| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44734 | Applied Catalysis B: Environmental | 2016 | 11 Pages |
•Photocatalytic properties are determined by structural defects.•Photoreactivity of water with TiO2 is determined by the concentration of titanium vacancies.•Titanium vacancies are the surface active sites responsible for water oxidation.
This work reports the effect of niobium (0–1 at%) on photocatalytic activity and the band gap of TiO2 with controlled oxygen activity in the range 10−12 Pa < p(O2) < 105 Pa. It is shown that maximum of photocatalytic performance in partial water oxidation is observed for Nb-doped TiO2 containing 1 at% Nb that is processed at 1273 K in pure oxygen, p(O2) = 105 Pa. The mechanism of photocatalytic water oxidation is considered in terms of a predominant effect of photocatalytically active surface sites corresponding to titanium vacancies. It is shown that the niobium-induced increase of the band gap, surface potential and charge transport have a minor influence on photoreactivity of Nb-doped TiO2 with water.
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