Abstract
Colored titanium oxides are usually unstable in the atmosphere. Herein, a gray rutile titanium dioxide is synthesized by two-step calcination successively in a high-temperature reduction atmosphere and in a lower-temperature air atmosphere. The as-synthesized gray rutile TiO(2) exhibits higher photocatalytic activity than that of white rutile TiO(2) and shows high chemical stability. This is attributed to interior oxygen vacancies, which can improve the separation and transmission efficiency of the photogenerated carriers. Most notably, a formed surface passivation layer will protect the interior oxygen vacancies and provide long-term photocatalytic activity.