Article Title

Visible light active pure rutile TiO₂ photoanodes with 100% exposed pyramid-shaped (111) surfaces

Authors

Xiaolu Liu, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
Haimin Zhang, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
Xiangdong Yao, QLD Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, QLD 4111, Australia
Taicheng An, State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Porun Liu, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
Yun Wang, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
Feng Peng, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Anthony R. Carroll, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
Huijun Zhao, Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, and Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia

Keywords

Rutile TiO2, high energy {111} facets, hydrothermal synthesis, photoelectrocatalysis, visible light activity

Abstract

ABSTRACT A pure rutile TiO2 photoanode with 100% exposed pyramid-shaped (111) surfaces has been directly synthesized on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting substrate via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The resulting rutile TiO2 film on the FTO substrate possessed a film thickness of ca. 5 µm and showed good mechanical stability. After calcination at 450 °C for 2 h in argon (Ar), the fabricated rutile TiO2 films with 100% exposed pyramid-shaped (111) surfaces were used as photoanodes, exhibiting excellent visible light photoelectrocatalytic activity toward oxidation of water and organics. The excellent visible light activity of the pure rutile TiO2 film photoanode can be attributed to the Ti3+ doping in the bulk and high reactivity of the {111} crystal facets. Such a pure rutile TiO2 film with highly reactive (111) surfaces is a promising material for visible light photocatalysis and solar energy conversion.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-012-0259-5

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Xiaolu Liu,Haimin Zhang,Xiangdong Yao,Taicheng An,Porun Liu,Yun Wang,Feng Peng,Anthony R. Carroll,Huijun Zhao, Visible light active pure rutile TiO2 photoanodes with 100% exposed pyramid-shaped (111) surfaces. NanoRes.2012, 5(11): 762–769