Low temperature synthesis of polyaniline-crystalline TiO2-halloysite composite nanotubes with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cuiping; Wang, Jie; Guo, Hong; Ding, Shujiang

2015-11-15

A series of one-dimensional polyaniline-crystalline TiO2-halloysite composite nanotubes with different mass ratio of polyaniline to TiO2 are facilely prepared by employing the low-temperature synthesis of crystalline TiO2 on halloysite nanotubes. The halloysite nanotubes can adsorb TiO2/polyaniline precursors and induce TiO2 nanocrystals/polyaniline to grow on the support in situ simultaneously. By simply adjusting the acidity of reaction system, PANI-crystalline TiO2-HA composite nanotubes composed of anatase, a mixed phase TiO2 and different PANI redox state are obtained. The XRD and UV-vis results show that the surface polyaniline sensitization has no effect on the crystalline structure of halloysite and TiO2 and the light response of TiO2 is extended to visible-light regions. Photocatalysis test results reveal the photocatalytic activity will be affected by the pH value and the volume ratio of ANI to TTIP. The highest photocatalytic activity is achieved with the composite photocatalysts prepared at pH 0.5 and 1% volume ratio of ANI and TTIP owing to the sensitizing effect of polyaniline and the charge transfer from the photoexcited PANI sensitizer to TiO2. Moreover, the PANI-TiO2-HA composite nanotubes synthesized by one-step at pH 0.5 with 1% volume ratio of ANI to TTIP exhibit higher visible light photocatalytic activity than those synthesized by the two-step. Heterogeneous PANI-TiO2-HA composite nanotubes prepared at pH 0.5 exhibit a higher degradation activity than that prepared at pH 1.5. The redoped experiment proves that the PANI redox state plays the main contribution to the enhanced visible light catalytic degradation efficiency of PANI-TiO2-HA prepared at pH 0.5. Furthermore, the heterogeneous PANI-crystalline TiO2-HA nanotubes have good photocatalytic stability and can be reused four times with only gradual loss of activity under visible light irradiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photo-electrocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotubes prepared with two-step anodization and treated under UV light irradiation

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Mohamad Mohsen Momeni

2016-01-01

Full Text Available To improve the photo-catalytic degradation of salicylic acid, we reported the fabrication of ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays by a simple and effective two-step anodization method and then these TiO2 nanotubes treated in a methanol solution under UV light irradiation. The TiO2 nanotubes prepared in the two-step anodization process showed better photo-catalytic activity than TiO2 nanotubes prepared in one-step anodization process. Also, compared with TiO2 nanotubes without the UV pretreatment, the TiO2 nanotubes pretreated in a methanol solution under UV light irradiation exhibited significant enhancements in both photocurrent and activity. The treated TiO2 nanotubes exhibited a 5-fold enhancement in photocurrent and a 2.5-fold increase in the photo-catalytic degradation of salicylic acid. Also the effect of addition of persulfate and periodate on the photo-catalytic degradation of salicylic acid were investigated. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of salicylic acid increased with increasing persulfate and periodate concentrations. These treated TiO2 nanotubes are promising candidates for practical photochemical reactors.

Efficient silver modification of TiO2 nanotubes with enhanced photocatalytic activity

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Huang, Jing; Ding, Lei; Xi, Yaoning; Shi, Liang; Su, Ge; Gao, Rongjie; Wang, Wei; Dong, Bohua; Cao, Lixin

2018-06-01

In this paper, Ag(CH3NH2)2+, Ag(NH3)2+ and Ag+ with different radii have been used as silver sources to find out the distribution of Ag ions on the H-TNT surface, which is critical to the final performance. The influence of this distribution on visible photocatalytic activity is further studied. The results indicate that, when Ag+ used as silver source with low concentration, these small sized silver ions mainly distribute on interlayer spacing of H-TNT. After heat-treatment and photo-reduction, the generated silver nanoparticles uniformly embed in the anatase TiO2 nanotube walls, and bring large interfacial area between Ag particles and TiO2 nanotubes. The separation effect of photogenerated electron-hole pair in TiO2 is enhanced by Ag particles, and achieves the best at 0.15 g/L, much higher than P25, TiO2/0, Ag-N@TiO2 and Ag-C-N@TiO2. This paper provides new ideas for the modification of TiO2 nanotubes.

