Oxygen Vacancies Boost High‐Energy {100} Faceted TiO₂ for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

Abstract

Photocatalytic reaction takes place on the surface of the catalyst, the crystal plane engineering which can adjust and optimize the surface atomic ordering and electronic energy band structure has been widely studied, considering the microchemical environment changes caused by defects on different surfaces, the combination of crystal plane engineering and defect engineering is expected to become a promising strategy to greatly improve the performance of photocatalysis. In this paper, we introduce 2,2’‐Bipyridyl to induce oxygen vacancy in the synthesis of highly exposed {100} faceted TiO2 nanorods, and obtain oxygen‐rich TiO2 nanomaterials. Benefit from the synergistic effect of high‐energy crystal plane and oxygen vacancy, 96.8 % Rhodamine B (10 mg ⋅ L−1) is degraded after irradiation of 30 min in T100‐VO photocatalytic system. This study provides a new strategy and inspiration for low‐cost control of semiconductor oxides and the design of efficient photocatalysts for environmental purification.