Hydrogenation of Pt/TiO₂{101} nanobelts: A driving force for the improvement of methanol catalysis

Single-crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanobelts with a dominant surface of the {101} facet were hydrogenated and used as substrates of platinum for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). The hydrogenated TiO₂ anatase{101} supporting Pt exhibits a 228% increase of current density for methanol oxidation compared with the same system without hydrogenation under dark conditions. The synergetic interactions of hydrogenated anatase{101} with the Pt cluster were investigated through first principles calculations, and found that the hydrogenation shifts the conduction band minimum to the Fermi level of pristine TiO₂, and reduces the activation barrier for methanol dissociation considerably. Thus, this work provides an experimental and theoretical basis for developing non-carbon substrates with high electro-catalytic activity toward MOR.