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A Novel Green TiO 2 Photocatalyst with a Surface Charge‐Transfer Complex of Ti and Hydrazine Groups
Author(s) -
Tian Lihong,
Xu Jilian,
Alnafisah Abrar,
Wang Ran,
Tan Xinyu,
Oyler Nathan A.,
Liu Lei,
Chen Xiaobo
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201606027
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , visible spectrum , photochemistry , semiconductor , doping , nanoparticle , impurity , absorption (acoustics) , electron transfer , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , chemical physics , optoelectronics , catalysis , chemistry , composite material , organic chemistry , engineering
Abstract The optical property of TiO 2 plays an important role in its various and promising photocatalytic applications. Previous efforts in improving its optical properties include doping with various metal and/or non‐metal elements, coupling with other colorful semiconductors or molecules, and hydrogenating to crystalline/disordered core/shell nanostructures. Here, we report a beautiful green TiO 2 achieved by forming the charge‐transfer complex of colorless hydrazine groups and surface Ti 4+ , which extends the optical absorption into the near infrared region (≈1100 nm, 1.05 eV). It shows an enhanced photocatalytic performance in hydrogen generation under simulated sunlight, and degradation of organic pollution under visible light due to an impurity state (about 0.28 eV) resulting in fast electron–hole separation and injection of electrons from the ligand to the conduction band of TiO 2 . This study demonstrates an alternative approach to tune the optical, impurity state and photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 nanoparticles and we believe this will spur a wide interest in related materials and applications.