Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2006, (Advance Article) DOI: 10.1039/b512113b	Paper
Selective photo-deposition of Cu onto the surface of monodisperse oleic acid capped TiO2 nanorods probed by FT-IR CO-adsorption studies

Todor Hikov^a, Marie-Katrin Schroeter^a, Lamma Khodeir^b, Abdelkrim Chemseddine^c, Martin Muhler^b and Roland A. Fischer*^a
aDepartment II of Inorganic Chemistry - Organometallics & Materials, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany. E-mail: roland.fischer@ruhr-uni-bochum.de; Fax: 0049 234 3214174; Tel: 0049 234 3224174
^bDepartment of Technical Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, D-44780, Bochum, Germany. E-mail: muhler@techem.ruhr-uni-bochum.de; Fax: 0049 234 3214115; Tel: 0049 234 3228754
^cSolar Energy, SE 4, Hahn-Meitner Institut Berlin GmbH, Glienicker Str. 100, D-14109, Berlin, Germany. E-mail: chemseddine@hmi.de; Fax: 0049 30 80622434; Tel: 0049 30 80622240

A novel, non-aqueous, organometallic route to nanocomposite Cu@TiO₂ materials is presented. TiO₂ nanorods stabilized with oleic acid (OLA) were used as support for the photo-assisted deposition of Cu using the organometallic Cu(II) precursor [Cu(OCH(CH₃)CH₂N(CH₃)₂)₂] (1). The copper precursor 1 penetrates through the shell of OLA and is photo reduced to deposit Cu⁰ directly at the surface of the TiO₂ rods. The obtained Cu decorated nanorods were still soluble in nonpolar organic solvents without change of the morphology of nanorods. The Cu@TiO₂ colloid was characterized by means of UV-VIS, XRD, AAS, and HRTEM. FTIR CO adsorption studies provide evidence for Cu⁰ anchored at the titania surface by a characteristic absorption at 2084 cm^–1. Comparative studies of Cu-deposition were performed using CuCl₂ as simple Cu source which proved that the concept of organometallic disguise of the metal centre results in a higher reaction rate and the circumvention of non-selective reduction, parasitic side reactions and undesired agglomeration of the OLA stabilized titania nanorods.