Effect of cobalt implantation on structural and optical properties of rutile TiO sub(2)(110)

Photo-absorption properties of Co implantation in rutile TiO sub(2)(110) have been investigated. Nearly five times enhancement in absorbance of visible light and 1.7 times increase in UV light have been observed. Formation of crystalline CoTiO sub(3) and Ti sub(1-x )Co sub( x )O sub(2) phases at high and low fluences, respectively, demonstrates a crucial role in increasing the photo-absorbance, especially in the visible regime. Ti-rich nanostructures and Ti super(3+) vacancies that develop after ion implantation also reveal significant contribution in these observations. These Co implanted rutile TiO sub(2) surfaces will be useful for visible light photo-catalysis.