Observation of inherited plasmonic properties of TiN in titanium oxynitride (TiOxNy) for solar-drive photocatalytic applications

Mithun Prakash Ravikumar; Toan-Anh Quach; Bharagav Urupalli; Mamatha Kumari Murikinati; Shankar Muthukonda Venkatakrishnan; Trong-On Do; Sakar Mohan

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.115961

Observation of inherited plasmonic properties of TiN in titanium oxynitride (TiO_xN_y) for solar-drive photocatalytic applications

Environ Res. 2023 Jul 15:229:115961. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115961. Epub 2023 Apr 21.

Authors

Mithun Prakash Ravikumar¹, Toan-Anh Quach², Bharagav Urupalli³, Mamatha Kumari Murikinati³, Shankar Muthukonda Venkatakrishnan³, Trong-On Do², Sakar Mohan⁴

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Kanakapura, Bangalore, Karnataka, 562112, India.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, Laval University, 1065 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC G1V0A6, Canada.
³ Nanocatalysis and Solar Fuels Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, 516005, Andhra Pradesh, India.
⁴ Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Jain Global Campus, Kanakapura, Bangalore, Karnataka, 562112, India. Electronic address: m.sakar@jainuniversity.ac.in.

PMID: 37086885
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115961

Abstract

This study demonstrates the synthesis of titanium oxynitride (TiO_xN_y) via a controlled step-annealing of commercial titanium nitride (TiN) powders under normal ambience. The structure of the formed TiO_xN_y system is confirmed via XRD, Rietveld refinements, XPS, Raman, and HRTEM analysis. A distinct plasmonic band corresponding to TiN is observed in the absorption spectrum of TiO_xN_y, indicating that the surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) property of TiN is being inherited in the resulting TiO_xN_y system. The prerequisites such as reduced band gap energy, suitable band edge positions, reduced recombination, and enhanced carrier-lifetime manifested by the TiO_xN_y system are investigated using Mott-Schottky, XPS, time-resolved and steady-state PL spectroscopy techniques. The obtained TiO_xN_y photocatalyst is found to degrade around 98% of 10 ppm rhodamine B dye in 120 min and produce H₂ at a rate of ∼1546 μmolg^-1h^-1 under solar light irradiation along with consistent recycle abilities. The results of cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, electrochemical impedance and photocurrent studies suggest that this evolved TiO_xN_y system could be functioning via plasmonic Ohmic interface rather than the typical plasmonic Schottky interface due to their amalgamated band structures in the oxynitride phase.

Keywords: Metal nitrides; Metal oxynitrides; Ohmic interface; Photocatalysis; Schottky interface; Surface plasmon resonance.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Light*
Sunlight
Titanium* / chemistry

Substances

Titanium
titanium nitride