Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) particle systems are well-established photocatalysts with high performance under UV irradiation. They are often used as supported nanostructured thin films composed of interconnected TiO 2 nanoparticles. During the film preparation, a variety of defects can be introduced, which can have a significant influence on the material performance. This can be used for defect engineering to enhance charge generation and separation within photocatalysts. We report here a study of the paramagnetic properties of four different TiO 2 nanoparticle architectures. The spin concentrations measured on supported films and free-standing nanoparticles, in the presence or absence of dense TiO 2 thin films prepared via sputtering, are compared. Organic additives are typically used for the immobilization of powdered photocatalyst materials or the production of photoelectrodes. Despite extensive cleaning and oxidative treatment for all cases where nanoparticle aggregation can occur or interfaces can form between the particles and the silicon substrate, paramagnetic carbon-related defects appear and become part of the lattice. In the concentration range of a few parts per million, underlying carbonecks act as electron traps and represent a previously overlooked defect type that may determine the photoelectronic properties of TiO 2 -based nanostructures.
Institution: University of Salzburg
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funder: Austrian Science Fund
OpenAlex ID: W4415666466