Optimising hydrogen production via solar acetic acid photoreforming on Cu/TiO2

Valorisation of aqueous acetic acid—a model bio-oil component—by solar photocatalysis on Cu/TiO2 is efficient, yet decarboxylation tends to dominate over photoreforming due to copper co-catalyst oxidation. Selectivities to hydrogen were greatly enhanced by in situ photoreduction, ensuring the removal of passivation layers to unmask active Cu(0) surfaces, in a reversible fashion.