Optimizing one-dimensional TiO2 for photocatalytic hydrogen production from a water-ethanol mixture and other electron donors

•One-dimension TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using alkaline hydrothermal method.•Optimum hydrothermal synthesis conditions for maximum H2 production rate.•Effects of crystal phase, size and bandgap on photocatalytic hydrogen production.•The maximum H2 gas production rate was linked to anatase phase.•Mean crystal size of 20.1 ± 0.2 nm was linked to a maximum H2 production rate. This work is focused on synthesizing and employing one-dimensional (1D) titanium dioxide (TiO2) for hydrogen (H2) production. Based on using electron donors (EDs) (ethanol, methanol, fomic acid and 1,2,3 propanetriol), the increased H2 production, when compared to P25 TiO2 nanoparticles, was due to the large specific surface area (SSA) and enhanced electron mobility of 1D TiO2. The impact of the 1D TiO2 synthesis reaction conditions (temperature, NaOH concentration and the TiO2 precursor concentration) on the photocatalytic H2 production rate was evaluated using a 3-factor 3-level Box Behnken design (BBD). The BBD model demonstrated that the temperature and the NaOH concentration significantly affected the 1D TiO2 phase structure, crystal size, SSA, bandgap and the photocatalytic H2 production rate. The phase structure and crystal size of 1D TiO2 were key factors affecting the H2 production rate. 1D TiO2 containing an anatase phase with a mean crystal size of 20.1 ± 0.2 nm was synthesized at 126 °C, 15 M NaOH and 49 g L−1 TiO2. The maximum H2 production rate of 475 ± 12 μmol·h−1 (quantum efficiency (ε) = 20.2 ± 0.5%) for the 1D TiO2 sample was significantly enhanced when compared to commercial TiO2 P25. The H2 production rate for the optimized 1D TiO2 was significantly enhanced by decorating the structure with Pt and Au. Hydrothermal synthesized of 1D TiO2 provided an efficient and low cost method for producing H2 from ethanol, methanol, fomic acid and 1,2,3 propanetriol.