Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO2 through C, N, and F codoping

The electronic and optical properties of pure, C-doped, (C, F)-codoped, (C, N)-codoped, and (C, N, F)-codoped anatase TiO2 are investigated by using density functional theory (DFT). The results indicate that elemental doping creates a much more efficient and stable photocatalyst than pristine, which narrows the band gap of TiO2 and realizes its visible light response activity. With the incorporation of F into (C, N)-codoped TiO2, strong visible light absorption and photocatalytic activity are further increased. It also verifies the reliability of our calculations for good agreement with the experimental results in the optical absorption of (C, N)-codoped and (C, N, F)-codoped.