1 research outputs found
Room-Temperature Synthesis of Iron-Doped Anatase TiO<sub>2</sub> for Lithium-Ion Batteries and Photocatalysis
Iron-doped
nanocrystalline particles of anatase TiO<sub>2</sub> (denoted <i>x</i>% Fe-TiO<sub>2</sub>, with <i>x</i> the nominal
[Fe] atom % in solution) have been successfully synthesized at room
temperature by a controlled two-step process. Hydrolysis of titanium
isopropoxide is first achieved to precipitate TiĀ(OH)<sub>4</sub> species.
A fine control of the pH allows one to maintain (i) soluble iron species
and (ii) a sluggish solubility of TiĀ(OH)<sub>4</sub> to promote a
dissolution and condensation of titanium clusters incorporating iron,
leading to the precipitation of iron-doped anatase TiO<sub>2</sub>. The pH does then influence both the nature and crystallinity of
the final phase. After 2 months of aging at pH = 2, well-dispersed
nanocrystalline iron-doped TiO<sub>2</sub> particles have been achieved,
leading to 5ā6 nm particle size and offering a high surface
area of ca. 280 m<sup>2</sup>/g. This dissolution/recrystallization
process allows the incorporation of a dopant concentration of up to
7.7 atom %; the successful incorporation of iron in the structure
is demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission
electron microscopy, and MoĢssbauer spectroscopy. This entails
optical-band-gap narrowing from 3.05 to 2.30 eV. The pros and cons
effects of doping on the electrochemical properties of TiO<sub>2</sub> versus lithium are herein discussed. We reveal that doping improves
the power rate capability of the electrode but, in turn, deserves
the electrolyte stability, leading to early formation of SEI. Finally,
we highlight a beneficial effect of low iron introduction into the
anatase lattice for photocatalytic applications under standard AM1.5G
visible-light illumination