Chattopadhyay, Shreyasi and Mondal, Swastik and De, Goutam (2017) Hierarchical Ti1-xZrxO2-y nanocrystals with exposed high energy facets showing co-catalyst free solar light driven water splitting and improved light to energy conversion efficiency. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 5 (33). pp. 17341-17351. ISSN 2050-7488

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Abstract

Zr substitution in the anatase TiO2 lattice with exposed high energy facets has been accomplished by a solvothermal process and characterized in detail. We observed that the selection of the solvent (n-propanol, nP or iso-propanol, iP) in the presence of titanium tetrachloride-zirconium n-propoxide mixture and structure directors played a crucial role in tuning the morphology, crystal structure and exposed facets of the resulting nanocrystals. Rietveld refinement of the PXRD data revealed the formation of Ti0.665Zr0.335O1.955 (TZ(nP)) and Ti0.912Zr0.088O1.963 (TZ(iP)) nanocrystals. TEM confirmed the presence of low index high energy {100} and {001} facets in cube-like TZ(nP) and hollow spherical TZ(iP) decorated with truncated crystallites, respectively. XPS revealed the presence of Ti3+ (13-16%) defect states in both the systems. These nanocrystalline materials were explored as co-catalyst free photocatalysts in solar water splitting for H-2 generation. Interestingly, Zr modified photocatalysts (TZ(nP) and TZ(iP)) showed H-2 evolution rates of 90 and 356 mmol g(-1) after 6 h, respectively without any support of a Pt co-catalyst. Further, the overall solar light to energy conversion efficiencies of TZ(nP) and TZ(iP) as photoanodes in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSCs) have been investigated and their efficiencies were found to be 5.40 and 7.52%, respectively. Therefore, these Zr modified TiO2 nanocrystals could be very promising as cost-effective photocatalysts for future fuel generation and DSSC materials.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	Engineering Materials
Divisions:	Nano-Structured Materials
Depositing User:	Bidhan Chaudhuri
Date Deposited:	23 Jan 2018 07:12
Last Modified:	23 Jan 2018 07:12
URI:	http://cgcri.csircentral.net/id/eprint/4004

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