The Cerium/Boron Insertion Impact in Anatase Nano-Structures on the Photo-Electrochemical and Photocatalytic Response

Autor: Aurora A. Flores-Caballero, Arturo Manzo-Robledo, Nicolas Alonso-Vante
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Surfaces, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 54-65 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2571-9637
DOI: 10.3390/surfaces4010008
Popis: Boron- and cerium-doped titania (Anatase) were prepared via sol-gel method. Phase composition and morphology were assessed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), BET, diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), and XPS. Photo-electrochemistry of these materials, deposited onto fluorine-doped SnO2 (FTO), was investigated in acid and acid-containing methanol. The boron-doped sample showed the best opto-electronic properties among the investigated samples. On the other hand, the cerium-doped titania samples annihilate to a certain extent the titania surface states, however, photogenerated charge separation was limited, and certainly associated to surface Ce3+/Ce4+ species. The substitutional effect of boron ions for O sites and interstitial sites was confirmed by XRD and XPS analyses.
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