Hydrogen peroxide synthesis from water and oxygen using a three-component nanohybrid photocatalyst consisting of Au particle-loaded rutile TiO2 and RuO2 with a heteroepitaxial junction.

Thin heteroepitaxial (HEPI) layers of RuO2 were selectively formed on the TiO2 surface of Au nanoparticle-loaded rutile TiO2 particles (RuO2#TiO2-Au) with an orientation of RuO2(110)//TiO2(110) by a hydrothermal method, and the three-component nanohybrid exhibits a high photocatalytic activity far exceeding that of Au/TiO2 for hydrogen peroxide generation from water and oxygen due to the HEPI junction-induced unique morphology of RuO2.