Ti-dopant-enhanced photocatalytic activity of a CaFe2O4/MgFe2O4 bulk heterojunction under visible-light irradiation

The effect substitution of Ti4+ at the Fe3+ site in a CaFe2O4-MgFe2O4 bulk hetero-junction (BH) lattice photocatalyst was explored and the Ti ion concentration was optimized to fabricate an efficient photocatalyst. A BH consisting of an optimum dopant concentration (Ti+4) level of x = 0.03 exhibited an increased band gap and generated a 1.5 times higher photocurrent. The newly fabricated Ti ion doped photocatalyst showed an enhanced quantum yield (up to ∼13.3%) for photodecomposition of a H2O-CH3OH mixture, as compared to its undoped BH counterpart under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm). In contrast, the material doped with a very high Ti-dopant concentration displayed deteriorated photochemical properties. An efficient charge-separation induced by Ti-ion doping seems to be responsible for the higher photocatalytic activity in a doped bulk BH.