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Title: Conducting interface in oxide homojunction: Understanding of superior properties in black TiO2

Journal Article · · Nano Letters

Black TiO2 nanoparticles with a crystalline core and amorphous-shell structure exhibit superior optoelectronic properties in comparison with pristine TiO2. The fundamental mechanisms underlying these enhancements, however, remain unclear, largely due to the inherent complexities and limitations of powder materials. Here, we fabricate TiO2 homojunction films consisting of an oxygen-deficient amorphous layer on top of a highly crystalline layer, to simulate the structural/functional configuration of black TiO2 nanoparticles. Metallic conduction is achieved at the crystalline–amorphous homointerface via electronic interface reconstruction, which we show to be the main reason for the enhanced electron transport of black TiO2. As a result, this work not only achieves an unprecedented understanding of black TiO2 but also provides a new perspective for investigating carrier generation and transport behavior at oxide interfaces, which are of tremendous fundamental and technological interest.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1331278
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-22153
Journal Information:
Nano Letters, Vol. 16, Issue 9; ISSN 1530-6984
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 80 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (23)

Large Scale Synthesis of Nanopyramidal-Like VO2 Films by an Oxygen-Assisted Etching Growth Method with Significantly Enhanced Field Emission Properties journal April 2019
Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Behavior of H-TiO2 Nanorods Hydrogenated by Controlled and Local Rapid Thermal Annealing journal May 2017
Apparatus-dependent sol-gel synthesis of TiO 2 nanoparticles for dye-sensitized solar cells journal December 2019
Broadband Hot-Electron Collection for Solar Water Splitting with Plasmonic Titanium Nitride journal March 2017
Structure and reactivity of highly reduced titanium oxide surface layers on TiO 2 : A first-principles study journal November 2019
Recover the activity of sintered supported catalysts by nitrogen-doped carbon atomization journal January 2020
Metal Oxide Nanocomposites: A Perspective from Strain, Defect, and Interface journal October 2018
Recent Advances in the Use of Black TiO 2 for Production of Hydrogen and Other Solar Fuels journal February 2019
Recent progress in characterization of the core–shell structure of black titania journal March 2019
Atomic‐Scale Mapping of Impurities in Partially Reduced Hollow TiO 2 Nanowires journal February 2020
Oxygen Vacancies Evoked Blue TiO 2 (B) Nanobelts with Efficiency Enhancement in Sodium Storage Behaviors journal May 2017
Nitrogen-doped black TiO2 spheres with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance journal April 2019
SnS 2 Nanosheets/H‐TiO 2 Nanotube Arrays as a Type II Heterojunctioned Photoanode for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting journal February 2019
Atomic‐Scale Mapping of Impurities in Partially Reduced Hollow TiO 2 Nanowires journal February 2020
Tuning defects in oxides at room temperature by lithium reduction journal April 2018
Facile and Efficient Atomic Hydrogenation Enabled Black TiO 2 with Enhanced Photo‐Electrochemical Activity via a Favorably Low‐Energy‐Barrier Pathway journal July 2019
Doping strain induced bi-Ti3+ pairs for efficient N2 activation and electrocatalytic fixation journal June 2019
Fabrication of black TiO2/TiO2 homojunction for enhanced photocatalytic degradation journal August 2019
Amorphous‐TiO 2 ‐Encapsulated CsPbBr 3 Nanocrystal Composite Photocatalyst with Enhanced Charge Separation and CO 2 Fixation journal September 2018
Oxygen‐Deficient Blue TiO 2 for Ultrastable and Fast Lithium Storage journal March 2020
Defect-engineered TiO2 Hollow Spiny Nanocubes for Phenol Degradation under Visible Light Irradiation journal April 2018
Tuning the Electronic Conductivity in Hydrothermally Grown Rutile TiO2 Nanowires: Effect of Heat Treatment in Different Environments journal September 2017
Tuning the Electronic Conductivity in Hydrothermally Grown Rutile TiO2 Nanowires: Effect of Heat Treatment in Different Environments text January 2017

Figures / Tables (4)


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