction method. The ternary system was confirmed by structural analysis and surface and morphological studies. Compared with Bi2WO6, BiOI, and their binary nanomaterials, the catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LEV) under visible light irradiation. The improvement of photocatalytic performance was ascribed to the synergistic effect between metal Bi nanoparticles and Bi2WO6/BiOI p‐n heterojunction, which enhanced the light absorption capacity and the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. By studying the effect of solution pH on CIP degradation, it was found that when pH = 10, the degradation efficiency of the catalyst on ciprofloxacin reached 100% within 40 min. It provides a new idea for the design and synthesis of ternary photocatalysts for purification of alkaline domestic sewage.

Enhanced low-temperature catalytic performance for toluene combustion of CeO2-supported Pt-Ir alloy catalysts

Herein, bimetallic Pt-Ir alloy nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully fabricated by ethylene glycol reduction of H2PtCl6·6H2O and IrCl3 through a microwave-assisted method. The Pt-Ir alloy NPs were deposited on CeO2 catalysts for toluene combustion. The Pt2.5Ir/CeO2 sample exhibited better catalytic activity at low reaction temperature, compared with monometallic catalysts. The excellent low-temperature catalytic activity was resulted from the interaction between Pt and Ir, richer adsorbed oxygen species and low-temperature reducibility. Furthermore, the in-situ DRIFTS was used to investigate the possible reaction pathway of Pt2.5Ir/CeO2. It showed that the broken of benzene ring on Pt2.5Ir/CeO2 can be accomplished at lower temperature, resulting in enhancing the deep oxidation of toluene.

Design the PdCu/Ni2P electrocatalyst with high efficiency for ethanol oxidation reaction in alkaline media

To facilitate the electrocatalytic behavior of Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells (DEFCs), a sequence of bimetallic PdxCuy/Ni2P-C catalysts are synthesized via the microwave-assisted ethylene glycol reduction method. The results indicate that our designed Pd2Cu/Ni2P-C(1:1) catalyst owns high activity (3974.08 mA mg−1Pd), 8.3 times higher than the commercial Pd/C. The durability and the CO tolerance of the corresponding catalysts are also investigated by chronoamperometry (CA) and CO stripping measurements, implying Pd2Cu/Ni2P-C(1:1) shows good durability and the anti-CO poisoning ability for EOR in alkaline media. The electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) analysis reveals lower charge transfer resistance for Pd2Cu/Ni2P-C(1:1). Combined with the results of XRD, HRTEM, XPS and electrochemical measurements, we found that the good electrocatalytic activity, CO tolerance and long-term durability of Pd2Cu/Ni2P-C(1:1) may be provided by the electronic and strain effect among Pd, Cu and Ni2P, which will bring the downshift in the d-band center of catalysts and the weakened adsorption of intermediates.

One-Step Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Platinum-Based Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Ethanol

Pt/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-GO) catalysts were prepared by one-step microwave-assisted ethylene glycol reduction using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as the nitrogen source. Nitrogen doping in GO and the deposition of highly dispersed platinum nanoparticles were completed at the same time. The effect of adding NMP on the microstructure and the electrocatalytic performance of Pt/N-GO catalysts were studied. The results show that Pt/N-GO catalysts have better particle size distribution and electrocatalytic performance than undoped catalysts. When the ratio of GO to NMP reaches 1:200, the peak current density of the catalyst is about 3 times that of the non-nitrogen-doped Pt/GO and Pt/C(JM) catalysts, indicating that the electrocatalytic performance of this catalyst is the best. Therefore, the development of a one-step synthesis of Pt/N-GO catalysts has a broad application prospects in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs).

The significant promotion of g-C3N4 on Pt/CNS catalyst for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol

This article reported a series of g–C3N4–CNS (g-C3N4 and carbon nanosheets) composite carriers formed by the hydrothermal method, and then the ethylene glycol reduction method was used to anchor Pt nanoparticles on the g–C3N4–CNS carrier to form the Pt/g–C3N4–CNS catalysts. The electrochemical test for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol (MOR) shown that the Pt/20%g–C3N4–CNS catalyst has the best catalytic performance and stability. These Pt/g–C3N4–CNS catalysts were analyzed by TEM, XRD, XPS, and BET characterization. It is discovered that the amount of g-C3N4 greatly influenced the structure and chemical properties of Pt/CNS precursor. As the content of g-C3N4 increases, the content of pyridine nitrogen and pyrrole nitrogen also increases, and N species can enhance the interaction between Pt nanoparticles and CNS, promote Pt dispersion, and increase the specific surface area of the catalyst. Similarly, an excessive addition of g-C3N4 will cause a sharp decline in the conductivity of the catalyst, and then led to the decline of MOR activity.

