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Homogeneous Doping of Substitutional Nitrogen/Carbon in TiO 2 Plates for Visible Light Photocatalytic Water Oxidation
Author(s) -
Wu Tingting,
Niu Ping,
Yang Yongqiang,
Yin LiChang,
Tan Jun,
Zhu Huaze,
Irvine John T. S.,
Wang Lianzhou,
Liu Gang,
Cheng HuiMing
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201901943
Subject(s) - materials science , photocatalysis , visible spectrum , dopant , anatase , photochemistry , titanium dioxide , water splitting , band gap , absorption edge , doping , absorption (acoustics) , inorganic chemistry , optoelectronics , catalysis , composite material , chemistry , biochemistry
Abstract Extending the light absorption range of wide‐bandgap photocatalysts into the visible light region is significant in terms of fully harvesting and converting solar light. The desirable band‐to‐band redshift of the absorption edge of semiconducting binary metal oxides such as prototypical photocatalyst TiO 2 by doping is long targeted but remains a challenge, up to date. Here, by taking the advantage of abundant 1D diffusion channels with rhombus‐like cross‐sections along the c ‐axis in the crystal structure of titanium oxalate hydrate to promote the entrance of nitrogen dopant species into the bulk and subsequent thermal topotactic transition in an atmosphere of gaseous ammonia, homogeneous doping of substitutional carbon/nitrogen for oxygen in the TiO 2 decahedral plates with a dominant anatase phase is obtained for the first time. The resultant TiO 2− x (CN) y with an unusual band‐to‐band visible light absorption spectrum can induce photocatalytic water oxidation to release oxygen under visible light irradiation. This study provides not only a promising visible light–responsive TiO 2 photocatalyst, but also an important strategy for developing other solar‐driven photocatalysts.