# Calcined Xerogels of C/TiO2 Nanostructures for Solar-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

## TL;DR

Scientists developed a new type of TiO2 nanostructure that efficiently produces hydrogen using sunlight, outperforming commercial materials.

## Contribution

A novel yolk–shell and core–shell C/TiO2 xerogel design significantly enhances solar-driven hydrogen production without co-catalysts.

## Key findings

- YS-C/TiO2 achieved a hydrogen evolution rate of 975 µmol g−1 h−1 under solar light.
- Carbon nanosphere encapsulation improves light absorption and carrier separation in TiO2.
- The hydrogen production rate is 21.7 times higher than commercial TiO2.

## Abstract

The solar-driven water splitting for the production of renewable green hydrogen fundamentally relies on the exploration of efficient photocatalysts. Nanostructured TiO2 is widely recognized as a promising material for photocatalysis, yet it remains hindered by inadequate light harvesting and fast photogenerated carrier recombination. Herein, calcined C/TiO2 xerogels with yolk–shell and core–shell nanostructures (denoted as YS-C/TiO2 and CS-C/TiO2) were designed and fabricated via a typical sol–gel–calcination assisted approach. Thanks to the encapsulation of carbon nanospheres into TiO2, it effectively enhances light absorption, improves carrier separation, and lessens carrier recombination, making the well-designed YS-C/TiO2 composite display a remarkable hydrogen evolution rate of 975 µmol g−1 h−1 under simulated solar light irradiation and without the use of any co-catalyst, which is approximately 21.7 times that of the commercial TiO2. The work provides an efficacious design concept in developing nanostructured TiO2-based photocatalysts and in boosting broad photocatalytic applications.