A Sulfite/Air Fuel Cell with Alkali and Sulfuric Acid Byproducts: Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Sulfite Oxidation and ORR Activity

This work attempted to synthesize bifunctional Pd-Pt bimetallic catalysts for a sulfite/air fuel cell via a simple ethylene glycol reduction method. As-prepared Pd-Pt bimetallic catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The diameter of the Pt-Pd bimetals was ∼3–6 nm. The mechanisms of sulfite oxidation and oxygen reduction were investigated. The cell performance was determined to be largely dependent on the sulfite oxidation activity of the catalyst. S(Ⅳ) → S(Ⅵ) is the principal sulfite oxidation reaction for Pd/C, PtPd7.33/C, and PtPd2.75/C, whereas S(Ⅳ) → S(Ⅴ) is the principal reaction for Pt/C, Pt2.18Pd/C, and PtPd1.22/C. PtPd2.75/C is considered a promising bifunctional catalyst for the sulfite/air fuel cell, which exhibits excellent electrochemical activity and long-term stability.

Electrochemical Decomposition of Ethylene Glycol-Choline Chloride Deep Eutectic Solvent

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are a form of ionic liquid that can offer a larger electrochemical window than water while remaining relatively conductive as compared to other non-aqueous options. DES are made from the eutectic combination of a variety of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors. At a molar ratio of donor and acceptor specific to each DES, the melting point of the mixture is significantly depressed resulting in a room temperature liquid with a high boiling point. As a result, they are considerably less volatile and therefore a safer alternative to traditional organic solvents such as acetonitrile. The low vapor pressure associated with a deep eutectic composition allows for operation at elevated temperatures for faster kinetics, increased conductivity and lower viscosity. DES can also contain a greater concentration of supporting charge carries than many organic solvents (up to 8 M) and many redox active organic compounds are also highly soluble in DES. These factors make DES a promising electrolyte for redox flow batteries, with the potential for higher energy densities than can be achieved in aqueous electrolytes.One of the most commonly studied DES is a 1:2 molar ratio mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol respectively. This mixture, commonly called ‘ethaline’ is one of the most conductive, lowest viscosity DES. While these are desirable characteristics, the stable electrochemical window is only ≈2 V which is only somewhat larger than the usable window of an alkaline aqueous electrolyte. The objective of this effort is to investigate the electrochemical decomposition of ethaline at the anodic and cathodic limits.Relatively little literature exists on the decomposition of ethaline. It has been claimed that at the anode, several different chlorinated organics are created by various mechanisms and that hydrogen is evolved at the cathode from water contained in the electrolyte.1 While the oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) is well studied2 , 3, the oxidation of ethaline and the reduction of EG and ethaline both are somewhat unknown. A series of electrolysis experiments using a divided cell were carried out using dry ethaline prepared in a glove box with a water vapor content below 5 ppm. The water content in the electrolyte was determined by Karl Fischer titration to be less than 300 ppm. The products of these experiments were analyzed using mass spectroscopy (of both the anodic and cathodic electrolytes and of the headspace above each) and FTIR. These results show that the positive decomposition involves the oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolaldehyde, and subsequent formation of the glycolaldehyde dimer in solution. At the negative limit, hydrogen is evolved in direct proportion to the current passed. However, it can be conclusively shown that the reduction current can exceed the maximum possible current due to the reduction of water, implying that the reduction of the DES components is necessary. GC-MS analysis of the negative electrolyte showed the presence of higher molecular weight fragments consistent with the reaction scheme shown in Fig 1 below. In this scheme, the reduction of ethylene glycol results in the generation of H2 gas as observed, and the formation of ethylene oxide. The ethylene oxide produced then can react chemically with ethylene glycol to yield dimers and trimers of polyethylene glycol whose molecular masses are consistent with the peaks observed in the GC-MS analysis.The identification of these breakdown pathways will provide insight into safety concerns related to overcharge of ethaline electrolytes and will allow for the development of alternative formulations that can extend the potential limits to allow for the incorporation of higher voltage redox couples in redox flow batteries based on DES electrolytes.

