Articles
  • Effect of co-dopant ratio (Cr/Fe) on visible light photocatalytic activity of Cr-Fe co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles
  • Pramod H. Borsea, C. R. Chob, K. T. Limc, J. S. Baed, E. D. Jeongd, T. E. Hongd, H. J. Kimd and H. G. Kimd,*
  • a Centre for Nanomaterials, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Balapur P.O., Hyderabad, AP, India b Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Pusan 609-735, Korea c Department of Imaging System Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 609-735, Korea d Korea Basic Science Institute, Busan 609-735 and Daejeon 305-333, Korea
Abstract
We studied the Crx/Fe1−x (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) co-dopant ratio dependence on the visible light activity of TiO2 : [Cr-Fe] nanoparticles for photodecomposition of gaseous iso-propyl alcohol (IPA), as well as photo reduction of water. Nanoparticles of TiO2 : [CrxFe1−x] with an optimum value of x = 0.4 generated 2-4 times higher photocurrents. The optimum concentration shows maximum photodecomposition activity for IPA, as well as photocatalytic hydrogen generation under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The study on the ratio optimization of the co-dopant metals ions was found to be an important factor for devising an efficient photocatalyst. The optimum co-dopant ratio seems to yield favorable density of states in the band gap of TiO2, which otherwise would turn into recombination centers.

Keywords: TiO2, Nano-particles, Photocatalysts, Photodecomposition, hydrogen generation

This Article

  • 2011; 12(5): 592-598

    Published on Oct 31, 2011