Synthesis of {100} Facet Dominant Anatase TiO2 Nanobelts and the Origin of Facet‐Dependent Photoreactivity

Sword‐like anatase TiO₂ nanobelts exposed with 78 % clean {100} facets were synthesized and the facet‐dependent photoreactivity of anatase TiO₂ was investigated. By quantitative comparison with the reference {001} facets, the {100} facets possessed about ten‐times higher active sites density than that on {001} facets, resulting in higher photoreaction efficiency. After the active sites density normalization, the {100} and {001} facets exhibited distinct wavelength‐dependent photocatalytic performance, attributed to the anisotropic electronic structures in TiO₂ crystals.     

Prolonging charge-separation states by doping lanthanide-ions into {001}/{101} facets-coexposed TiO2 nanosheets for enhancing photocatalytic H2 evolution

Ultrathin TiO₂ nanosheets with coexposed {001}/{101} facets have attracted considerable attention because of their high photocatalytic activity. However, the charge-separated states in the TiO₂ nanosheets must be extended to further enhance their photocatalytic activity for H₂ evolution. Herein, we present a successful attempt to selectively dope lanthanide ions into the {101} facets of ultrathin TiO₂ nanosheets with coexposed {001}/{101} facets through a facile one-step solvothermal method. The lanthanide doping slightly extended the light-harvesting region and markedly improved the charge-separated states of the TiO₂ nanosheets as evidenced by UV-vis absorption and steady-state/transient photoluminescence spectra. Upon simulated sunlight irradiation, we observed a 4.2-fold enhancement in the photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity of optimal Yb³⁺-doped TiO₂ nanosheets compared to that of their undoped counterparts. Furthermore, when Pt nanoparticles were used as cocatalysts to reduce the H₂ overpotential in this system, the photocatalytic activity enhancement factor increased to 8.5. By combining these results with those of control experiments, we confirmed that the extended charge-separated states play the main role in the enhancement of the photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity of lanthanide-doped TiO₂ nanosheets with coexposed {001}/{101} facets.     

Crystal‐Facet Engineering of Ferric Giniite by Using Ionic‐Liquid Precursors and Their Enhanced Photocatalytic Performances under Visible‐Light Irradiation

In the work presented here, well‐dispersed ferric giniite microcrystals with controlled sizes and shapes are solvothermally synthesized from ionic‐liquid precursors by using 1‐n‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dihydrogenphosphate ([Bmim][H₂PO₄]) as phosphate source. The success of this synthesis relies on the concentration and composition of the ionic‐liquid precursors. By adjusting the molar ratios of Fe(NO₃)₃ ? 9H₂O to [Bmim][H₂PO₄] as well as the composition of ionic‐liquid precursors, we obtained uniform microstructures such as bipyramids exposing {111} facets, plates exposing {001} facets, hollow spheres, tetragonal hexadecahedron exposing {441} and {111} facets, and truncated bipyamids with carved {001} facets. The crystalline structure of the ferric giniite microcrystals is disclosed by various characterization techniques. It was revealed that [Bmim][H₂PO₄] played an important role in stabilizing the {111} facets of ferric giniite crystals, leading to the different morphologies in the presence of ionic‐liquid precursors with different compositions. Furthermore, since these ferric giniite crystals were characterized by different facets, they could serve as model Fenton‐like catalysts to uncover the correlation between the surface and the catalytic performance for the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible‐light irradiation. Our measurements indicate that the photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared Fenton‐like catalysts is highly dependent on the exposed facets, and the surface area has essentially no obvious effect on the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in the present study. It is highly expected that these findings are useful in understanding the photocatalytic activity of Fenton‐like catalysts with different morphologies, and suggest a promising new strategy for crystal‐facet engineering of photocatalysts for wastewater treatment based on heterogeneous Fenton‐like process.     

