Photoinduced Dynamics of Radicals in N- and Nb-Codoped Titania Nanocrystals with Enhanced Photocatalysis: Experiment and Modeling

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals are one of the most promising materials for modern photocatalysis applications, having unique properties such as a huge specific surface area and affordability of synthesis. However, the facile fabrication of TiO2-based photocatalysts active in regular daylight r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Crystal growth & design 2022-07, Vol.22 (7), p.4288-4297
Main Authors: Minnekhanov, Anton, Kytina, Ekaterina, Konstantinova, Elizaveta, Kytin, Vladimir, Marikutsa, Artem, Elizarov, Pavel
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals are one of the most promising materials for modern photocatalysis applications, having unique properties such as a huge specific surface area and affordability of synthesis. However, the facile fabrication of TiO2-based photocatalysts active in regular daylight remains a major challenge. In this work, aiming to create such a nanocrystalline material by a very simple technology, we provide a detailed analysis of the paramagnetic centers (PCs) and their photoinduced reactions in N- and Nb-codoped TiO2 nanocrystals. The resulting powders show a surface area up to 170 m2/g and an intense visible-light photocatalysis of rhodamine 6G with reaction rate k = 0.087 min–1. Ti3+, N•, and O2 – PCs are observed and studied using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. We also present a new approach to the study of photoinduced processes in nanocrystalline photocatalystsa simple theoretical model of kinetics of these PCs, which well predicts their behavior and variations of their concentration under illumination. Our results indicate that the obtained Nb–N–TiO2 nanocrystals with a high concentration of PCs on the sample surface can be used in cutting-edge industries, paving the way for the most advanced photocatalytic systems operating in sunlight.
ISSN:1528-7483
1528-7505
DOI:10.1021/acs.cgd.2c00272