Influence of pretreatment conditions on low-temperature CO oxidation over Pd supported UiO-66 catalysts

• Pd supported on UiO-66 was pretreated under different armosphere. • Pretreatment conditions affect the physicochemical state of Pd species. • The better catalytic activity is attributed to high Pd 2+ /Pd 0 and O lat /O ads . Polluting gas CO has attracted wide attention because of its toxicity to human health. Thus, it is urgent for the removal of CO. Herein, a series of Pd supported on UiO-66 catalysts were prepared by ethylene glycol reduction and the supported 0.5 wt% Pd on UiO-66 (0.5Pd-66) was used to investigate the influence of pretreatment conditions. It was found that the 0.5Pd-66 pretreated under O 2 atmosphere (0.5Pd-66-O) possessed the better CO oxidation performance, which could completely oxide CO to CO 2 at 165 °C. A series of characterization results indicated that the surface area, reduction ability at low temperature, particle size of Pd nanoparticles and surface chemical state of the catalyst were great influenced by pretreatment conditions. The better catalytic performance of 0.5Pd-66-O was ascribed to the high surface area, better reducibility at low temperature, small Pd NPs and more Pd 2+ and O lat species. More importantly, the CO oxidation mechanism was proposed by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy of CO oxidation over 0.5Pd-66-O. This work has guiding significance for studying the effect of reaction atmosphere on the structure and activity of catalyst.

Tuning Reaction Pathway of CO2 Photoreduction via PtRu Bimetallic Microstructure Regulation

In this work, series bimetallic PtRu/TiO2(P1Rx/TiO2) were prepared by one-pot glycol reduction method. The synergetic effect between Pt and Ru was discussed. Compared to mono-metal-decorated Pt/TiO2, P1Rx/TiO2 showed enhanced electron separation ability due to the electron-withdraw ability of Ru. Also, enhanced photocatalytic CH4 production was realized over P1R1/TiO2 (yield rate of 7.82 μmol/g·h–1 and selectivity of 58.50%). Ru sites were proven to be effective CO2 hydrogenation centers that could further convert byproduct H2 into CH4 during CO2 photoreduction.

Pt/TS-1 catalysts: Effect of the platinum loading method on the dehydrogenation of n-butane

A series of catalysts in which platinum was supported on the crystalline pure titanium silicalite (TS-1) were prepared using two different loading methods, namely, an ethylene glycol (EG) reduction method and the conventional incipient wetness impregnation (IM) technique. Various characterization techniques were used to study the effect of the loading method on the physicochemical and morphological properties of the prepared catalysts. Also the effect of the platinum-loading method on the dehydrogenation of n-butane was investigated in a fixed-bed reactor. The results show that the EG method favors the formation of a more-concentrated Pt dispersion, which results in much better catalytic activities for the selective formation of butenes and butadiene (> 97 %). This phenomenon is interpreted by carrying out density functional theory (DFT) calculations with focus on the relationship between the coverage of n-butane on Pt surface and the activation barrier for the first CH bond cleavage.

Synergistic effect of Pt/Ce and USY zeolite in Pt-based catalysts with high activity for VOCs degradation

Pt/Ce-USY catalysts were synthesized by ethylene glycol reduction (r) and ion exchange (ex) methods, respectively, and the synergistic effect of Pt/Ce and USY zeolite was investigated for VOCs removal at low-temperature. For 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) degradation, Pt/Ce-USY catalysts doped with CeO2 exhibit more superior activity than Pt/USY catalysts, which owes to the synergistic effect between the abundant acid sites (especially strong acidity) and strong oxidizing sites. While for non-chlorinated VOCs degradation, Pt/USY-r and Pt/Ce-USY-r catalysts both exhibit pretty good low-temperature activity and give the very low T90 values for benzene, ethyl acetate and n-hexane degradation, resulting from the active Pt species dispersed on the surface of USY zeolite. Moreover, loading Pt significantly promotes the deep oxidation of CH3Cl and C2H3Cl intermediates to CO2 and inhibits the deposition of carbon species, thus increases the durability of the catalyst for VOCs degradation, principally, benefiting from the strong Pt-CeO2 interaction.

Advantageous Role of Ir0 Supported on TiO2 Nanosheets in Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CH4: Fast Electron Transfer and Rich Surface Hydroxyl Groups.

Ir-based heterogeneous catalysts for photocatalytic CO2 reduction have rarely been reported and are worthy of investigation. In this work, TiO2 nanosheets with a higher specific surface area and more oxygen vacancies were employed to support Ir metal by impregnation (Imp) and ethylene glycol (EG) reduction methods. In comparison with Ir/TiO2 (Imp) and TiO2, Ir/TiO2 (EG) exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance toward CO2 reduction, especially for CH4 production on account of the oxygen defect of TiO2 and rich surface hydroxyl groups produced from the interaction between TiO2 nanosheets and metallic Ir. In situ ESR suggested that the oxygen defect was significant for CO2 adsorption/activation. Furthermore, metallic Ir was beneficial for photogenerated electron transfer, surface hydroxyl generation, and adsorption of the CO intermediate, generating more available electrons and reducing agents for CH4 production. In situ CO2 DRIFTS confirmed the key synergistic interaction between the oxygen defect and metallic Ir in the photoreduction from CO2 to CH4.

