Hydrogenated TiO₂ nanobelts as highly efficient photocatalytic organic dye degradation and hydrogen evolution photocatalyst

Highlights: • A facile synthesis of hydrogenated TiO₂ nanobelts is reported. • Utilizing UV and visible light in photocatalytic degradation and H₂ production. • The improved photocatalytic property is owe to Ti³⁺ ions and oxygen vacancies. - Abstract: TiO₂ nanobelts have gained increasing interest because of its outstanding properties and promising applications in a wide range of fields. Here we report the facile synthesis of hydrogenated TiO₂ (H-TiO₂) nanobelts, which exhibit excellent UV and visible photocatalytic decomposing of methyl orange (MO) and water splitting for hydrogen production. The improved photocatalytic property can be attributed to the Ti³⁺ ions and oxygen vacancies in TiO₂ nanobelts created by hydrogenation. Ti³⁺ ions and oxygen vacancies can enhance visible light absorption, promote charge carrier trapping, and hinder the photogenerated electron–hole recombination. This work offers a simple strategy for the fabrication of a wide solar spectrum of active photocatalysts, which possesses significant potential for more efficient photodegradation, photocatalytic water splitting, and enhanced solar cells using sunlight as light source.