TiO2 Nanorod Arrays Research Articles

Pt-modified TiO2 nanorod array films on FTO with enhanced CO sensitivity: A combined experimental and first-principle study

In this work, highly regular TiO2 array films consisting of nanorods with a diameter of ∼119 nm were grown on FTO via a facile hydrothermal method. Then Pt nanoparticles with a size of ∼5 nm were modified on the surface of TiO2 nanorods via an in-situ reduction process. The gas-sensing performances of pristine TiO2 and Pt-modified TiO2 samples were systematically tested. The introduction of Pt nanoparticles could enhance the response and stability toward CO gas and decrease the optimal operating temperature from 400 °C to 360 °C. And the Pt/TiO2-based sensor with a Pt content of 1.5 wt% exhibits the maximum CO sensitivity. Furthermore, the adsorption energies of Pt-modified or Pt-doped TiO2 for CO molecules were calculated using first-principles calculations. The chemical sensitivity of Pt to CO molecules may be responsible for the improved CO sensitivity. Additionally, the unique nanorod array structure of Pt/TiO2 and the nano-Schottky junction generated between them are helpful in enhancing the gas-sensing property.

Evaluating the cell migration potential of TiO2 nanorods incorporated in a Ti6Al4V scaffold: A multiscale approach

Improvement of cell migration by the nano-topographical modification of implant surface can directly or indirectly accelerate wound healing and osseointegration between bone and implant. Therefore, modification of the implant surface was done with TiO2 nanorod (NR) arrays to develop a more osseointegration-friendly implant in this study. Modulating the migration of a cell, adhered to a scaffold, by the variations of NR diameter, density and tip diameter in vitro is the primary objective of the study. The fluid structure interaction method was used, followed by the submodelling technique in this multiscale analysis. After completing a simulation over a global model, fluid structure interaction data was applied to the sub-scaffold finite element model to predict the mechanical response over cells at the cell-substrate interface. Special focus was given to strain energy density at the cell interface as a response parameter due to its direct correlation with the migration of an adherent cell. The results showed a huge rise in strain energy density after the addition of NRs on the scaffold surface. It also highlighted that variation in NR density plays a more effective role than the variation in NR diameter to control cell migration over a substrate. However, the effect of NR diameter becomes insignificant when the NR tip was considered. The findings of this study could be used to determine the best nanostructure parameters for better osseointegration.

Platinum nanoparticle modulated titania electronic structure descriptors for selective photocatalytic CO2 conversion

Modulation of the electronic structure of TiO2 nanorod array (NR), which governs the selectivity for the photocatalytic CO2 conversion, is demonstrated by the deposition of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) with various configurations. In-situ X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements suggest that the active sites for the photocatalytic reaction are located on the surface of TiO2 NRs, but not on the Pt NPs, because the photocharge transfer from TiO2 NRs to Pt NPs is inefficient. The t2g/eg orbital ratio and dz2/dx2-y2 orbital ratio of TiO2 acquired from Ti L3-edge spectra of the Pt NP/TiO2 NR photocatalysts, which are strongly influenced by the feature of the deposited Pt NPs, are respectively well-correlated to the experimental selectivity of H2 and CH4 for photocatalytic CO2 conversion as well as the density functional theory calculated adsorption energies of H atom and CO molecule on the TiO2 surface. The Pt NPs thus play a crucial role as a promoter rather than as a cocatalyst. Besides the adsorption energies of H and CO on TiO2, the t2g/eg and dz2/dx2-y2 ratios of Ti 3d unoccupied state can be the electronic structure-based descriptors of TiO2 heterostructures for photocatalytic CO2 conversion to distinguish between H2 evolution and CH4 formation.

