Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The rutile form of titanium dioxide (r-TiO2) usually shows a photocatalytic activity lower than that of anatase-TiO2 (a-TiO2). Nevertheless, there are numerous examples of sometimes unexpectedly high activity of r-TiO2. This material may appear to be particularly useful when a noncomplete and selective photocatalytic oxidation of organic substrates is required. On the basis of literature examples and our own studies, we compare the photocatalytic activities of r-TiO2, a-TiO2, and r-TiO2/a-TiO2 composites. Because of a significantly better oxygen adsorption at the surface of r-TiO2 and a lower redox potential of the excited electron, more efficient O2•– production takes place at the surface of rutile. As a consequence, generation of 1O2 (involving O2 reduction and the subsequent oxidation of superoxide) and reduction of H2O2 to OH– and HO• are also favored with this material. Therefore, r-TiO2 can be considered to be a particularly good photocatalyst for activation of molecular oxygen. On the other hand, a-TiO2 appears to be a stronger oxidant. In its presence, efficient HO• generation (the result of water or surface hydroxyl group oxidation) and oxidation of H2O2 to O2•– are observed.
Buchalska et al. (2015) studied this question.