Highly Facet‐Dependent Photocatalytic Properties of Cu2O Crystals Established through the Formation of Au‐Decorated Cu2O Heterostructures

This work confirms the presence of a large facet‐dependent photocatalytic activity of Cu₂O crystals through sparse deposition of gold particles on Cu₂O cubes, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra. Au‐decorated Cu₂O rhombic dodecahedra and octahedra showed greatly enhanced photodegradation rates of methyl orange resulting from a better separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes, with the rhombic dodecahedra giving the best efficiency. Au–Cu₂O core–shell rhombic dodecahedra also displayed a better photocatalytic activity than pristine rhombic dodecahedra. However, Au‐deposited Cu₂O cubes, pristine cubes, and Au‐deposited small nanocubes bound by entirely {100} facets are all photocatalytically inactive. X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) showed identical copper peak positions for these Au‐decorated crystals. Remarkably, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements indicated a higher production of hydroxyl radicals for the photoirradiated Cu₂O rhombic dodecahedra than for the octahedra, but no radicals were produced from photoirradiated Cu₂O cubes. The Cu₂O {100} face may present a high energy barrier through its large band edge bending and/or electrostatic repulsion, preventing charge carriers from reaching to this surface. The conventional photocatalysis model fails in this case. The facet‐dependent photocatalytic differences should be observable in other semiconductor systems whenever a photoinduced charge‐transfer process occurs across an interface.     

Highly Efficient Low‐Temperature Plasma‐Assisted Modification of TiO2 Nanosheets with Exposed {001} Facets for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

Anatase TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have been controllably modified under non‐thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with various working gas, including Ar, H₂, and NH₃. The obtained TiO₂ nanosheets possess a unique crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (TiO₂@TiO_2?x), which exhibit the improved visible and near‐infrared light absorption. The types of dopants (oxygen vacancy/surface Ti³⁺/substituted N) in oxygen‐deficient TiO₂ can be tuned by controlling the working gases during plasma discharge. Both surface Ti³⁺ and substituted N were doped into the lattice of TiO₂ through NH₃ plasma discharge, whereas the oxygen vacancy or Ti³⁺ (along with the oxygen vacancy) was obtained after Ar or H₂ plasma treatment. The TiO₂@TiO_2?x from NH₃ plasma with a green color shows the highest photocatalytic activity under visible‐light irradiation compared with the products from Ar plasma or H₂ plasma due to the synergistic effect of reduction and simultaneous nitridation in the NH₃ plasma.     

Graphite-like carbon deposited anatase TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals as efficient visible-light photocatalysts

Graphite-like carbon deposited single-crystal anatase TiO₂ with exposed {001} facets was fabricated through a two-step solvothermal process by using glucose as carbon source. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy, Raman, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface photovoltage spectroscopy. These results demonstrated that graphite-like carbon layers were deposited on the surface of TiO₂ single-crystal nanosheets with exposed highly reactive {001} facets via the dehydration of glucose during the process of hydrothermal treatment. The loading of the graphite-like carbon layers could effectively extend the light absorption edge of the single-crystal anatase TiO₂ nanosheets to visible light region and accelerate the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes, contributing an excellent visible-light driven photocatalytic performance to the graphite-like carbon deposited single-crystal anatase TiO₂ nanosheets for the degradation of methyl orange.     

Unprecedented Eighteen‐Faceted BiOCl with a Ternary Facet Junction Boosting Cascade Charge Flow and Photo‐redox

Exposure of anisotropic crystal facets allows the directional transfer of photoexcited electrons (e^?) and holes (h⁺), for spatial charge separation. High‐index facets with a high density of low‐coordinated atoms always serve as reactive catalytic sites. However, preparation of multi‐facets or high‐index facets is highly challenging for layered bismuth‐based photocatalysts. Herein, we report the preparation of unprecedented eighteen‐faceted BiOCl with {001} top facets and {102} and {112} oblique facets via a hydrothermal process. Compared to the conventional BiOCl square plates with {001} top facets and {110} lateral facets, the eighteen‐faceted BiOCl has highly enhanced photocatalytic activity for H₂ evolution and hydroxyl radicals (^.OH) production. Theoretical calculations and photodeposition results disclose that the of eighteen‐faceted BiOCl has a well‐matched {001}/{102}/{112} ternary facet junction, which provides a cascade path for more efficient charge flow than the binary facet junction in BiOCl square plates.     