Solar-driven wastewater treatment coupled with hydrogen and electricity production via a bismuth-doped TiO2 nanorod array

An ingenious and unassisted solar-driven wastewater resourcezation system (SDWRS) was designed by connecting a silicon cell (SC) to the back of a bismuth-doped TiO2 nanorod array (BTNR) for efficient water treatment accompanying hydrogen and electricity generation. Doping of Bi effectively improved the charge-transfer property and donor density of the BTNR. In addition, the introduction of SC provided an inner bias much higher than conventional photocatalytic fuel cells (PFCs) to drive efficient electron transfer from the photoanode to cathode by absorbing the transmitted longer wavelength photons. Therefore, compared with pure TNR, the photocurrent density of BTNR at 0.8 V vs Ag/AgCl is greatly increased to ∼2.81 mA cm−2. Due to the enhanced light utilization and charge transfer, which derived from the synergistic effect between the BTNR and SC, the assembled SDWRS displayed the outstanding tetracycline (TC) degradation together with hydrogen and electricity production. A TC removal ratio of nearly 100% after 2.5 h of operation, an average hydrogen generation rate of ∼29.08 μmol h−1 cm−2, and an electricity output with a maximum power output of ∼632.8 μW cm−2 were achieved. The results also manifested that SDWRS had great application potential for degrading various refractory pollutants from wastewater for clean energy production.

Ultraviolet A-driven photoelectrochemical system for efficient manganese removal and recovery from contaminated water: Continuous deposition and accelerated dissolution

As the fourth most industrially applicable metal, the excessive manganese (Mn) mining and utilization generates an extensive quantity of Mn wastewater, leading to waste of valuable resource and numerous ecotoxicological effects. This study reported the novel photoelectrodeposition (PED) and photoassisted electrodissolution (PAED) processes driven by Ultraviolet A for Mn extraction and recycling from contaminated water. In the PED process with TiO2 nanorod arrays photoelectrode, efficient Mn removal above 83% was achieved over a wide pH range of 3–10, and selective removal of Mn2+ was achieved with Fe3+ coexistence. After deposition, Mn can be completely dissolved and recovered by the PAED process under acidic condition at pH 3. To the integration of the PED and PAED processes, 73.3 ± 0.9% of Mn can be recovered from the contaminated water with 20 mg/L Mn2+, and the energy consumption was 0.247 kWh/m3, which was only 63.5% of the conventional electrocatalysis process. The composite photocatalyst of TiO2-manganese oxides (TiO2-MnOx) film may form and develop on the electrode during the PED and PAED processes, accompanied by the Mn3+/Mn4+ redox cycle and the change in crystal morphology. As the predominant reactive species for Mn2+ oxidation, the continuous photogeneration of holes in the TiO2-MnOx film resulted in the continuous deposition of Mn. The mobile electrons photogenerated from the excited TiO2-MnOx film may also enhance the electron transfer and lead to the accelerated dissolution of Mn. The results of this study demonstrated that the PED-PAED process is an efficient and sustainable method for Mn removal and recovery.

Plasmonic gold nanoplates-decorated ZnO branched nanorods@TiO2 nanorods heterostructure photoanode for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

Transition metal-oxide semiconductors have shown great potential in the renewable energy harvesting and conversion, e.g., photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, the existing disadvantages of semiconductors, such as insufficient solar light utilization and fast charge recombination, are urgently needed to be addressed to realize an efficient PEC device. In this work, we synthesized a well-defined ZnO branched nanorods (b-NRs) attached to TiO2 nanorod (NR) arrays on FTO substrate using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and hydrothermal method. Meanwhile, Au triangular nanoplates (TNPs) were also incorporated with ZnO@TiO2 heterostructure by immersing the structure in Au TNPs solution. The ZnO b-NRs@TiO2 NRs and Au TNPs@ZnO b-NRs@TiO2 NRs exhibited the photocurrent densities of 0.490 mA/cm2 and 0.733 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode which were 2.8 and 4.2 times of pure TiO2 NR arrays (0.176 mA/cm2), respectively. Incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency measurements showed enhanced photoactivity after Au TNPs decoration. Moreover, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis provided further evidence that the separation of photogenerated carriers and the transfer kinetics of charge carriers at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface were greatly improved by the ZnO b-NRs modification and Au TNPs decoration. It was concluded that the significantly enhanced PEC water splitting performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of the three-dimensional ZnO@TiO2 composites heterostructure and the localized surface plasmon resonance resulting from Au TNPs. This study reported a facile combination of ALD and hydrothermal method for fabricating ZnO branched heterostructure and decorating Au TNPs to improve the PEC water splitting performance of TiO2.

Universal Hydrogen-Treated TiO2 Nanorod Array/Ti2COX MXene PEC Aptamer Sensor Modulated by the Transport Characteristic of Photogenerated Holes.

A semiconductor photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptamer sensor has been widely researched in recent years because of its broad application prospects. However, a universal PEC sensor has not been achieved, and its sensing mechanism based on a photogenerated carrier transfer process has yet to be elucidated. Herein, a novel hydrogen-treated TiO2 nanorod array one-dimensional (1D)/Ti2COX MXene two-dimensional (2D) (H-TiO2/Ti2COX) PEC aptamer sensor is presented, which achieved a record detection range of 10-9-103 μg/L and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 fg/L for microcystic toxins-LR detection. Besides, the PEC sensor can also test serotonin (5-HT), aflatoxin-B1, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) with high performance by changing the aptamers, exhibiting favorable application universality. Furthermore, a new phenomenon of a switchable enhanced/suppressed photocurrent detection signal was discovered from H-TiO2/Ti2COX PEC aptamer sensors through the variation of the length of the TiO2 nanorod. Meanwhile, it reveals that the steric hindrance effect determines the photogenerated hole transfer and depolarization processes, which is proposed for the first time as the predominant mechanism of the switchable enhanced/suppressed photocurrent signal for PEC sensors, giving possibilities to develop PEC sensors with higher efficiency.

Cooperative effects of surface plasmon resonance and type-II band alignment to significantly boost photoelectrochemical H2 generation of TiO2/CdS/TiN nanorod array photoanode

Here, we demonstrate for the first time a novel ternary TiO2/CdS/TiN nanorod array (NRA) photoanode for high-efficiency photoelectrochemical H2 generation under bias-free simulated sunlight illumination. The ternary photoanode was constructed through modifying TiO2 nanorod arrays with two-dimensional (2D) CdS nanosheets and nonmetal plasmonic TiN nanoparticles. In this novel photoanode, 2D CdS nanosheets with large surface area not only improve visible light absorption, but also extend the contact area with TiO2 to form type-II band structure favorable for the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Moreover, 2D CdS nanosheets provide more sites to absorb TiN nanoparticles to further boost photon energy utilization via surface plasmon resonance-induced hot electron injection. The TiO2/CdS/TiN NRA photoanode achieved an average H2 generation rate of 129.6 μmol cm−2 h−1, 4.2 times that of TiO2 NRA photoanode. Substantially boosted photoelectrochemical H2 generation of the TiO2/CdS/TiN NRA photoanode is attributed to effective hot-electron injection and charge separation.

Facile synthesis of large-scale TiO2 nanorod arrays decorated with Ag nanoparticles as sensitive 3D SERS substrates

A facile and green synthesis strategy is employed to prepare uniform three-dimensional (3D) nanostructure as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors by decorating Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) on TiO2 nanorod arrays. The results of XPS, SEM and TEM analyses indicate that AgNPs are distributed homogeneously on the surface of TiO2 nanorods. The 3D hybrid substrate presents sensitive SERS signals of rhodamine 6 G (R6G). The relative standard deviation (RSD) for the main Raman vibration modes (611, 776, 1189 and 1651 cm−1) is less than 7%. Further UV–vis absorption spectra and FDTD simulation jointly illustrate that the interaction between AgNPs with symmetrical distribution in three dimensions generated intensive hot spots, which greatly improved the performance and spatial uniformity of SERS. The substrate also exhibits excellent SERS ability in detecting adenine molecule. The results show that the two-steps synthesis is a promising strategy for preparing 3D hybrid nanostructure substrate for SERS.

