Chemical Activity of Photoinduced Ti3+ Centers in Titanium Oxide Gels

• Published in: The journal of physical chemistry. B Vol. 110; no. 1; pp. 435 - 441
• Main Authors: Kuznetsov, A. I, Kameneva, O, Alexandrov, A, Bityurin, N, Chhor, K, Kanaev, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 12.01.2006
• ISSN: 1520-6106; 1520-5207
• DOI: 10.1021/jp0559581

We report on the chemical activity of trapped electrons in wet titanium oxide gels. These electrons are generated under the band gap irradiation of gels in the spectral range between 3.25 and 4.4 eV and stored as Ti3+ centers that absorb in the visible. Chemical processes in photoirradiated gels are generally similar to those earlier reported in TiO2 colloids; however, peculiarities exist. In particular, a high internal surface of gels strongly enhances interface reactions. Measurements of UV−visible absorption kinetics allow conclusions to be made about extremely high available traps concentration and the activity of all trapped electrons toward nitrate and nitrite anion reduction according to a heterogeneous photocatalytic mechanism.