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

Abstract

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.