{111}晶面暴露对介孔金红石TiO2单晶光催化产氢的促进作用

光催化反应发生在半导体材料的表面,材料表面的原子/电子结构直接影响光催化剂的活性或选择性。因此,发展具有特定晶面的半导体光催化剂受到各国学者的普遍关注,被认为是调控光催化材料性能的有效途径之一。自2008年yang等首次合成高表面能{001}晶面占优的锐钛矿TiO2单晶以来,控制合成暴露不同晶面TiO2晶体的研究得到了迅猛的发展,已发展了多种方法合成了具有不同晶面的TiO2晶体。研究表明,选择性地暴露特定的活性晶面能够显著地提高光催化剂的活性或者改变光催化反应的选择性。但是,含有完整晶面构型的TiO2单晶样品的颗粒尺寸一般都较大,通常为几微米,因而显著增加了光生载流子传输与分离的难度,并且导致材料较小的比表面积,限制了对光催化活性的进一步提高。能否在合成含特定晶面单晶的同时增加多孔结构成为有效解决这一问题的关键。最近, Crossland等采用晶种模板法成功合成了介孔的锐钛矿TiO2单晶,并且通过光电器件研究证实了采用该思路可进一步提高材料的光电性能。金红石TiO2在光催化全分解水方面具有独特的优势,然而关于多孔单晶金红石TiO2的研究相对较少,尤其是合成热力学不稳定的高表面能{111}晶面完全暴露的多孔金红石单晶面临较大的技术挑战因而一直未见文献报道。本文利用晶种模板法,以TiCl4溶液为含Ti前驱体、NaF为形貌控制剂、采用水热处理制备出不同比例{111}晶面的介孔金红石单晶。我们前期工作表明, NaF可作为形貌控制剂合成低表面能{110)晶面占优的介孔金红石单晶。本文发现,通过改变NaF的添加量,可有效调变{111}/{110}晶面比例,最终合成完全暴露{111}高表面能的介孔金红石TiO2单晶。扫描电镜结果显示,当添加20 mg NaF时,合成{110}占优的具有高长径比的介孔晶体;当NaF用量增加到40 mg时{110}晶面进一步缩短;至80 mg时则制备出{111})高能面完全暴露的金红石TiO2晶体。值得注意的是,对比研究表明,不采用模板合成了与多孔晶体完全相对应的不同{111}/(110}晶面比例的实心金红石晶体。透射电镜及选区电子衍射以及结合X射线衍射进一步证实,多孔的金红石TiO2晶体与实心金红石单晶均都为单晶结构,孔结构贯穿于样品内部且具有较高的晶面结晶性。氮气吸附实验发现,虽然三个不同晶面比例介孔金红石单晶样品间的形貌具有显著的差异,但比表面积非常相近(分别为24,25,28 m2/g),孔径也都为50 nm左右,该值与所用SiO2模板球的直径以及TEM观察结果相一致。光催化产氢性能结果表明,选择性的暴露活性晶面显著提高了光催化活性,仅含高能面{111}的介孔金红石单晶样品具有最高的产氢速率(约800μmol h–1 g–1),比常规{110}晶面占优的介孔单晶样品速率提高了约一倍。尤其比实心单晶样品的产氢速率提高了至少一个数量级,这应归结于介孔结构特性所导致的表面反应活性位增加、电子传输距离缩短以及光吸收增强协同作用的结果。     

Graphitic-C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> quantum dots decorated {001}-faceted TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanosheets as a 0D/2D composite with enhanced solar photocatalytic activity

Zero-dimensional (0D)/two-dimensional (2D) heterojunctions have attracted great attention in photocatalysis due to their superior interfacial effects. In this work, 0D g-C₃N₄ quantum dots (CNQDs) were firstly used to modify {001}-faceted 2D TiO₂ nanosheets by a simple solvothermal method. During the controlled growth of TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed reactive {001} facets, the CNQDs can be simultaneously assembled on the surface of TiO₂ nanosheets in a highly dispersive way. The 0D/2D composite containing only 0.5% of CNQDs shows the optimized solar photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B and 4-chlorophenol. More importantly, the 0D/2D composite exhibits a better solar photocatalytic activity than the bulk g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanosheets composite. This improvement can be ascribed to the close interfacial contact and strong interaction between the highly dispersed CNQDs and the TiO₂ nanosheets, which could lead to efficient separation of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, provide more catalytic active sites, and enhance the absorption of solar light. The 0D/2D composite also shows good stability for its practical applications.     

