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Titanium dioxide is selected because of its light absorbing properties.  It works as a photocatalyst.

The photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide were discovered by scientist, Akira Fujishima, in 1967.  He named the process on the surface of the titanium dioxide the Honda-Fujishima effect.  Titanium dioxide, when in thin film and nanoparticle form, can be used in energy production as a photocatalyst.  As a photocatalyst, it carries out a process called hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is a process where water is broken down into part hydrogen and part oxygen.  This process becomes even more efficient and durable when introducing disorder to the lattice structure of the surface of the titanium dioxide nanocrystals which allows for infrared absorption.