TiO₂ nanosheet-anchoring Au nanoplates: High-energy facet and wide spectra surface plasmon-promoting photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity for CO₂ reduction

An Au-TiO₂ nanocomposite consisting of (001) exposed TiO₂ nanosheet-anchored Au nanoplates was successfully fabricated using bifunctional linker molecules and applied for the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ into hydrocarbon fuels. This unique nanocomposite benefits from the combination of the higher photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ (001) and the visible to near-infrared region plasma resonances of anisotropic Au nanostructures. Several carbon fuels were selectively produced over the Au-TiO₂ nanocomposite, including CO, CH₄, CH₃OH and CH₃CH₂OH, under different forms of light irradiation and in different reaction systems. Both photoresponse testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements confirm the importance of the Au surface plasmon for the photocatalytic activity.