Tuning the impedance matching of microsphere Co for strong broadband absorption

Efficient absorption bandwidth and attenuation capability are two crucial indicators for evaluating the high-performance microwave absorbers. Proper impedance matching is the precondition for obtaining broadband absorption, while it still remains a challenge to fabricate the absorbers with better impedance matching and strong attenuation over a wide frequency range. Here, we successfully prepared Co powders by a simple ethylene glycol reduction process and researched the corresponding structures, morphologies and electromagnetic (EM) parameters. The normalized input impedance |Z| (|Zin/Z0|) values of Co at various reaction times were calculated to investigate the effect of morphology on the impedance matching. It was demonstrated that Co powders were composed of fcc-Co and hcp-Co. Compared with the compact structures, the loose ones can cause the EM wave multiple scattering and reflections and increase the EM energy dissipation, however, the balance between the attenuation and impedance matching is suboptimal. The compact microspheres Co exhibited the optimal microwave absorption performance when the reaction time was 8 h. The distribution area of |Z|~1.0 is relatively broad. When the thickness varies from 1.15 to 5.00 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth (EABW, RL ≤ −10 dB) covers the bands of 3.45–18 GHz. The EABW as large as 8.16 GHz and the minimum reflection loss of −64.67 dB have been reached at a sample thickness of only 1.83 mm. We believe that this research may serve as an effective guideline for the synthesis of other optimal broadband absorbers.

Immobilizing ultrafine bimetallic PtAg alloy onto uniform MnO2 microsphere as a highly active catalyst for CO oxidation

Herein, a facile glycol reduction route is successful employed to synthesize bimetallic PtAg alloys with homogeneous distribution of sizes and elements. Experimental studies reveal that the ultrafine PtAg alloys with well-defined sizes from around 3.3 nm to 5.8 nm are immobilized onto MnO2 microsphere, which remarkably enhances the catalytic performances for CO oxidation. Importantly, quasi in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) result reveals that both Mn and Pt ions on the surface of catalysts would realize alternating reduction-oxidation by CO and O2 molecules, and the oxygen vacancy sites could be replenished and excited by gas-phase O2.

Pt-support interaction and nanoparticle size effect in Pt/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts for low temperature VOCs removal

A series of Pt/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts (0.5 wt% Pt) with size-controllable Pt nanoparticles were prepared by a modified ethylene glycol reduction method and the Pt particle size effect of Pt/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts on benzene and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) degradation was investigated. It reveals that the metal-support interaction of PtOx species and CeO2–TiO2 mixed oxides is enhanced by the reduced Pt particle sizes. The formation of more Pt2+ species and stronger redox properties at low-temperature resulted by the enhanced metal-support interaction of Pt/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts both greatly promotes the deep oxidation for benzene and C2H3Cl byproduct during DCE degradation at low temperature. Pt/CeTi-11 with the smallest average Pt particle size (1.53 nm) exhibits the highest activity among all the catalysts for benzene degradation, with T90% of only 152 °C (1000 ppm, GHSV = 15,000 h−1). However, more acidic sites (especially the strong acid) were formed on the Pt/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts with bigger Pt nanoparticle (>2.95 nm), contributing to activate and convert DCE to C2H3Cl. More importantly, Pt/CeO2–TiO2 catalysts are extremely stable in DCE degradation reaction, and have been scarcely influenced by the presence of benzene and water in the feed gases.

Nanocage-Shaped Co3- x Zrx O4 Solid-Solution Supports Loaded with Pt Nanoparticles as Effective Catalysts for the Enhancement of Toluene Oxidation.

