The use of solar energy to activate chemical pathways in a sustainable manner drives the development in photocatalysis. While catalyst optimization is a major theme in this pursuit, the development of novel photocatalytic reactors to enhance productivity is also imperative. In this work we combine, for the first time, microstructured optical fiber technology with photocatalysis, creating a photocatalytic microreactor coated with TiO₂, decorated with palladium nanoparticles. In doing so, we create a system capable of effectively combining photons, liquids, and gases within a monolithic, highly confined, transparent silica geometry. We utilize a range of characterization techniques to selectively focus on the photocatalyst, that resides exclusively within the internal capillaries of this system. In doing so, we validate our design approach and demonstrate the ability to simultaneously control both nanoparticle size and metal content. Further, we justify our unique design, showing its activity in photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water. In doing so highlights the importance in developing light propagation properties from optical fibers and the significant potential of this technology in the expansive photocatalysis landscape.

中文翻译：

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将光催化和光纤技术相结合，以改进用于金属纳米颗粒产氢的微反应器设计

利用太阳能以可持续的方式激活化学途径推动了光催化的发展。尽管催化剂优化是追求这一目标的主要主题，但开发新型光催化反应器以提高生产率也势在必行。在这项工作中，我们首次将微结构化光纤技术与光催化结合，创建了涂覆有TiO ₂的光催化微反应器。，装饰有钯纳米粒子。为此，我们创建了一个系统，该系统能够有效地将光子，液体和气体组合在一个整体，高度受限的透明二氧化硅几何体内。我们利用一系列表征技术来选择性地专注于仅位于该系统内部毛细管内的光催化剂。通过这样做，我们验证了我们的设计方法，并证明了同时控制纳米颗粒尺寸和金属含量的能力。此外，我们证明了我们独特的设计的合理性，表明了其在水中光催化制氢中的活性。这样做突出了开发光纤的光传播特性的重要性，以及该技术在广阔的光催化领域中的巨大潜力。