Synthesis of TiO2 nanocrystals with exposed {001} facets and improved photocatalytic activity

TiO2 nanocrystals with exposed {001} facets were achieved by a simple liquid-phase deposition. The {101}-{001} dual-facets exposure can be achieved for optimizing the photocatalytic performance through surface-terminated reagent based on fluorine and an inclusion of Zn ions in the growth solution. The obtained TiO2 samples show an enhanced absorption in the visible light range, which may be attributed to the Ti3+ doping in TiO2. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared TiO2 samples were found to correlate with their optical properties and the exposure of dual {001}-{101} facets. This study provides an economic way to control the structure and properties of TiO2 nanocrytals for potential photocatalytic applications.