Benchmarking the Catalytic Performance of Rutile via Crystallinity Engineering in Au/TiO ₂ -Catalyzed H ₂ O ₂ Photogeneration

Photocatalytic production of H 2 O 2 is a promising and green alternative to industrial processes. In the last few decades, TiO 2 -based photocatalysts have been extensively explored in reactions, leading to the development of various modification strategies for better performance. However, rutile-phase TiO 2 materials are largely overlooked because of assumed lower activity compared to that of anatase and heterophase TiO 2 . Herein, we report a systematic comparison of H 2 O 2 photogeneration efficiencies over rutile-phase TiO 2 materials with continuously tuned crystallinities. Under the present reaction conditions, the optimized rutile sample exhibited higher H 2 O 2 photoproduction activity in comparison to that of the tested commercial P25 and commercial anatase references. Besides, Au particles with 6 nm diameter and a narrow size distribution are found to be better cocatalysts. This work provides novel perspectives for the rational design of effective photocatalysts, highlighting the critical role of generalized model material systems.