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A Brown Mesoporous TiO 2‐x /MCF Composite with an Extremely High Quantum Yield of Solar Energy Photocatalysis for H 2 Evolution
Author(s) -
Xing Mingyang,
Zhang Jinlong,
Qiu Bocheng,
Tian Baozhu,
Anpo Masakazu,
Che Michel
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201403056
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , quantum yield , mesoporous material , dopant , photochemistry , hydrogen production , chemical engineering , water splitting , doping , hydrogen , nanotechnology , catalysis , optoelectronics , chemistry , optics , organic chemistry , physics , fluorescence , engineering
A brown mesoporous TiO 2‐x /MCF composite with a high fluorine dopant concentration (8.01 at%) is synthesized by a vacuum activation method. It exhibits an excellent solar absorption and a record‐breaking quantum yield (Φ = 46%) and a high photon–hydrogen energy conversion efficiency (η = 34%,) for solar photocatalytic H 2 production, which are all higher than that of the black hydrogen‐doped TiO 2 (Φ = 35%, η = 24%). The MCFs serve to improve the adsorption of F atoms onto the TiO 2 /MCF composite surface, which after the formation of oxygen vacancies by vacuum activation, facilitate the abundant substitution of these vacancies with F atoms. The decrease of recombination sites induced by high‐concentration F doping and the synergistic effect between lattice Ti 3+ –F and surface Ti 3+ –F are responsible for the enhanced lifetime of electrons, the observed excellent absorption of solar light, and the photocatalytic production of H 2 for these catalysts. The as‐prepared F‐doped composite is an ideal solar light‐driven photocatalyst with great potential for applications ranging from the remediation of environmental pollution to the harnessing of solar energy for H 2 production.