Synergistic Dual‐Channel Charge Separation in Cr‐TiO <sub>2‐x</sub> for Solar H <sub>2</sub> O <sub>2</sub> Synthesis

ABSTRACT Solar‐driven hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) synthesis offers a sustainable alternative to the energy‐intensive anthraquinone process, yet its efficiency is fundamentally constrained by the inability to simultaneously harness photogenerated electrons and holes in a balanced, synergistic manner. Here we report a spatially separated yet electronically coupled dual‐active‐site photocatalyst, comprising atomic chromium (Cr) and oxygen vacancies (O Vs ) anchored on ultrathin TiO 2 nanosheets (Cr‐TiO 2‐x ), that enables the cooperative coupling of two‐electron water oxidation (2e − WOR) and oxygen reduction (2e − ORR) in a single photocatalytic framework. In situ x‐ray absorption/emission spectroscopy and excited‐state density functional theory calculations reveal that Cr single atoms selectively accumulate photogenerated holes to drive 2e − WOR, while O V sites trap electrons to activate O 2 for 2e − ORR. This self‐sustaining proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) loop not only suppresses charge recombination but also achieves a record H 2 O 2 production rate of 764.9 µmol g −1 h −1 in pure water without sacrificial agents, with a solar‐to‐chemical conversion efficiency of 1.23% and an apparent quantum yield of 11.5% at 420 nm. This work establishes a blueprint for the atomic‐level design of dual‐redox photocatalysts and provides direct spectroscopic evidence of excited‐state charge partitioning, opening new avenues for efficient solar‐fuel synthesis.

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Publication Details

Journal
Angewandte Chemie
Published
2026-08-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.6447296
Primary Topic
TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Synergistic Dual‐Channel Charge Separation in Cr‐TiO 2‐x for Solar H 2 O 2 Synthesis

Jiannian Yao, Jiabin Chen, Xi Wang, Chuang Zhang et al.
Angewandte Chemie
TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells
article

Synergistic Dual‐Channel Charge Separation in Cr‐TiO 2‐x for Solar H 2 O 2 Synthesis

Jiannian Yao, Jiabin Chen, Xi Wang, Chuang Zhang, Menglong Sun, Kaiheng Zhao, Xiaomin Wang, Yuan Jing, Lili Chen
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Solar‐driven hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) synthesis offers a sustainable alternative to the energy‐intensive anthraquinone process, yet its efficiency is fundamentally constrained by the inability to simultaneously harness photogenerated electrons and holes in a balanced, synergistic manner. Here we report a spatially separated yet electronically coupled dual‐active‐site photocatalyst, comprising atomic chromium (Cr) and oxygen vacancies (O Vs ) anchored on ultrathin TiO 2 nanosheets (Cr‐TiO 2‐x ), that enables the cooperative coupling of two‐electron water oxidation (2e − WOR) and oxygen reduction (2e − ORR) in a single photocatalytic framework. In situ x‐ray absorption/emission spectroscopy and excited‐state density functional theory calculations reveal that Cr single atoms selectively accumulate photogenerated holes to drive 2e − WOR, while O V sites trap electrons to activate O 2 for 2e − ORR. This self‐sustaining proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) loop not only suppresses charge recombination but also achieves a record H 2 O 2 production rate of 764.9 µmol g −1 h −1 in pure water without sacrificial agents, with a solar‐to‐chemical conversion efficiency of 1.23% and an apparent quantum yield of 11.5% at 420 nm. This work establishes a blueprint for the atomic‐level design of dual‐redox photocatalysts and provides direct spectroscopic evidence of excited‐state charge partitioning, opening new avenues for efficient solar‐fuel synthesis.

Angewandte Chemie
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Beijing Jiaotong University (CN), TED University (TR), Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (CN), Institute of Physics (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Fuzhou University (CN)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells
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