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Effect of nature and location of defects on bandgap narrowing in black TiO2 nanoparticles

J Am Chem Soc. 2012 May 9;134(18):7600-3. doi: 10.1021/ja3012676. Epub 2012 Apr 24.

Abstract

The increasing need for new materials capable of solar fuel generation is central in the development of a green energy economy. In this contribution, we demonstrate that black TiO(2) nanoparticles obtained through a one-step reduction/crystallization process exhibit a bandgap of only 1.85 eV, which matches well with visible light absorption. The electronic structure of black TiO(2) nanoparticles is determined by the unique crystalline and defective core/disordered shell morphology. We introduce new insights that will be useful for the design of nanostructured photocatalysts for energy applications.