Highly Efficient Visible Light Catalysts Driven by Ti3+‐VO‐2Ti4+‐N3− Defect Clusters

Authors

Qingbo Sun, Australian National University
Shaoyang Zhang, Chinese Academy Of Sciences
David L. Cortie, Australian National UniversityFollow
Julien Langley, Australian National University
Nicholas Cox, Australian National UniversityFollow
Terry J. Frankcombe, University of New South Wales
Jie Gao, Chinese Academy Of Sciences
Hua Chen, Australian National University
Ray L. Withers, Australian National University
Felipe Kremer, Australian National University
Dehong Yu, Australian Nuclear Science And Technology Organisation
Frank Brink, Australian National University
Wensheng Shi, Chinese Academy Of Sciences
Yun Liu, Australian National University

RIS ID

132145

Publication Details

Sun, Q., Zhang, S., Cortie, D. L., Langley, J., Cox, N., Frankcombe, T. J., Gao, J., Chen, H., Withers, R. L., Kremer, F., Yu, D., Brink, F., Shi, W. & Liu, Y. (2019). Highly Efficient Visible Light Catalysts Driven by Ti3+‐VO‐2Ti4+‐N3− Defect Clusters. ChemNanoMat: chemistry of nanomaterials for energy, biology and more, 5 (2), 169-174.

Abstract

Local defect structures play significant roles on material properties, but they are seriously neglected in the design, synthesis, and development of highly efficient TiO2‐based visible light catalysts (VLCs). Here, we take anatase TiO2 nanocrystals that contain (Ti3+, N3−) ions and have the complicated chemical formula of ( )( ) as an example, and point out that the formation of Ti3+‐VO‐2Ti4+‐N3− local defect clusters is a key missing step for significantly enhancing VLC properties of host TiO2 nanocrystals. Experimental and theoretical investigations also demonstrate the emergent behaviors of these intentionally introduced defect clusters for developing highly efficient VLCs. This research thus not only provides highly efficient visible light catalysts for various practical applications but also addresses the significance of local defect structures on modifying material properties.