A facile strategy to prepare single-atom catalysts anchored on TiO2 with multiple oxygen vacancies for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Single atom catalysts (SACs) supported on metal oxide are usually prepared at high temperature, high pressure, and complex process. Herein, a new strategy is developed to prepare SACs anchored on vacancy-rich TiO 2 using Ti 2 O 3 as the support precursor under mild conditions, where Ti 3+ on Ti 2 O 3 surface acts as “traps” to capture and then reduce metal ions through electron transfer without using reducing agents. This approach is universally applicable for different single metal atoms supported on diverse phases of TiO 2 (anatase, rutile, metastable and mixed counterpart). The as-obtained Pt 1 /TiO 2 with controllable Pt loading and multiple oxygen vacancies (Ov) exhibits excellent activity in photocatalytic H 2 evolution. At optimal conditions, the H 2 evolution rate is up to 95,180 μmol g −1 h −1 , which is the highest for TiO 2 supported SACs reported.