Ga doped TiO2 with enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance benefited from rich oxygen vacancies

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely regarded as one of the most promising semiconductors among the various photocatalytic materials. In this demonstration, Ga-doped TiO2 with rich oxygen vacancies (OVs) was synthesized by a sol–gel method. Systematic characterization provides soild attest for the successful doping of Ga and the enhancement level of OVs. The large specific surface area provides richer surface-active sites for Ga/OVs-TiO2 samples through BET test. The photoelectric performance test shows that Ga doping and the existence of rich OVs can effectively improve the photogenerated carriers separation and migration efficiency of TiO2. The degradation results for rhodamine B (RhB) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) attest that the photocatalytic efficiency of Ga-doped TiO2 is better than that of the reference TiO2. The capture experiment further exhibits that hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical are the main active species in photocatalytic degradation. The synergistic effect of Ga doping and OVs significantly improves the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers, therefore boosting the photocatalytic performance. This work provides a reliable guide for utilization of Ga and a solid strategy of element doping to improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO2.