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Title: Enhanced dopant solubility and visible-light absorption in Cr-N co-doped TiO2 nanoclusters

Abstract

A major obstacle toward employing TiO2 as an efficient photoactive material is related to its large optical band gap, strongly limiting visible light absorption. Substitutional doping with both donors and acceptors (co-doping) potentially leads to a significant band gap reduction, but the effectiveness of the co-doping approach remains limited by the low solubility of dopants inside TiO2. Here we show that nanostructured Cr and N co-doped TiO2 thin films can be obtained by Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD) with a high concentration of dopants and a strongly reduced band gap. Complementary spectroscopic investigations show that doping effectively occurs into substitutional lattice sites, inducing dopant levels in the gap that are remarkably delocalized. The high surface-to-volume ratio, typical of SCBD nanostructured films, likely facilitates the dopant incorporation. The present results indicate that SCBD films are highly promising photoactive nanophase materials.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [2]
  1. University of Brescia (UNIBS)
  2. ORNL
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1039956
DOE Contract Number:  
DE-AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 116; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1932-7447
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; ABSORPTION; CHROMIUM NITRIDES; CLUSTER BEAMS; DOPED MATERIALS; DEPOSITION; ENERGY GAP; SOLUBILITY; THIN FILMS; TITANIUM OXIDES; VISIBLE SPECTRA

Citation Formats

Chiodi, Dr Mirco, Cheney, Christine, Vilmercati, Paolo, Cavaliere, Emanuele, Mannella, Norman, Gavioli, Luca, and Weitering, Harm H. Enhanced dopant solubility and visible-light absorption in Cr-N co-doped TiO2 nanoclusters. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1021/jp208834n.
Chiodi, Dr Mirco, Cheney, Christine, Vilmercati, Paolo, Cavaliere, Emanuele, Mannella, Norman, Gavioli, Luca, & Weitering, Harm H. Enhanced dopant solubility and visible-light absorption in Cr-N co-doped TiO2 nanoclusters. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp208834n
Chiodi, Dr Mirco, Cheney, Christine, Vilmercati, Paolo, Cavaliere, Emanuele, Mannella, Norman, Gavioli, Luca, and Weitering, Harm H. 2012. "Enhanced dopant solubility and visible-light absorption in Cr-N co-doped TiO2 nanoclusters". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp208834n.
@article{osti_1039956,
title = {Enhanced dopant solubility and visible-light absorption in Cr-N co-doped TiO2 nanoclusters},
author = {Chiodi, Dr Mirco and Cheney, Christine and Vilmercati, Paolo and Cavaliere, Emanuele and Mannella, Norman and Gavioli, Luca and Weitering, Harm H},
abstractNote = {A major obstacle toward employing TiO2 as an efficient photoactive material is related to its large optical band gap, strongly limiting visible light absorption. Substitutional doping with both donors and acceptors (co-doping) potentially leads to a significant band gap reduction, but the effectiveness of the co-doping approach remains limited by the low solubility of dopants inside TiO2. Here we show that nanostructured Cr and N co-doped TiO2 thin films can be obtained by Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD) with a high concentration of dopants and a strongly reduced band gap. Complementary spectroscopic investigations show that doping effectively occurs into substitutional lattice sites, inducing dopant levels in the gap that are remarkably delocalized. The high surface-to-volume ratio, typical of SCBD nanostructured films, likely facilitates the dopant incorporation. The present results indicate that SCBD films are highly promising photoactive nanophase materials.},
doi = {10.1021/jp208834n},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1039956}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C},
issn = {1932-7447},
number = 1,
volume = 116,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2012},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2012}
}