Enhancement of visible-light photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 nanopowder by anatase/rutile dual phase formation

Abstract

Visible-light photocatalytically active titanium oxide (TiO2) nano-powder was synthesized by a flat-flame chemical vapor condensation method. The formation of TiO2 consisting of different ratios of anatase and rutile phases was controlled by two parameters: the acetylene flow rate (C2H2, 600 sccm and 800 sccm) and the acetylene/oxygen flow ratio (C2H2/O2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, and 1:6). The location of the photonic center was identified for visible-light absorption, which is in the anatase grains. The photonic center on the surface of anatase grains happens to be the nucleation site for rutile in an oxygen-deficient environment. The visible-light absorption could be attributed to the formation of defect levels related to the photonic center within the band gap of anatase. The major role of the mixed-phase structure of TiO2 in the enhancement of visible-light photocatalytic activity is in the enhancement of carrier separation and not of light harvest, for the powder produced in this study.