Facet Dependent Pt Adsorption on Rutile TiO₂ Surface for Efficient Photocatalytic VOCs Removal

Removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the environment via photocatalytic reactions is highly effective for achieving clean air. While Pt deposition on TiO₂ surfaces is recognized as a viable catalytic method, understanding Pt interaction, dispersion, and facet optimization remain incomplete, leading to suboptimal performance and cost inefficiencies. This study investigates Pt adsorption on rutile TiO₂ surfaces, focusing on the (101) and (110) facets. It reveals that Pt attachment is strongly influenced by surface facet and Pt ion species. The (101) facet exhibits superior adsorption for Pt ions, such as Pt(OH)₂ and PtCl₅⁻, due to its higher surface energy that leads to higher reactivity for adsorption of Pt species. The photocatalytic result reveals that the higher Pt(OH)₂ adsorption on (101) surface facet exhibits higher photocatalytic reaction for toluene degradation. Moreover, the strong Pt(OH)₂ adsorption on (101) facet increases Pt dispersibility that leads to increased photocatalytic performance. These findings suggest the control of facet orientation of TiO₂ and adsorb Pt ion are important for optimizing Pt deposition, which will benefit future photocatalytic research and development.