Kinetics of hydrogen production upon reduction of aqueous TiO2 nanoparticles catalyzed by Pd(0), Pt(0), or Au(0) coatings and an unusual hydrogen abstraction; steady state and pulse radiolysis study.

Reduction of H(+) by TiO(2) electrons (e(TiO)(2)(-)) in aqueous colloidal solution takes place in the presence of surface metal catalysts. The catalytic reduction gives rise to adsorbed hydrogen atoms. In the presence of Pd(0) or Pt(0), material balance shows that most of the adsorbed H atoms combine to molecular hydrogen. When the TiO(2) nanoparticles are partially coated with Au(0) instead of Pd(0) or Pt(0), a higher than expected molecular hydrogen level is observed, attributed to a short chain reaction involving hydrogen abstraction from 2-propanol. This unusual hydrogen abstraction reaction has not been reported before. The mechanism and energy balance are discussed. The surface modification of TiO(2) nanoparticles was carried out by reduction of K(2)PdCl(4), H(2)PtCl(6), or HAuCl(4) with e(TiO)(2)(-). The latter had been generated through electron injection from hydrated electrons, hydrogen atoms, or 2-propanol radicals, produced by gamma or pulse radiolysis prior to the addition of the metal compounds. Upon addition of the metal compounds, immediate reactions take place producing metals clusters (M(0)) by multistep reductions reactions on the TiO(2) surface. The chemical kinetics involving the different metals and the reaction rate constant of e(aq)(-) and e(TiO)(2)(-) with AuCl(4)(-) is also reported.