Double-walled ZrO{sub 2} nanotube array. Preparation and enhanced photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xue, Chaorui; Hu, Shengliang; Chang, Qing; Wang, Yanzhong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan (China); Yang, Jinlong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan (China); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

2017-11-15

This work demonstrates the formation of self-ordered double-walled ZrO{sub 2} nanotube array via electrochemical anodization in glycerol-based electrolyte. Compared with its counterpart of single-walled ZrO{sub 2} nanotube array, the tube wall of double-walled ZrO{sub 2} nanotube split into outer and inner layers for the decomposition of glycerol during anodization process. Moreover, the double-walled structure showed its advantage of achieving improved utilization of light and higher specific surface area of nanotube array. Due to the unique double-walled structure, the double-walled ZrO{sub 2} nanotube array exhibited better photocatalytic activity than the single-walled ZrO{sub 2} nanotube array. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

High quantum yield graphene quantum dots decorated TiO_2 nanotubes for enhancing photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qu, Ailan; Xie, Haolong; Xu, Xinmei; Zhang, Yangyu; Wen, Shengwu; Cui, Yifan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • High concentration yellow GQDs and TiO_2 nanotubes were achieved by a simple and green method. • High quantum yield GQDs enhanced the photodegradation capacity of TiO_2 nanotube. • The catalytic performance of GQDs/TiO_2 depends on the GQDs loading. • The improved photocatalytic activity of GQDs/TiO_2 was attributed to three aspects. - Abstract: Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with high quantum yield (about 23.6% at an excitation wavelength of 320 nm) and GQDs/TiO_2 nanotubes (GQDs/TiO_2 NTs) composites were achieved by a simple hydrothermal method at low temperature. Photoluminescence characterization showed that the GQDs exhibited the down-conversion PL features at excitation from 300 to 420 nm and up-conversion photoluminescence in the range of 600–800 nm. The photocatalytic activity of prepared GQDs/TiO_2 NTs composites on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) was significantly enhanced compared with that of pure TiO_2 nanotubes (TiO_2 NTs). For the composites coupling with 1.5%, 2.5% and 3.5% GQDs, the degradation of MO after 20 min irradiation under UV–vis light irradiation (λ = 380–780 nm) were 80.52%, 94.64% and 51.91%, respectively, which are much higher than that of pure TiO_2 NTs (35.41%). It was inferred from the results of characterization that the improved photocatalytic activity of the GQDs/TiO_2 NTs composites was attributed to the synergetic effect of up-conversion properties of the GQDs, enhanced visible light absorption and efficient separation of photogenerated electron-holes of the GQDs/TiO_2 composite.

Amorphous and crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays for enhanced Li-ion intercalation properties.

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Guan, Dongsheng; Cai, Chuan; Wang, Ying

2011-04-01

We have employed a simple process of anodizing Ti foils to prepare TiO2 nanotube arrays which show enhanced electrochemical properties for applications as Li-ion battery electrode materials. The lengths and pore diameters of TiO2 nanotubes can be finely tuned by varying voltage, electrolyte composition, or anodization time. The as-prepared nanotubes are amorphous and can be converted into anatase nanotubes with heat treatment at 480 degrees C. Rutile crystallites emerge in the anatase nanotube when the annealing temperature is increased to 580 degrees C, resulting in TiO2 nanotubes of mixed phases. The morphological features of nanotubes remain unchanged after annealing. Li-ion insertion performance has been studied for amorphous and crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays. Amorphous nanotubes with a length of 3.0 microm and an outer diameter of 125 nm deliver a capacity of 91.2 microA h cm(-2) at a current density of 400 microA cm(-2), while those with a length of 25 microm and an outer diameter of 158 nm display a capacity of 533 microA h cm-2. When the 3-microm long nanotubes become crystalline, they deliver lower capacities: the anatase nanotubes and nanotubes of mixed phases show capacities of 53.8 microA h cm-2 and 63.1 microA h cm(-2), respectively at the same current density. The amorphous nanotubes show excellent capacity retention ability over 50 cycles. The cycled nanotubes show little change in morphology compared to the nanotubes before electrochemical cycling. All the TiO2 nanotubes demonstrate higher capacities than amorphous TiO2 compact layer reported in literature. The amorphous TiO2 nanotubes with a length of 1.9 microm exhibit a capacity five times higher than that of TiO2 compact layer even when the nanotube array is cycled at a current density 80 times higher than that for the compact layer. These results suggest that anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays are promising electrode materials for rechargeable Li-ion batteries.

