Engineering the Electronic Structure towards Visible Lights Photocatalysis of CaTiO₃ Perovskites by Cation...

Cation-anion co-doping has proven to be an effective method of improving the photocatalytic performances of CaTiO₃ perovskites. In this regard, (La/Ce-N/S) co-doped CaTiO₃ models were investigated for the first time using first-principles calculations based on a supercell of 2 × 2 × 2 with La/Ce concentrations of 0.125, 0.25, and 0.375. The energy band structure, density of states, charge differential density, electron-hole effective masses, optical properties, and the water redox potential were calculated for various models. According to our results, (La-S)-doped CaTiO₃ with a doping ratio of 0.25 (LCOS1-0.25) has superior photocatalytic hydrolysis properties due to the synergistic performances of its narrow band gap, fast carrier mobility, and superb ability to absorb visible light. Apart from the reduction of the band gap, the introduction of intermediate energy levels by La and Ce within the band gap also facilitates the transition of excited electrons from valence to the conduction band. Our calculations and findings provide theoretical insights and solid predictions for discovering CaTiO₃ perovskites with excellent photocatalysis performances.