Manipulating spin polarization of titanium dioxide for efficient photocatalysis

Lun Pan, Minhua Ai, Chenyu Huang, Li Yin, Xiang Liu, Rongrong Zhang, Songbo Wang, Zheng Jiang, Xiangwen Zhang, Ji-Jun Zou () and Wenbo Mi ()
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Lun Pan: Tianjin University
Minhua Ai: Tianjin University
Chenyu Huang: Tianjin University
Li Yin: Tianjin University
Xiang Liu: Tianjin University
Rongrong Zhang: Tianjin University
Songbo Wang: Tianjin University
Zheng Jiang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiangwen Zhang: Tianjin University
Ji-Jun Zou: Tianjin University
Wenbo Mi: Tianjin University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Photocatalysis has been regarded as a promising strategy for hydrogen production and high-value-added chemicals synthesis, in which the activity of photocatalyst depends significantly on their electronic structures, however the effect of electron spin polarization has been rarely considered. Here we report a controllable method to manipulate its electron spin polarization by tuning the concentration of Ti vacancies. The characterizations confirm the emergence of spatial spin polarization among Ti-defected TiO2, which promotes the efficiency of charge separation and surface reaction via the parallel alignment of electron spin orientation. Specifically, Ti0.936O2, possessing intensive spin polarization, performs 20-fold increased photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and 8-fold increased phenol photodegradation rates, compared with stoichiometric TiO2. Notably, we further observed the positive effect of external magnetic fields on photocatalytic activity of spin-polarized TiO2, attributed to the enhanced electron-spin parallel alignment. This work may create the opportunity for tailoring the spin-dependent electronic structures in metal oxides.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14333-w

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