Deposition of copper indium sulfide on TiO2 nanotube arrays and its application for photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous IPA

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Young Ku

2016-09-01

Full Text Available TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTs were modified with copper indium sulfide (Cu/In/S by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR method. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrated the presence of copper indium sulfide nanoparticles on the surface of the modified TNTs. The Cu/In/S-modified TNTs exhibited higher photocurrent density and photocatalytic activity than plain TNTs. The concentration of sulfur precursor was found to be an important factor on the composition of modified Cu/In/S films by SILAR. Some composition deviations were observed on the stoichiometry of the Cu/In/S-modified TNTs, which evidently affected the electrochemical characteristics of the modified TNTs. Experiments using the modified TNTs of composition close to the stoichiometric ratio of CuInS2 usually delivered higher photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous isopropyl alcohol in air streams and exhibited better stability during operation.

A bamboo-inspired hierarchical nanoarchitecture of Ag/CuO/TiO_2 nanotube array for highly photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xuhong; Wang, Longlu; Liu, Chengbin; Ding, Yangbin; Zhang, Shuqu; Zeng, Yunxiong; Liu, Yutang; Luo, Shenglian

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Bamboo-like architecture of ternary photocatalyst. • High simulated solar light photocatalytic activity. • Integration of p-n heterojunction and Schottky junction. • Excellent stable recycling performance. - Abstract: The optimized geometrical configuration of muitiple active materials into hierarchical nanoarchitecture is essential for the creation of photocatalytic degradation system that can mimic natural photosynthesis. A bamboo-like architecture, CuO nanosheets and Ag nanoparticles co-decorated TiO_2 nanotube arrays (Ag/CuO/TiO_2), was fabricated by using simple solution-immersion and electrodeposition process. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) photocatalytic degradation rate over Ag/CuO/TiO_2 was about 2.0, 1.5 and 1.2 times that over TiO_2 nanotubes, CuO/TiO_2 and Ag/TiO_2, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ternary Ag/CuO/TiO_2 photocatalyst was ascribed to improved light absorption, reduced carrier recombination and more exposed active sites. Moreover, the excellent stability and reliability of the Ag/CuO/TiO_2 photocatalyst demonstrated a promising application for organic pollutant removal from water.

Enhanced photoelectrocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by CuInS2 nanoparticles deposition onto TiO2 nanotube arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Ronghua; Liu Yutang; Liu Chengbin; Luo Shenglian; Teng Yarong; Yang Lixia; Yang Renbin; Cai Qingyun

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The photocatalytic application of CuInS 2 with a direct band gap of about 1.5 eV and a high absorption coefficient remains unknown. → We describe an impulse electrodeposition approach to deposit CuInS 2 nanoparticles in uniform size of about 20 nm onto the top surface of the highly oriented TiO 2 NT arrays while minimizing the clogging of the tube entrances. → The novel photocatalyst exhibits a highly visible-light photocatalytic degradation activity for the target organic pollutant. → Moreover, the stability of the modified TiO 2 NT is good. → Therefore, CuInS 2 nanoparticles modified TiO 2 NT photocatalysts have potential utility in practical purification of organic wastewater. - Abstract: Surface modification of TiO 2 nanotube (NT) arrays with CuInS 2 nanoparticles (NPs) for photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was reported. A pulse electrodeposition technique was used to prepare the CuInS 2 NPs, and the resulted CuInS 2 NPs, with a uniform size of about 20 nm, were found to deposit on the top surface of the highly oriented TiO 2 NT while without clogging the tube entrances. Compared with the unmodified TiO 2 NT, the CuInS 2 NPs modified TiO 2 NT (CuInS 2 -TiO 2 NT) showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity towards 2,4-D under visible light. After 160 min irradiation, the removal rate of 2,4-D is 100% by using CuInS 2 -TiO 2 NT, much higher than 65.2% by using the unmodified TiO 2 NT in photoelectrocatalytic process. The increased photodegradation efficiency mainly results from the improved photocurrent density as results of enhanced visible-light absorption and decreased hole-electron recombination due to the presence of narrow-band-gap p-type semiconductor CuInS 2 .