Facet-Control versus Co-Catalyst-Control in Photocatalytic H2 Evolution from Anatase TiO2 Nanocrystals

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and, in particular, its anatase polymorph, is widely studied for photocatalytic H₂ production. In the present work, we examine the importance of reactive facets of anatase crystallites on the photocatalytic H₂ evolution from aqueous methanol solutions. For this, we synthesized anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals with a large amount of either {001} facets, that is, nanosheets, or {101} facets, that is, octahedral nanocubes, and examined their photocatalytic H₂ evolution and then repeated this procedure with samples where Pt co-catalyst is present on all facets. Octahedral nanocubes with abundant {101} facets produce >4 times more H₂ than nanosheets enriched in {001} facets if the reaction is carried out under co-catalyst-free conditions. For samples that carry Pt co-catalyst on both {001} and {101} facets, faceting loses entirely its significance. This demonstrates that the beneficial role of faceting, namely the introduction of {101} facets that act as electron transfer mediator is relevant only for co-catalyst-free TiO₂ surfaces.     

Synthesis of Cs2.5H0.5PW12O40/TiO2 Nanocomposites with Dominant TiO2 {001} Facets and Related Photocatalytic Properties

TiO₂ nanosheets with dominant {001} facets, coupled with Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀, were successfully synthesized by a one‐step hydrothermal reaction. The photocatalytic activity of nanocatalysts was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B under UV light irradiation. The results showed that both the addition of Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀ and the exposed {001} facets of TiO₂ have a positive effect on the photocatalytic activity. The improved photoactivity of nanocomposites in comparison with that of TiO₂ nanosheets could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀ and TiO₂ which facilitates the separation of photo‐induced hole‐electron pairs.     

Controlled Synthesis and Enhanced Catalytic and Gas‐Sensing Properties of Tin Dioxide Nanoparticles with Exposed High‐Energy Facets

A morphology evolution of SnO₂ nanoparticles from low‐energy facets (i.e., {101} and {110}) to high‐energy facets (i.e., {111}) was achieved in a basic environment. In the proposed synthetic method, octahedral SnO₂ nanoparticles enclosed by high‐energy {111} facets were successfully synthesized for the first time, and tetramethylammonium hydroxide was found to be crucial for the control of exposed facets. Furthermore, our experiments demonstrated that the SnO₂ nanoparticles with exposed high‐energy facets, such as {221} or {111}, exhibited enhanced catalytic activity for the oxidation of CO and enhanced gas‐sensing properties due to their high chemical activity, which results from unsaturated coordination of surface atoms, superior to that of low‐energy facets. These results effectively demonstrate the significance of research into improving the physical and chemical properties of materials by tailoring exposed facets of nanomaterials.     

Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity of Anatase TiO2 by Improving the Specific Facet‐Induced Spontaneous Separation of Photogenerated Electrons and Holes

Recently, it has been proven that directional flow of photogenerated charge carriers occurs on specific facets of TiO₂ nanocrystals. Herein, we demonstrate that the photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals in both photoreduction and photooxidation processes can be enhanced by selectively depositing Pt nanoparticles on the {101} facets, which strengthens spontaneously surface‐induced separation between photogenerated electrons and holes in the photocatalysis process. An optimal ratio of the oxidative {001} facets to the reductive {101} facets exists with regard to the photocatalysis of the faceted TiO₂ nanocrystals, and this is crucial for balancing the recombination and redox reaction rates of photogenerated electrons and holes. The present work might help us gain deeper insight into the relation between the specific surface of semiconductor photocatalysts and their photocatalytic activities and provides us with a new route to design photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity.     

