Titanium
dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals are one of the
most promising materials for modern photocatalysis applications, having
unique properties such as a huge specific surface area and affordability
of synthesis. However, the facile fabrication of TiO2-based
photocatalysts active in regular daylight remains a major challenge.
In this work, aiming to create such a nanocrystalline material by
a very simple technology, we provide a detailed analysis of the paramagnetic
centers (PCs) and their photoinduced reactions in N- and Nb-codoped
TiO2 nanocrystals. The resulting powders show a surface
area up to 170 m2/g and an intense visible-light photocatalysis
of rhodamine 6G with reaction rate k = 0.087 min–1. Ti3+, N•, and O2
– PCs are observed and studied using electron
paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. We also present a new approach
to the study of photoinduced processes in nanocrystalline photocatalystsa
simple theoretical model of kinetics of these PCs, which well predicts
their behavior and variations of their concentration under illumination.
Our results indicate that the obtained Nb–N–TiO2 nanocrystals with a high concentration of PCs on the sample
surface can be used in cutting-edge industries, paving the way for
the most advanced photocatalytic systems operating in sunlight.