Synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic hydrogen of three environmentally friendly titanium oxo-clusters

In this paper, three environmentally friendly titanium oxo-clusters, Ti6O4(OEt)4(OPri)4(OOCC6H5)8 (1), Ti6O4(OEt)8[OOC(CH3)3]8 (2) and Ti6O4(OCH3)8[OOC(CH3)3]8 (3), were obtained under three similar solvent-thermal reactions of titanium(IV) isopropoxide, alcohols and carboxylic acids, and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, TGA and IR analysis. All the compounds were crystallized in the space group P21/c and the arrangements of the titanium atoms are similar. In addition, the UV-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activities have been observed for them, which showed good photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from water.