Synthesis, spectral, optical and photocatalytic properties of vanadium- and carbon-doped titanium dioxide with three-dimensional architecture of aggregates

• Ti1−xVxO2, Ti1−xVxO2−yCy, Ti1−xVxO2−yCy∙nC have been prepared by Ti1−xVx(OCH2CH2O)2.
• V and C doping efficiently expands optical absorption of TiO2 into the visible region.
• The band gap of Ti1−xVxO2 decreases as the concentration of vanadium grows.
• The growth of vanadium concentration affects vastly the hydroquinone conversion rate.

Vanadium-doped and vanadium- and carbon-doped nanostructured anatase with threedimensional architecture of aggregates has been synthesized by the developed precursor method. Glycolate Ti1−xVx(OCH2CH2O)2 (0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) was used as a precursor. The obtained samples of the compositions Ti1−xVxO2, Ti1−xVxO2−yCy and Ti1−xVxO2−yCy∙nC were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, absorption spectroscopy in ultraviolet and visible regions and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy methods. It was established that the synthesized materials exhibit photocatalytic activity in the oxidation reaction in aqueous solution of hydroquinone under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. First principle calculations of the electronic band structure and optical absorption of vanadium- and carbon-doped anatase have been performed. The calculations showed that doping gives rise to the impurity states inside the band gap, which are responsible for the appearance of absorption, and consequently, visible light photocatalytic activity.

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