Efficient visible-light photocatalysis of tio2-δ nanobelts utilizing self-induced defects and carbon doping

Abstract

Efficient visible-light photocatalysis was realized by exploring self-induced defect states, in-cluding the abundant surface states of TiO2-δ nanobelts synthesized through metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The TiO2-δ nanobelts exhibited two strong defect-induced absorption peaks at 2.91 and 1.92 eV, overlapping with the conduction band states so that photoexcited carriers can contribute effectively for the photocatalysis reaction. To further enhance visible-light photo-catalytic activity, carbon atoms, the by-product of the MOCVD reaction, were self-doped at the judiciously determined growth conditions. The resulting visible-light photocatalysis suggests that the large surface area and consequent high concentration of the surface states of the TiO2-δ nanobelts can be effectively utilized in a wide range of photocatalysis applications.