Understanding systematic growth mechanism of porous Zn1-xCdxSe/TiO2 nanorod heterojunction from ZnSe(en)0.5/TiO2 photoanodes for bias-free solar hydrogen evolution

Herein, a porous Zn1-xCdxSe structure was developed on TiO2 nanorod (NR) array for photoelectrochemical (PEC) application. Firstly, TiO2 NR and ZnO/TiO2 NR photoanode were synthesized via a series of hydrothermal methods on FTO. Next, the solvothermal synthesis method was adopted to develop inorganic–organic hybrid ZnSe(en)0.5 on ZnO /TiO2 NR-based electrode using different concentrations of the selenium (Se). We found that the ZnO NR acts as a mother material for the formation of inorganic–organic hybrid ZnSe(en)0.5, whereas TiO2 NR acts as a building block. In order to further improve the PEC charge transfer performance, inorganic–organic hybrid ZnSe(en)0.5/TiO2 NR electrode was transferred into a porous Zn1-xCdxSe/TiO2 NR photoanode using the Cd2+ ion-exchange method. The optimized porous Zn1-xCdxSe/TiO2 NR -(2) photoanode converted from ZnSe(en)0.5 -(2) electrode (optimized Se concentration) showed a higher photocurrent density of 6.6 mA·cm−2 at applied potential 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The enhanced photocurrent density was owing to the effective light absorption, enhanced charge separation, delay the charge recombination, and porous structure of Zn1-xCdxSe. This work highlights the promising strategy for the synthesis of porous Zn1-xCdxSe/TiO2 NR from inorganic-organic ZnSe(en)0.5/TiO2 NR for effective charge separation and prolonging the lifetime during the photoelectrochemical reaction.

In Situ Transition of a Nickel Metal–Organic Framework on TiO2 Photoanode towards Urea Photoelectrolysis

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) urea splitting is of great significance for urea wastewater remediation and hydrogen production with low energy consumption simultaneously. Nickel hydroxides as electrocatalysts have been widely investigated for urea electrolysis. However, it is an open question how to synthesize highly catalytic Ni(OH)2 for the PEC urea splitting. Herein, we take advantage of the instability of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to perform an in situ synthesis of Ni(OH)2 catalysts on the surface of TiO2 nanorod arrays. This transformed Ni(OH)2 (T-Ni(OH)2) possesses a superior PEC catalytic activity for water/urea splitting in comparison to the Ni(OH)2 prepared by the impregnation method. The in situ transition of a Ni-MOF is accomplished through an electrochemical treatment under AM1.5G illumination in a KOH-and-urea mixed electrolyte. The specific transition mechanism of Ni-MOFs is the substitution of ligands with OH− in a 1 M KOH electrolyte and the successive phase transition. The T-Ni(OH)2@TiO2 photoanode delivers a high photocurrent density of 1.22 mA cm−2 at 1.23 VRHE, which is 4.7 times that of Ni(OH)2@TiO2 prepared with the impregnation method. The onset potential of T-Ni(OH)2@TiO2 is negatively shifted by 118 mV in comparison to TiO2. Moreover, the decline of photocurrent during the continuous test can be recovered after the electrochemical and light treatments.

Tailoring the deposition of MoSe2 on TiO2 nanorods arrays via radiofrequency magnetron sputtering for enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting

MoSe2/1 D TiO2 nanorods (NRs) heterojunction assembly was systematically fabricated, and its photoelectrocatalytic properties were investigated. The fabrication process involves the growth of 1D TiO2 NRs arrays on FTO substrates using hydrothermal synthesis followed by the deposition of MoSe2 nanosheets on the TiO2 NRs using radiofrequency magnetron sputtering (RF magnetron sputtering). The photoelectrochemical properties of the heterojunction were explored and optimized as a function of the thickness of the MoSe2 layer, which was controlled by the sputtering time. The MoSe2 grows perpendicularly on TiO2 NRs in a 2D layered structure, maximizing the exposed active edges, an essential aspect that permits maximum exploitation of deposited MoSe2.Compared to pure TiO2 NRs, the heterojunction nanostructured assembly displayed excellent spectral and photoelectrochemical properties, including more surface oxygen vacancies, enhanced visible-light absorption, higher photocurrent response, and decreased charge transfer resistance. In particular, the sample synthesized by sputtering of MoSe2 for 90 s, i.e., MoSe2@TiO2-90 s, depicted the highest current density (1.86 mA cm−2 at 0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl) compared to other samples.The excellent photoelectrochemical activity of the heterojunction stemmed from the synergy between tailored loading of MoSe2 nanosheets and the 1D structure of TiO2 NRs, which afford a high surface/volume ratio, effective charge separation, fast electron transfer, and easy accessibility to the MoSe2 active edges. These factors boost the catalytic activity.