Synthesis and photocatalytic properties of Sn-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu Yafang; Huang Shengyou [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Sang Jianping, E-mail: jpsang@acc-lab.whu.edu.c [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Department of Physics, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China); Zou Xianwu [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China)

2009-08-12

TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays doped by Sn up to 12 at% have been prepared using template-based liquid phase deposition method. Their morphologies, structures and optical properties have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic properties of the samples were evaluated with the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The result shows that doping an appropriate amount of Sn can effectively improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays, and the optimum dopant amount is found to be 5.6 at% in our experiments.

Self-Assembled TiO2 Nanotube Arrays with U-Shaped Profile by Controlling Anodization Temperature

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Jingfei Chen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available TiO2 nanotube arrays with uniform diameter from top to bottom were fabricated. The synthesizing approach is based on the investigation of the influence of electrolyte temperature on the tube diameter. We found that the inner diameter of the tubes increased with the electrolyte temperature. Accordingly, we improved the tube profile from the general V shape to U shape by raising the electrolyte temperature gradually. This is a simple and fast approach to fabricate uniform TiO2 nanotubes in diameter. The improved TiO2 nanotube arrays may show better properties and have broad potential applications.

Guided proliferation and bone-forming functionality on highly ordered large diameter TiO2 nanotube arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Ruopeng; Wu, Hongliu; Ni, Jiahua; Zhao, Changli; Chen, Yifan; Zheng, Chengjunyi; Zhang, Xiaonong

2015-01-01

The significantly enhanced osteoblast adhesion, proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were observed on TiO 2 nanotube surface in recent studies in which the scale of nanotube diameter was restricted under 100 nm. In this paper, a series of highly ordered TiO 2 nanotube arrays with larger diameters ranging from 150 nm to 470 nm were fabricated via high voltage anodization. The behaviors of MC3T3-E1 cells in response to the diameter-controlled TiO 2 nanotubes were investigated. A contrast between the trend of proliferation and the trend of cell elongation was observed. The highest cell elongation (nearly 10:1) and the lowest cell number were observed on the TiO 2 nanotube arrays with 150 nm diameter. While, the lowest cell elongation and highest cell number were achieved on the TiO 2 nanotube arrays with 470 nm diameter. Furthermore, the ALP activity peaked on the 150 nm diameter TiO 2 nanotube arrays and decreased dramatically with the increase of nanotube diameter. Thus a narrow range of diameter (100–200 nm) that could induce the greatest bone-forming activity is determined. It is expected that more delicate design of orthopedic implant with regional abduction of cell proliferation or bone forming could be achieved by controlling the diameter of TiO 2 nanotubes. - Highlights: • Improved anodization methods leading to more ordered large diameter TiO 2 nanotubes • Significantly enhanced ALP activity was observed on 150 nm diameter TiO 2 nanotubes. • The highest cell density was observed on 470 nm diameter TiO 2 nanotube arrays. • Similar cell response was observed on the amorphous and anatase phased nanotube surface

Preparation of Fe-Doped TiO2 Nanotubes and Their Photocatalytic Activities under Visible Light

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Honghui Teng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Fe-doped TiO2 nanotubes (Fe-TNTs have been prepared by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal method. The structure and composition of the as-prepared TiO2 nanotubes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of MO under visible light. The UV-visible absorption spectra of the Fe-TNT showed a red shift and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region compared to the pure TNT. The Fe-TNTs were provided with good photocatalytic activities and photostability and under visible light irradiation, and the optimum molar ratio of Ti : Fe was found to be 100 : 1 in our experiments.

Influence of anodization parameters on the morphology of TiO 2 nanotube arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Omidvar, Hamid; Goodarzi, Saba; Seif, Ahmad; Azadmehr, Amir R.