Polyhedral AgBr Microcrystals with an Increased Percentage of Exposed {111} Facets as a Highly Efficient Visible‐Light Photocatalyst

Synthesis of inorganic single crystals with exposed high‐reactivity facets is a desirable target in the catalytic chemistry field. Polyhedral AgBr microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high‐reactivity {111} facets have been successfully prepared for the first time, and the photocatalytic performance of these microcrystals when used as an AgBr/Ag plasmonic photocatalyst was investigated. The results indicate that the as‐prepared sample has high photocatalytic activity and, under the same measurement conditions, the photodegradation rate of methyl orange dye over these microcrystals is at least four times faster than with other shapes of AgBr/Ag microstructure, as well as 20 times faster than with the highly efficient Ag₃PO₄ photocatalyst. DFT calculations suggest that the AgBr (111) surface is mainly composed of unsaturated Ag atoms and has a relatively high surface energy, both of which are favorable for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the AgBr/Ag polyhedron photocatalyst. This work not only provides a highly efficient plasmonic photocatalyst of polyhedral AgBr/Ag microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high‐reactivity AgBr {111} facets, but also demonstrates that the shape and crystalline quality of the exposed facets have an important influence on the photocatalytic activities.     

Facile fabrication of anatase TiO2 microspheres on solid substrates and surface crystal facet transformation from {001} to {101}

Anatase TiO(2) microspheres with controlled surface morphologies and exposed crystal facets were directly synthesized on metal titanium foil substrates by means of a facile, one-pot hydrothermal method without use of any templating reagent. The obtained products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelecron spectroscopy (XPS), and the focused ion beam (FIB) technique. The sizes of the resultant microspheres ranged from 1.1 to 2.1 μm. The transformation of anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed {001} facets surface to nanosheets surface with {101} facets was achieved by simply controlling the hydrothermal reaction time. The anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed square-shaped plane {001} facets were obtained by controlling the reaction time at 1 h. The prolonged reaction time transforms the anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed square-shaped plane {001} facets to eroded {001} facets then to a nanosheet surface with exposed {101} facets. With hydrothermal synthesis, the surface morphological structure and crystal facets formation are highly dependent on dissolution/deposition processes, which can be strongly influenced by attributes, such as pH of the reaction media, the total concentration of dissolved and suspended titanium species, and the concentration of fluoride in the reaction solution. The changes of these attributes during the hydrothermal process were therefore measured and used to illustrate the morphology and crystal-facet transformation processes of anatase TiO(2) microspheres. The surface morphologies and crystal-facet transformations during hydrothermal processes were found to be governed by the compositional changes of the reaction media, driven by dynamically shifted dissolution/deposition equilibria. The photocatalytic activities of the photoanodes made of anatase TiO(2) microspheres were evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that the photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed {001} facets was found to be 1.5 times higher than that of the anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed {101} facets.     

Electrospun Hierarchical LiV3O8 Nanofibers Assembled from Nanosheets with Exposed {100} Facets and their Enhanced Performance in Aqueous Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Hierarchical LiV₃O₈ nanofibers, assembled from nanosheets that have exposed {100} facets, have been fabricated by using electrospinning combined with calcination. The formation mechanism of hierarchical nanofibers was investigated by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) played a dual role in the formation of the nanofibers: besides acting as the template for forming the fibers, it effectively prevented the aggregation of LiV₃O₈ nanoparticles, thereby allowing them to grow into small nanosheets with exposed {100} facets owing to the self‐limitation property of LiV₃O₈. This nanostructure is beneficial for the insertion/extraction of lithium ions. Meanwhile, the {100} facets have fewer and smaller channels, which may effectively alleviate proton co‐intercalation into the electrode materials. Hence, the hierarchical LiV₃O₈ nanofibers exhibit higher discharge capacities and better cycling stabilities as the anode electrode material for aqueous lithium‐ion batteries than those reported previously. We demonstrate that these hierarchical nanofibers have promising potential applications in aqueous lithium‐ion batteries.     

Morphology‐Engineered Highly Active and Stable Ru/TiO2 Catalysts for Selective CO Methanation

Ru/TiO₂ catalysts exhibit an exceptionally high activity in the selective methanation of CO in CO₂‐ and H₂‐rich reformates, but suffer from continuous deactivation during reaction. This limitation can be overcome through the fabrication of highly active and non‐deactivating Ru/TiO₂ catalysts by engineering the morphology of the TiO₂ support. Using anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals with mainly {001}, {100}, or {101} facets exposed, we show that after an initial activation period Ru/TiO₂‐{100} and Ru/TiO₂‐{101} are very stable, while Ru/TiO₂‐{001} deactivates continuously. Employing different operando/in situ spectroscopies and ex situ characterizations, we show that differences in the catalytic stability are related to differences in the metal–support interactions (MSIs). The stronger MSIs on the defect‐rich TiO₂‐{100} and TiO₂‐{101} supports stabilize flat Ru nanoparticles, while on TiO₂‐{001} hemispherical particles develop. The former MSIs also lead to electronic modifications of Ru surface atoms, reflected by the stronger bonding of adsorbed CO on those catalysts than on Ru/TiO₂‐{001}.     