Two-Dimensional Sb Modified TiO2 Nanorod Arrays as Photoanodes for Efficient Solar Water Splitting.

As one of the widely studied semiconductor materials, titanium dioxide (TiO2) exhibits high photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance as well as high chemical and photo stability. However, limited by a wide band gap and fast electron-hole recombination rate, the low solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency remains a bottleneck for the practical application of TiO2-based photoelectrodes. To improve the charge separation and water oxidation efficiency of TiO2 photoanodes, antimonene, a two-dimensional (2D) material obtained by liquid-phase exfoliation, was assembled onto TiO2 nanorod arrays (TNRAs) by a simple drop-coating assembly process. PEC measurements showed that the resulting 2D Sb/TiO2 photoelectrode displayed an enhanced photocurrent density of about 1.32 mA cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH at 0.3 V vs. Hg/HgO, which is ~1.65 times higher than that of the pristine TNRAs. Through UV-Vis absorption and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, it was possible to ascribe the enhanced PEC performances of the 2D Sb/TiO2 photoanode to increased absorption intensity in the visible light region, and improved interfacial charge-transfer kinetics in the 2D Sb/TiO2 heterojunction, which promotes electron-hole separation, transfer, and collection.

Au/TiO2 nanorod arrays-based electrochemical aptasensor for ultrasensitive detection of adenosine

An electrochemical aptasensor was constructed based on Au/TiO2 nanorod arrays for ultrasensitive detection of adenosine. Specifically, The TiO2 nanorod arrays grown on FTO substrate can attach a large number of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), which greatly increase the immobilization of aptamers and significantly improve the redox signal of electrostatically adsorbed [Ru(NH3)6]3+. In the presence of adenosine, the number of [Ru(NH3)6]3+ electrostatically adsorbed on the aptamer skeleton decreases, resulting in a decline in the detected square wave voltammetry (SWV) signal. Under the optimal conditions, the peak SWV current values of aptasensor based on five TiO2 nanorod arrays are linear with the logarithmic concentration of adenosine, and the minimum detection limit is 0.42 fM. More importantly, the aptasensor has shown high specificity, extraordinary precision, continuous stability, as well as wonderful applicability for adenosine. Hence, the aptasensor paves the way for developing an effective clinical diagnostic means for adenosine detection.

TiO2/black phosphorus heterojunction modified by Ag nanoparticles for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

How to improve photon absorption, photoelectric conversion efficiency, and carrier separation and transfer efficiency is a huge challenge for promoting the efficiency of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, the black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNs) was assembled on the surface of TiO2 nanorods arrays (TiO2 NAs) through electrostatic attraction to form TiO2/BP heterojunction material. Meanwhile, Ag nanoparticles were successfully loaded on the surface of TiO2/BP heterojunction material to form Ag nanoparticles modified TiO2/BP heterojunction composite material. The TiO2/BP heterojunction modified by Ag nanoparticles nanostructures exhibited a remarkable enhancement in the PEC water splitting in comparison with the pristine TiO2. Photoelectrochemical performance at 1.23 V vs. RHE bias-potential under 100 mW cm−2 solar light illumination shows that synthesized Ag–TiO2/BP photoanode displaying the highest photocurrent density of 1.74 mA cm−2, which is practically 3.34 times higher than that of pristine TiO2 (0.52 mA cm−2), presenting a significantly improved PEC performance for water splitting. After 18 months, the photocurrent of synthesized Ag–TiO2/BP photoanode can still reach 1.63 mA cm−2, and the performance is stable. It demonstrated that the formation of heterojunction by electrostatic attraction of TiO2 and BP and then modification with Ag nanoparticles is an effective strategy for improving the PEC water splitting.

