Probing the Electronic Structure and Photoactivation Process of Nitrogen-Doped TiO2 Using DRS, PL, and EPR

The electronic structure and photoactivation process in N-doped TiO2 is investigated. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) are employed to monitor the change of optical absorption ability and the formation of N species and defects in the heat- and photoinduced N-doped TiO2 catalyst. Under thermal treatment below 573 K in vacuum, no nitrogen dopant is removed from the doped samples but oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ states are formed to enhance the optical absorption in the visible-light region, especially at wavelengths above 500 nm with increasing temperature. In the photoactivation processes of N-doped TiO2, the DRS absorption and PL emission in the visible spectral region of 450700 nm increase with prolonged irradiation time. The EPR results reveal that paramagnetic nitrogen species (Ns.), oxygen vacancies with one electron (Vo.), and Ti3+ ions are produced with light irradiation and the intensity of Ns. species is dependent on the excitation light wavelength and power. The combined characterization results confirm that the energy level of doped N species is localized above the valence band of TiO2 corresponding to the main absorption band at 410 nm of N-doped TiO2, but oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ states as defects contribute to the visible-light absorption above 500 nm in the overall absorption of the doped samples. Thus, a detailed picture of the electronic structure of N-doped TiO2 is proposed and discussed. On the other hand, the transfer of charge carriers between nitrogen species and defects is reversible on the catalyst surface. The presence of oxygen-vacancy-related defects leads to quenching of paramagnetic Ns. species but they stabilize the active nitrogen species Ns-.