Interfacial Charge Orchestration in TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ Heterojunctions for Coupled Redox Remediation and Electrochemical Charge Storage
Vijay Kumar; Sanjeev Kumar; Agraj Tripathi; Rekha M. M.; Kattela Chennakesavulu; Vrince Vimal; Subhashree Ray
1. Department of Physics, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India 2. Department of Basic Sciences & Humanities, Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology, Kanpur-209305, Uttar Pradesh, India. 3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, Karnataka, India. 4. Department of Chemistry, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. 5. Department of Electrical Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sharda School of Engineering and Sciences, Sharda University, Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, India. 6. Department of Biochemistry, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha-751003, India.
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Abstract
The rational construction of semiconductor heterojunctions offers an effective route to regulate interfacial charge transport and simultaneously address environmental and energy-related challenges. In this work, TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ heterojunction nanoparticles were developed as a multifunctional redox-active nanoplatform with emphasis on interfacial electronic coupling, pollutant remediation, and electrochemical charge storage. The formation of the coupled heterostructure was systematically investigated through structural, spectroscopic, morphological, and surface-sensitive characterization techniques to establish the relationship between phase integration, nanoscale architecture, and functional performance. The TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ interface is expected to facilitate directional charge migration, suppress rapid electron–hole recombination, and increase the availability of reactive surface sites, thereby promoting the generation of oxidative species during photocatalytic processes. The heterojunction was evaluated for water remediation through the degradation of antibiotic contaminants, providing insight into its ability to accelerate interfacial redox reactions and pollutant transformation. In parallel, its electrochemical behavior was examined for energy-storage applications, where the complementary redox activity and interfacial charge-transfer pathways of the two metal oxides are anticipated to improve ion accessibility and charge-storage kinetics. The combined environmental and electrochemical functionality highlights the importance of heterointerface engineering in controlling charge dynamics across oxide nanostructures. This study demonstrates TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ heterojunctions as a promising multifunctional platform for integrating photoredox remediation with electrochemical energy technologies through deliberately engineered interfacial charge-transfer processes.
Keywords: TiO₂–Fe₂O₃ heterostructure; Heterointerface engineering; Charge-transfer dynamics