Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction of TiO₂ Nanotubes by Combining Surface Oxygen Vacancy Engineering and Zr Doping.

ABSTRACT: This work examines the cooperative effect between Zr doping and oxygen vacancy engineering in anodized TiO₂ nanotubes (TNTs) for enhanced oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). Zr dopant and annealing conditions significantly affected the electrocatalytic characteristics of grown TNTs. Zr doping results in Zr⁴⁺ substituted for Ti⁴⁺ species, which indirectly creates oxygen vacancy donors that enhance charge transfer kinetics and reduce carrier recombination in TNT bulk. Moreover, oxygen vacancies promote the creation of unsaturated Ti³⁺(Zr³⁺) sites at the surface, which also boosts the ORR interfacial process. Annealing at reductive atmospheres (e.g., H₂, vacuum) resulted in a larger increase in oxygen vacancies, which greatly en

SUBMITTER: Shaddad MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10892297 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature