Mo-doped titania films: Preparation, characterization and application for splitting water

A series of Mo-doped TiO₂ films are prepared on quartz substrate by the layer-by-layer assembly method. The films are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scan electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectrophotometry. The results show that TiO₂ phase transformation from anatase to rutile is promoted with higher dopant concentration. The surface oxygen vacancies (SOVs) of Mo-doped TiO₂ films bind photoinduced electrons to further give rise to new photoluminescence (PL) signals, and the intensities of PL signals are in proportion to SOVs content of the films. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ film is evaluated by measuring H₂ evolution from water and the effects of SOVs of Mo-doped TiO₂ films on photocatalytic processes are investigated along with their inherent relationships.