Remarkable Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity of High-Energy TiO Nanocrystals for NO Oxidation through Surface Defluorination.

The superior photocatalytic activity of TiO nanocrystals with exposed high-energy (001) facets, achieved through the use of hydrofluoric acid as a shape-directing reagent, is widely reported. However, in this study, we report for the first time the detrimental effect of surface fluorination on the photoreactivity of high-energy faceted TiO nanocrystals towards NO oxidation (resulting in a NO removal rate of only 5.9%).