Nanocage-shaped Co3- x Zrx O4 solid-solution supports and the corresponding platinum loaded nanocomposites, yPt/Co3- x Zrx O4 (x=0.27, 0.50, 0.69; y = 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 wt.%), are successfully fabricated via a Cu2 O nanocube hard template method and a glycol reduction method, respectively. The hollow nanocage structures obviously improve surface areas; moreover, the Zr doping forms the Co3- x Zrx O4 solid-solution supports, and the corresponding yPt/Co3- x Zrx O4 catalysts promote the enhancement of catalytic performance. Catalytic activity toward toluene combustion is enhanced for the 2.0 wt% Pt/Co2.73 Zr0.27 O4 catalyst. The catalysts are characterized using multiple techniques. Pt nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed across the Co2.73 Zr0.27 O4 nanocage surface. The 2.0 wt% Pt/Co2.73 Zr0.27 O4 catalyst exhibits the highest catalytic activity among all the samples and demonstrates good stability, with 90% toluene conversion obtained at a temperature of 165 °C. The same catalyst accomplishes full toluene oxidation at 180 °C, at a weight hourly space velocity of 36 000 mL h-1 g-1 . The apparent activation energy (Ea ) over the yPt/Co2.73 Zr0.27 O4 samples are significantly lower than those over the Co3- x Zrx O4 supports, with the 2.0 wt% Pt/Co2.73 Zr0.27 O4 catalyst exhibiting the lowest Ea value. These findings demonstrate the potential of the 2.0 wt% Pt/Co2.73 Zr0.27 O4 catalyst as a promising catalyst toward atmospheric toluene removal.

The size effect and high activity of nanosized platinum supported catalysts for low temperature oxidation of volatile organic compounds

• Al 2 O 3 and supported nanosized Pt catalysts were synthesized by two different method. • Pt particles in R-Pt/Al 2 O 3 were aggregated much more serious than that in L-Pt/Al 2 O 3 at the same calcination temperature. • A strong interaction exists between Pt particles and Al 2 O 3 support prepared by L-method. • L-Pt/Al 2 O 3 have better catalytic activity for benzene and ethyl acetate oxidation while R-Pt/Al 2 O 3 for n -hexane. • The optimal Pt particle size supported on Al 2 O 3 for n -hexane oxidation is about 10 nm. Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalysts with smaller size of Pt nanoparticles were prepared by ethylene glycol reduction method in two different way and their oxidation activities for three typical VOCs (volatile organic compounds) were evaluated. The catalyst prepared by first adsorption and then reduction procedure is denoted as L-Pt/Al 2 O 3 while the catalyst prepared by first reduction and then loading procedure is defined as R-Pt/Al 2 O 3 . The results show that L-Pt/Al 2 O 3 with the stronger interaction between Pt species and Al 2 O 3 exhibit smaller size of Pt nanoparticles and favorable thermal stability compared with R-Pt/Al 2 O 3 . L-Pt/Al 2 O 3 is favor of the formation of more adsorbed oxygen species and more Pt 2+ species, resulting in high catalytic activity for benzene and ethyl acetate oxidation. However, R-Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalysts with higher proportion of Pt 0 /Pt 2+ and bigger size of Pt particles exhibits higher catalytic activity for n -hexane oxidation. Pt particles in R-Pt/Al 2 O 3 were aggregated much more serious than that in L-Pt/Al 2 O 3 at the same calcination temperature. The Pt particles supported on Al 2 O 3 with ~10 nm show the best catalytic activity for n -hexane oxidation.

Efficient WO3−x nanoplates photoanode based on bidentate hydrogen bonds and thermal reduction of ethylene glycol

In this study, an efficient WO3−x nanoplates photoanode was generated based on bidentate hydrogen bonds and in subsequent thermal reduction of ethylene glycol (EG). An appropriate number of controllable oxygen vacancies (Ov) was generated in-situ on the surface of the WO3 nanoplates without deep defects by bidentate hydrogen bonds. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the distance between two alcoholic hydrogens (5.124 Å) in EG matches that of the diagonal oxygens (5.483 Å) in the WO3 (002) surface, which allows EG to combine through the most stable bidentate hydrogen bonds with O–H intervals of approximately 2.5 Å. Diagonal oxygens are captured directly from the surface, leaving Ov owing to the special hydrogen-bond structure and moderate reducibility of EG under appropriate thermal conditions. The photocurrent density of the WO3−x nanoplates improves considerably to 2.07 from the 0.91 mA cm−2 of pristine WO3 with the introduction of Ov, which demonstrates the superior surface reaction kinetics from the reduced holes-to-water resistance and increase in surface injection efficiency. DFT calculations of the oxygen evolution reaction reveal that surface Ov could substantially decrease the reaction energy barrier for a lower overpotential of 0.494 V compared to that of WO3 (1.037 V), which is consistent with the reduction in the Tafel slope from 412 to 243 mV dec−1. Therefore, this study provides an innovative method to obtain an efficient WO3 photoanode based on the treatment of EG.