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

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 fluo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aurora A. Flores-Caballero, Arturo Manzo-Robledo, Nicolas Alonso-Vante
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
Series:Surfaces
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9637/4/1/8
Description
Summary: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 SnO<sub>2</sub> (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 Ce<sup>3+</sup>/Ce<sup>4+</sup> species. The substitutional effect of boron ions for O sites and interstitial sites was confirmed by XRD and XPS analyses.
ISSN:2571-9637