Mechanism and behaviors of Cr3+-doped TiO2

TiO2 powder and TiO2 thin film on the surface of glazed ceramic tile were prepared by sol-gel method. The influences of different doping Cr3+ concentration on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 were discussed, UV-visible and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to test the performance of TiO2 powder and film. The results indicate that photocatalytic activity of doping Cr3+-TiO2 thin film is higher than that of powder, and the interaction between Cr3+-doped and substrate can greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity. The results of X-ray diffraction and photoabsorption show that the Cr3+-doped energy level in TiO2 is 0.62 eV high from the top of valence band, which belongs to the type of deep energy level doping. On the basis of the semiconductor energy level theory and Cr3+ dopant energy level, the semiconductor energy level model of Cr3+ in TiO2 powder and thin film were established, and the doping mechanisms of Cr3+-doped in TiO2 powder and thin film were analyzed.