Mechanism and behaviors of Cr³⁺-doped TiO₂

Abstract

TiO₂ powder and TiO₂ thin film on the surface of glazed ceramic tile were prepared by sol-gel method. The influences of different doping Cr³⁺ concentration on the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ were discussed, UV-visible and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to test the performance of TiO₂ powder and film. The results indicate that photocatalytic activity of doping Cr³⁺-TiO₂ thin film is higher than that of powder, and the interaction between Cr³⁺-doped and substrate can greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity. The results of X-ray diffraction and photoabsorption show that the Cr³⁺-doped energy level in TiO₂ is 0.62 eV high from the top of valence band, which belongs to the type of deep energy level doping. On the basis of the semiconductor energy level theory and Cr³⁺ dopant energy level, the semiconductor energy level model of Cr³⁺ in TiO₂ powder and thin film were established, and the doping mechanisms of Cr³⁺-doped in TiO₂ powder and thin film were analyzed.

Keywords

sol-gel method / TiO₂ powders and thin films / Cr³⁺-doped / photocatalytic activity