Influence of gas atmosphere and temperature on the conductivity and the photoconductivity of a TiO2 single crystal in the surface region

The electrical photoconductivity and conductivity at (and near) the surface of a TiO2 single crystal (rutile) was studied in a range of temperatures between 300 and 573 K and under different ambient gases (oxygen and nitrogen) by means of impedance spectroscopy. The long times required (many hours) to reach steady state photoconductivity can be explained by the reduction of the material upon illumination. At about 475 K a maximum is observed in the equilibrium photoconductivity and a minimum in the rate constants of the rise and decay after switching on and off, respectively, the light. After switching off the light a fast decay takes place during the first milliseconds followed by a slow exponential decay. The first one is related to recombination through defects, while the latter is due to re-oxidation processes of the material. The results are correlated with measurements of photocatalytic activity.