Band-Gap States of TiO₂(110): Major Contribution from Surface Defects

Abstract

Many physical and chemical processes on TiO2 surface are linked to the excess electrons originated from band gap states. However, the sources (surface and/or subsurface defects) of these states are controversial. We present quantitative ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) measurements on the band gap states of TiO2(110) with constant subsurface defect density and varied surface bridging hydroxyls (ObrH) prepared through photocatalyzed splitting of methanol, in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results clearly suggest both surface and subsurface defects contribute to the band gap states, whereas the contribution of subsurface defects corresponds to that of only 1.9% monolayer ObrH at the current bulk reduction level. As the surface defect concentration is usually much larger than 1.9% monolayer in real studies and applications, our work demonstrates the importance of surface defects in changing the electronic structure of TiO2, which dictates the surface chemistry.