The Formation of Defect-Pairs for Highly Efficient Visible-Light Catalysts.

Sun, Qingbo; Cortie, David; Zhang, Shaoyang; Frankcombe, Terry J; She, Guangwei; Gao, Jie; Sheppard, Leigh R; Hu, Wanbiao et al. · Adv Mater · 2017

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Highly efficient visible-light catalysts are achieved through forming defect-pairs in TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocrystals. This study therefore proposes that fine-tuning the chemical scheme consisting of charge-compensated defect-pairs in balanced concentrations is a key missing step for realizing outstanding photocatalytic performance. This research benefits photocatalytic applications and also provides new insight into the significance of defect chemistry for functionalizing materials.