High-efficiency α-FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells based on one-dimensional TiO2 nanorod array scaffolds

High-efficiency α-FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells based on one-dimensional TiO2 nanorod array scaffolds

Core-shell TiO2/ZnO nanorod array films on FTO: Two-step synthesis and improved ethanol sensing performance

In this work, highly regular TiO2 nanorod array films were synthesized in situ on FTO by a facile hydrothermal method, and then ZnO shell layers were grown on the surface of the nanorods to form a core-shell structure via an ion-layer adsorption-reaction way. Compared to the TiO2 nanorods, the prepared TiO2/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited enhanced ethanol sensing performances, including a low working temperature, higher sensitivity, and faster response capability. The optimum sensor based on 2c-TiO2/ZnO exhibited the maximum response value of 30.85 toward 50 × 10−6 C2H5OH at 340 °C, which was almost 4.15 times higher than that of the TiO2 sensor. The improved ethanol sensing mechanism was discussed in relation to the unique nanorod array structure and the heterojunctions between TiO2 and ZnO.

Inhibition of condensation-induced droplet wetting by nano-hierarchical surfaces

Superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces can enhance water condensation efficiency by facilitating droplet departure via coalescence-induced jumping. However, condensed droplets tend to transit from a mobile jumping mode to a highly pinned state at high condensation heat flux because excessive water nucleates within the nanostructures and anchors the condensed droplets. The large pinned droplets act as a thermal barrier and insulate the cooling surface, thus severely degrading its heat transfer efficiency. This work developed a nano-hierarchical structured surface by growing branched TiO2 nanorod arrays to prevent condensation-induced droplet pinning. After hydrophobization, the nano-hierarchical structure can spontaneously push the water out of nanostructures with an outward Laplace capillary pressure gradient when the droplet size is only at the nanoscale level. This effective de-wetting process maintains the high droplet mobility on the nano-hierarchical surface over a wide subcooling range, resulting in an up to ∼ 90 % increase in heat transfer coefficient at a high heat flux of 132 kW∙m−2 compared to the single-tier nanorod surface. Our investigation of how the nano-hierarchical structures fundamentally suppress the condensation-induced wetting on superhydrophobic surfaces represents a significant advance in understanding multiphase wetting phenomena and paves the way for the rational design of cooling surfaces.

The coupling effect of carbon spheres and cobalt-involved carbon nitrides stacked on TiO2 nanorod arrays for promoted solar water oxidation

Photoanode materials typically exhibit good stability and environmentally and economically properties in solar water splitting cells, while they always suffer from the narrow light absorption range, heavy surface charge combination and sluggish surface reaction kinetics. Herein, we design an efficient and reproducible photoanode by stacking amorphous carbon spheres (CSs) and cobalt-involved carbon nitrides (Co-CNs) on surface of TiO2 nanorod arrays. CSs work as light sensitizer for broadening the light absorption range of photoanode and promoting the utilization of solar energy, which further improved by Co-CNs partially. In addition, CSs increase the conductivity of photoanode, as a transport channel for improving the charge migration. Co-CNs introduce many active sites on surface of photoanode for facilitated solar water oxidation. The best constructed TiO2/CSs/Co-CNs photoanode exhibits an impressive photocurrent density of ∼1.73 mA/cm2 (at 1.23 V vs RHE). The staking method of various functional materials provides one promising strategy for the modification of catalysts.

Constructing the Vo-TiO2/Ag/TiO2 Heterojunction for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) nitrogen (N2) fixation technology provides the possibility to produce ammonia (NH3) under mild conditions, but the efficiency of N2 reduction in this process is greatly limited due to the high bond energy and ionic potential of N2. Herein, the Vo-TiO2/Ag/TiO2 photoelectrode consisting of rutile TiO2 nanorod arrays, Ag nanoparticles, and anatase TiO2 nanosheets with oxygen vacancies (Vo-TiO2) was constructed for accelerating the PEC reduction of N2 into ammonia. The separation of photogenerated carriers can be promoted by the heterojunction among TiO2 nanorods, Ag nanoparticles, and Vo-TiO2 nanosheets. Furthermore, the photogenerated electrons from the conduction band of TiO2 and the hot electrons from Ag nanoparticles’ local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect were injected into the conduction band of Vo-TiO2, and they were further captured by Vo-TiO2 oxygen vacancy and can reduce N2 that adsorbed on the catalyst to NH3. Without any sacrificial agent, the average NH3 production rate can reach 51.2 μg h–1 cm–2. The catalyst exhibited excellent stability even after multiple uses. The LSPR effect of Ag nanoparticles and heterojunction structure promote the better PEC performance of TiO2 nanorod arrays.