skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Development of photocatalyst by combined nitrogen and yttrium doping

Journal Article · · Materials Research Bulletin
 [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Inorganic Nonmetallic Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 100083 Beijing (China)

Graphical abstract: The simulated compensated YN{sub SUB} co-doped TiO{sub 2} model can reasonably explain the experimental observations. Calculation results show that substitutional Y at Ti sites and substitutional N at O sites with an oxygen vacancy give stable configuration, reduced band gap, better visible light absorption and enhance separations of photoexcited charge carriers. The experimental observations confirmed the theoretical findings. - Highlights: • (Y, N) codoped TiO{sub 2} was synthesized by mild one pot hydrothermal method. • The Y doping concentration was varied from 0.01 to 1.38 at%. • 0.05% (Y, N) codoped TiO{sub 2} shows enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity. • Compensated and noncompensated ab-initio calculations were performed. • Calculation results reasonably explained the experimental findings. - Abstract: Titanium dioxide co-doped with yttrium and nitrogen with different yttrium doping concentration has been synthesized by mild one pot hydrothermal method without any post calcination for crystallization. Irrespective of the yttrium doping concentration, all the synthesized samples were composed of pure anatase phase with good crystallinity. And the synthesized co-doped samples have spherical morphology with uniform particle size distribution. The absorption edge of the co-doped TiO{sub 2} was shifted toward visible light region depicting that the intrinsic band gap of TiO{sub 2} was affected by the co-doping. Among the different samples, the co-doped sample with 0.05% yttrium doping concentration exhibits enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity by degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution. Compensated and non-compensated yttrium–nitrogen co-doped TiO{sub 2} models were simulated using density functional theory to explain the experimental findings. The calculation results show that the compensated yttrium–nitrogen co-doped TiO{sub 2} model may reasonably explain the experimental observations due to its stable configuration, narrowed band gap and enhanced separation of photoexcited carriers.

OSTI ID:
22341815
Journal Information:
Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 49; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English