Near-infrared-active upconverting niobium-doped black titanium dioxide photocatalysts

Black titanium dioxide is a broadband-absorbing photocatalyst characterized by integration of atomic hydrogen within the outer layers of anatase nanomaterials. In addition to is broad absorbance of visible to near-infrared light, the material has some intrinsic upconversion ability, which is greatly enhanced by the addition of a niobium oxide shell. This yields a highly active photocatalyst as demonstrated in photodegradation experiments.