Unravelling the Efficient Photocatalytic Activity of Boron-induced Ti³⁺ Species in the Surface Layer of TiO₂.

ABSTRACT: Ti³⁺ species are highly unstable in air owing to their facile oxidation into Ti⁴⁺ species, and thus they cannot concentrate in the surface layer of TiO₂ but are mainly present in its bulk. We report generation of abundant and stable Ti³⁺ species in the surface layer of TiO₂ by boron doping for efficient utilization of solar irradiation. The resultant photocatalysts (denoted as B-TiO_2-x) exhibit extremely high and stable solar-driven photocatalytic activity toward hydrogen production. The origin of the solar-light activity enhancement in the B-TiO_2-x photocatalysts has been thoroughly investigated by various experimental techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The unique structure invoked by pr

SUBMITTER: Feng N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5052528 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature