Electronic Conductivity and Stability of Doped Titania (Ti1−XMXO2, M = Nb, Ru, and Ta)—A Density Functional Theory-Based Comparison

The structure, electrical conductivity, and stability of Nb-, Ru-, and Ta-doped titania were compared by density functional theory. Both anatase and rutile structures were investigated. Doping causes lattice expansion in all cases. The mechanism by which Ru-doping induces electrical conductivity in titania differs from those by Ta- and Nb-doping. Ru-doping fills the titania band gap primarily with its own d-electrons. On the other hand, Ta- and Nb-doping shift the Fermi level to the originally unfilled conduction states. Substitution free energy calculations indicate that a uniform Ti0.75M0.25O2 solution is favorable for Nb- and Ta-doping but unfavorable for Ru-doping. In addition, we also considered the effect of dopant concentration on the electrical conductivity of doped titania in the rutile phase. For Nb- and Ta-doping, increasing dopant concentration above mole fractions of 0.0625 and 0.125, respectively, gives diminished increment in Fermi level electron density. On the other hand, electron density at the Fermi level of Ru-doped rutile is more linearly dependent on Ru mole fraction.