Band structure engineering of TiO2 nanowires by n–p codoping for enhanced visible-light photoelectrochemical water-splitting

The advantages of one-dimensional nanostructures, such as excellent charge separation and charge transport, low charge carrier recombination losses and so on, render them the photocatalysts of choice for many applications that exploit solar energy. In this work, based on very recently synthesized ultrathin anatase TiO2 nanowires, we explore the possibility of these wires as photocatalysts for photoelectrochemical water-splitting via the mono-doping (C, N, V, and Cr) and n-p codoping (C&V, C&Cr, N&V, and N&Cr) schemes. Our first-principles calculations predict that the C&Cr and C&V codoped ANWs may be strong candidates for photoelectrochemical water-splitting, because they have a substantially reduced band gap of 2.49 eV, appropriate band edge positions, no carrier recombination centers, and enhanced optical absorption in the visible light region.