The effect of powder preparation method on the artificial photosynthesis activities of neodymium doped titania powders

The effects of nanostructure on the artificial photosynthesis activities of undoped and Nd doped titania (TiO2) powders prepared by three different chemical co-precipitation methods were investigated. Substitutional/interstitial N and S doping was observed in powders due to the presence of high concentrations of HNO3 (NP) and H2SO4 (SP) in the powder preparation media, respectively. Nd, N and S doping caused anatase/rutile phase transformation inhibition and crystallite size reduction in the nanostructure. Light absorption was significantly enhanced by Nd doping and the residual SO42−/NOx species in the nanostructure. Photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of Nd doped NP powder was 4 times greater than undoped NP powder at 700 °C and had a high purity (CO:H2 ratio∼0.00). CO was determined to be the main product in photocatalytic CO2 reduction. NP powders had the highest CO yields and Nd doping enhanced CO production. The powders with high crystallite sizes and rutile weight fractions had the highest artificial photosynthesis activities.