Issue 10, 2013

Visible-light photocatalytic, solar thermal and photoelectrochemical properties of aluminium-reduced black titania

Abstract

Utilizing solar energy for hydrogen generation and water cleaning is a great challenge due to insufficient visible-light power conversion. Here we report a mass production approach to synthesize black titania by aluminium reduction. The obtained sample possesses a unique crystalline core–amorphous shell structure (TiO2@TiO2−x). The black titania absorbs ∼65% of the total solar energy by improving visible and infrared absorption, superior to the recently reported ones (∼30%) and pristine TiO2 (∼5%). The unique core–shell structure (TiO2@TiO2−x) and high absorption boost the photocatalytic water cleaning and water splitting. The black titania is also an excellent photoelectrochemical electrode exhibiting a high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency (1.7%). A large photothermic effect may enable black titania “capture” solar energy for solar thermal collectors. The Al-reduced amorphous shell is proved to be an excellent candidate to absorb more solar light and receive more efficient photocatalysis.

Graphical abstract: Visible-light photocatalytic, solar thermal and photoelectrochemical properties of aluminium-reduced black titania

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 May 2013
Accepted
15 Jul 2013
First published
16 Jul 2013

Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 3007-3014

Visible-light photocatalytic, solar thermal and photoelectrochemical properties of aluminium-reduced black titania

Z. Wang, C. Yang, T. Lin, H. Yin, P. Chen, D. Wan, F. Xu, F. Huang, J. Lin, X. Xie and M. Jiang, Energy Environ. Sci., 2013, 6, 3007 DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41817K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements