A Comparative Investigation of Optimizing Fe- and N-Doped TiO2 Photoanodes A Comparative Investigation of Optimizing Fe- and N-Doped

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials Vol. 54; no. 10; pp. 8910 - 8919
• Main Authors: Mir, Arshid, Hassan, Asmat, Alfarhan, Ahmed H., Shakoor, Abdul, Masood, Khalid bin, Yousuf, Saleem, Ahmad, Masroor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.10.2025
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Electronics and Microelectronics; Energy Materials; Energy Storage; Instrumentation; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Original Research Article; Solid State Physics; electrochemical anodization; photocurrent density; TiO; and Fe-doping; nanotube
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-025-12214-w

TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) doped with equal concentrations of nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) were fabricated by a two-step anodization technique and were subjects of a comparative investigation under identical conditions. Structural investigations carried out using XRD spectra and WH analysis revealed changes in grain size and lattice strain caused by lattice distortion, confirming the successful incorporation of dopants into the TiO 2 lattice. Elemental composition/mapping and EDX spectra revealed the successful incorporation of N and Fe atoms into the lattice. FESEM images revealed that the doped samples retained their tubular morphology, except for the wall thickness, which appeared different from that of the pristine sample. A redshift in absorption spectra and hence a reduction in bandgap in doped samples, more evident in the Fe-doped sample, was unveiled in optical studies. Photoelectrochemical studies revealed the enhancement in photocurrent densities in the doped samples. – and Fe-doped samples exhibited 3.2-fold and 1.8-fold enhancement, respectively, in photocurrent densities in comparison to the pristine sample. Comparative investigations propose that nitrogen is a more efficient dopant than Fe for TiO 2 photoanodes.