Energy-Level Matching of Fe(III) Ions Grafted at Surface and Doped in Bulk for Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalysts

Photocatalytic reaction rate (R) is determined by the multiplication of light absorption capability (alpha) and quantum efficiency (QE); however, these two parameters generally have trade-off relations. Thus, increasing a without decreasing QE remains a challenging issue for developing efficient photocatalysts with high R. Herein, using Fe(III) ions grafted Fe(III) doped TiO2 as a model system, we present a novel method for developing visible-light photocatalysts with efficient R, utilizing the concept of energy level matching between surface-grafted Fe(III) ions as co-catalysts and bulk-doped Fe(III) ions as visible-light absorbers. Photogenerated electrons in the doped Fe(III) states under visible-light efficiently transfer to the surface grafted Fe(III) ions co-catalysts, as the doped Fe(III) ions in bulk produced energy levels below the conduction band of TiO2, which match well with the potential of Fe3+Fe2+ redox couple in the surface grafted Fe(III) ions. Electrons in the surface grafted Fe(III) ions efficiently cause multielectron reduction of adsorbed oxygen molecules to achieve high QE value. Consequently, the present Fe(III)-FexTi1-xO2 nanocomposites exhibited the highest visible-light R among the previously reported photocatalysts for decomposition of gaseous organic compounds. The high R can proceed even under commercial white-light emission diode irradiation and is very stable for long-term use, making it practically useful. Further, this efficient method could be applied in other wide-band gap semiconductors, including ZnO or SrTiO3, and may be potentially applicable for other photocatalysis systems, such as water splitting, CO2 reduction, NOx removal, and dye decomposition. Thus, this method represents a strategic approach to develop new visible-light active photocatalysts for practical uses.