Mechanistic Understanding in Manipulating Energetics of TiO2 for Photocatalysis

Titaniumdioxide (TiO2) is a wide bandgap semiconductorthat has a wide range of applications including wastewater treatment,photocatalysis, solar cells, and sensors owing to its excellent electronicand optical properties. However, the wide bandgap of TiO2 (similar to 3.2 eV) along with the recombination processes of the photoexcitedcharge carriers reduce its interfacial charge transport propertiesand respective activities. Energetics, optical response, and correspondingphotophysics of excited charge carriers can be altered through dopingand codoping of TiO2 and composite formulation(.) Therefore, it is very crucial to understand the structure-propertyand property-application relationships of doped, co-doped, and compositeTiO(2) to maximize the efficiency and extend the fundamentalunderstanding for their applications in different fields. In thisPerspective, we summarize the ongoing research on the advancementof undoped, doped, co-doped, and composite TiO2 includingtheir structure and morphology, energetics, and corresponding photophysicsrelative to their applications in photocatalysis, wastewater treatment,and water-splitting reactions. We then propose our perspectives onthe future potential of energetic manipulation of photocatalytic TiO2 to develop advanced and highly efficacious catalytic materials.