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Evaluation of Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution in Zr-Doped TiO2 Thin Films

Authors :
Luis F. Garay-Rodríguez
M. R. Alfaro Cruz
Julio González-Ibarra
Leticia M. Torres-Martínez
Jin Hyeok Kim
Source :
Surfaces, Vol 7, Iss 3, Pp 560-570 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Doping titanium dioxide has become a strategy for enhancing its properties and reducing its recombination issues, with the aim of increasing its efficiency in photocatalytic processes. In this context, this work studied its deposition over glass substrates using a sol–gel dip coating methodology. The effect of doping TiO2 with Zirconium cations in low molar concentrations (0.01, 0.05, 0.1%) in terms of its structural and optical properties was evaluated. The structural characterization confirmed the formation of amorphous thin films with Zr introduced into the TiO2 cell (confirmed by XPS characterization), in addition to increasing and defining the formed particles and their size slightly. These changes resulted in a decrease in the transmittance percentage and their energy band gap. Otherwise, their photocatalytic properties were evaluated in hydrogen production using ethanol as a sacrificial agent and UV irradiation. The hydrogen evolution increased as a function of the Zr doping, the sample with the largest Zr concentration (0.1% mol) being the most efficient, evolving 38.6 mmolcm−2 of this gas. Zr doping favored the formation of defects in TiO2, being responsible for this enhancement in photoactivity.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
25719637
Volume :
7
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Surfaces
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.7dcc55c3df3246cc8687469e524d71fe
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/surfaces7030038