A novel and facile method to synthesize crystalline-disordered core–shell anatase (La, F)–TiO2

Crystalline-disordered core–shell anatase (La, F)–TiO2 with high photocatalytic activity has been successfully fabricated by (La, F)-codoping via a simple hydrothermal method. The surface disordered shell of the (La, F)–TiO2 nanoparticles is attributed to (La, F)-codoping with La3+ ions occupying interstitials and F− ions substituting O2− positions in the lattice. The results show that the disordered shell can effectively trap photogenerated holes, therefore, the (La, F)–TiO2 semiconductors exhibit excellent photocatalytic properties probed by the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV irradiation. The strategy employed shows a novel way and can also be extended to other crystalline-disordered core–shell anatase TiO2 systems.

► Crystalline-disordered core–shell anatase (La, F)–TiO2 has been successfully fabricated.
► (La, F)–TiO2 has a highly disordered shell region with the mean thickness about 5 nm.
► Disordered shell can effectively trap photogenerated holes.
► Photocatalytic activity of the (La, F)–TiO2 is 4.0 times of the commercial TiO2.
► The strategy employed shows a novel way and can also be extended to other (X, F)-TiO2 systems.