A Pt@TNT catalyst with Pt nanoparticles entrapped in titanate nanotubes (TNT) was prepared by hydrophobic modification of the exterior surface of the TNT and impregnation with hexachloroplatinic acid (H₂PtCl₆) aqueous solution. The catalyst's enhanced activity towards the hydrogenation of phenol (as high as ∼3200 g_phenol h⁻¹ g_Pt ⁻¹ of qTOF) can be ascribed to the confinement effect.

Anatase-dominated anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared by decorating TiO₂ on the hydrothermally synthesized TiO₂-derived nanotubes via liquid phase deposition and subsequent annealing. The morphology and structure of as-prepared TiO₂ nanotubes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers was investigated by photoluminescence spectra. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by methyl orange decomposition under UV illumination. The results indicated that the mixed-phase TiO₂ nanotubes consisting of anatase and rutile (82/18 w/w) were successfully fabricated. Due to the synergistic effect of mixed anatase and rutile phases, the anatase-dominated anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO₂ nanotubes exhibited superior photocatalytic activity. The apparent rate constant k of the photocatalytic reaction for the TiO₂ nanotubes with and without decoration was 0.0528 and 0.0126, respectively. Anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO₂ nanotubes (MNTs) were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and subsequent annealing. And anatase-dominated anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO₂ nanotubes (ANTs) with superior photocatalytic performance were fabricated by decorating TiO₂ on hydrothermally synthesized TiO₂-derived nanotubes via liquid phase deposition and subsequent annealing.

CdS nanorod arrays were grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrates via a hydrothermal process and subsequently coated with a TiO₂ nanolayer via a vacuum dip-coating process to fabricate a one-dimensional array structured photocatalyst. The TiO₂ nanolayer improved the photocatalytic efficiency of CdS nanorod arrays for the degradation of methylene blue due to the effective separation of the electron–hole pairs, and the photocorrosion of CdS nanorod arrays was successfully inhibited.