Preparation of Ce‐doped TiO2 Hollow Fibers and Their Photocatalytic Degradation Properties for Dye Compound

Cerium‐doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) with a hollow fiber structure was successfully prepared using ammonium ceric nitrate and tetrabutyltitanate as precursors and cotton fiber as the template. The effects of cerium (Ce)‐doping on the crystallite sizes, crystal pattern, and optical property of the prepared catalysts were investigated by means of techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, and UV‐vis diffuse absorption spectroscopy. SEM observation showed that the prepared TiO₂ fibers possessed fibrous shape inherited from the cotton fiber and had a hollow structure. As confirmed by XRD and UV‐vis diffuse absorption spectroscopy examinations, Ce‐doping restrained the growth of grain size and extended the photoabsorption edge of TiO₂ hollow fiber into the visible light region. The present photocatalyst showed higher photocatalytic reactivity in photodegradation of highly concentrated methylene blue (MB) solutions than pure TiO₂ under UV and visible light, and the amount of Ce‐doped significantly affected the catalytic property. In the experiment condition, the photocatalytic activity of 0.5 mol% Ce‐doped TiO₂ fiber was optimal of all the prepared samples. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of the photocatalyst was also confirmed. The material was easily removed by centrifugal separation. Therefore, using the template method and by doping with cerium, TiO₂ may hopefully become a low‐energy consuming, high activity and green environmentally friendly catalytic material.     

Facet‐Dependent Catalytic Activity of Cu2O Nanocrystals in the One‐Pot Synthesis of 1,2,3‐Triazoles by Multicomponent Click Reactions

We report the highly facet‐dependent catalytic activity of Cu₂O nanocubes, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra for the multicomponent direct synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazoles from the reaction of alkynes, organic halides, and NaN₃. The catalytic activities of clean surfactant‐removed Cu₂O nanocrystals with the same total surface area were compared. Rhombic dodecahedral Cu₂O nanocrystals bounded by {110} facets were much more catalytically active than Cu₂O octahedra exposing {111} facets, whereas Cu₂O nanocubes displayed the slowest catalytic activity. The superior catalytic activity of Cu₂O rhombic dodecahedra is attributed to the fully exposed surface Cu atoms on the {110} facet. A large series of 1,4‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles have been synthesized in excellent yields with high regioselectivity under green conditions by using these rhombic dodecahedral Cu₂O catalysts, including the synthesis of rufinamide, an antiepileptic drug, demonstrating the potential of these nanocrystals as promising heterogeneous catalysts for other important coupling reactions.     

Synthesis of Multifunctional Metal‐ and Metal Oxide Core@Mesoporous Silica Shell Structures by Using a Wet Chemical Approach

We demonstrate a facile wet chemical approach for fabricating spherical metal/metal‐oxide core@mesoporous silica shell hybrid nanoparticles with different core and shell thicknesses. Vertically aligned mesoporous silica (mSiO₂) shells were fabricated over the pre‐synthesized spherical SiO₂ nanoparticles through a three‐step strategy: 1) synthesis of core materials, 2) covering the core with an organic–inorganic composite layer, and 3) removing the organic template through calcinations in air. The mechanisms of hybrid structure formation are proposed. The multifunctional nature of the hybrid structures could be induced by incorporating guest ions/molecules, such as Ag, Mn, and TiO₂, into the pores of an mSiO₂ shell. Mn and TiO₂ cluster‐ incorporated composite structures have been tested to be antioxidizing agents and effective photocatalysts through electron spin resonance, radical scavenging tests, and the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B. The possibility of incorporating several hetero‐element guest clusters in these mesoporous composite particles makes them highly attractive for multifunctional applications.