2011-07-01

TiO 2 nanotube arrays can be fabricated by electrochemical anodization in organic and inorganic electrolytes. Morphology of these nanotube arrays changes when anodization parameters such as applied voltage, type of electrolyte, time and temperature are varied. Nanotube arrays fabricated by anodization of commercial titanium in electrolytes containing NH 4F solution and either sulfuric or phosphoric acid were studied at room temperature; time of anodization was kept constant. Applied voltage, fluoride ion concentration, and acid concentrations were varied and their influences on TiO 2 nanotubes were investigated. The current density of anodizing was recorded by computer controlled digital multimeter. The surface morphology (top-view) of nanotube arrays were observed by SEM. The nanotube arrays in this study have inner diameters in range of 40-80 nm.

Visible light photoelectrocatalysis with salicylic acid-modified TiO2 nanotube array electrode for p-nitrophenol degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xin; Zhao Huimin; Quan Xie; Zhao Yazhi; Chen Shuo

2009-01-01

This research focused on immersion method synthesis of visible light active salicylic acid (SA)-modified TiO 2 nanotube array electrode and its photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity. The SA-modified TiO 2 nanotube array electrode was synthesized by immersing in SA solution with an anodized TiO 2 nanotube array electrode. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy (IR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), and Surface photovoltage (SPV) were used to characterize this electrode. It was found that SA-modified TiO 2 nanotube array electrode absorbed well into visible region and exhibited enhanced visible light PEC activity on the degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP). The degradation efficiencies increased from 63 to 100% under UV light, and 79-100% under visible light (λ > 400 nm), compared with TiO 2 nanotube array electrode. The enhanced PEC activity of SA-modified TiO 2 nanotube array electrode was attributed to the amount of surface hydroxyl groups introduced by SA-modification and the extension of absorption wavelength range.

Synthesis of LaVO4/TiO2 heterojunction nanotubes by sol-gel coupled with hydrothermal method for photocatalytic air purification.

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Zou, Xuejun; Li, Xinyong; Zhao, Qidong; Liu, Shaomin

2012-10-01

With the aim of improving the effective utilization of visible light, the LaVO(4)/TiO(2) heterojunction nanotubes were fabricated by sol-gel coupled with hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic ability was demonstrated through catalytic removal of gaseous toluene species. The nanotube samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface photovoltage (SPV), Raman spectra and N(2) adsorption-desorption measurements. The characterization results showed that the samples with high specific surface areas were of typical nanotubular morphology, which would lead to the high separation and transfer efficiency of photo induced electron-hole pairs. The as-prepared nanotubes exhibited high photocatalytic activity in decomposing toluene species under visible light irradiation with fine photochemical stability. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of LaVO(4)/TiO(2) nanotubes might be attributed to the matching band potentials, the interconnected heterojunction of LaVO(4) versus TiO(2), and the large specific surface areas of nanotubes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of CdS/H-TiO2 Nanotube Arrays and Their Application for the Degradation of Methyl Orange in Aqueous Solutions

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Xiaosong Zhou

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The fabrication and characterization of heterogeneous structures based on CdS and self-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (H-TNTs are reported for the first time. CdS was conformally deposited onto TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTs using a simple method of electrochemical atomic layer deposition. The as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, UV-Vis diffusion reflection spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS, and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL techniques. Compared with pure TNTs, CdS/H-TNTs exhibit enhanced photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalytic activity under visible light. Self-doping introduces oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ species, and the electrochemical deposition technique promotes the deposition of CdS onto TiO2 nanotube walls, forming a heterojunction compact structure and resulting in decrease in photocatalytic activity under visible light.

Au Nanoparticles Decorated TiO2 Nanotube Arrays as a Recyclable Sensor for Photoenhanced Electrochemical Detection of Bisphenol A.

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Hu, Liangsheng; Fong, Chi-Chun; Zhang, Xuming; Chan, Leo Lai; Lam, Paul K S; Chu, Paul K; Wong, Kwok-Yin; Yang, Mengsu

2016-04-19

A photorefreshable and photoenhanced electrochemical sensing platform for bisphenol A (BPA) detection based on Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated carbon doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2/Au NTAs) is described. The TiO2/Au NTAs were prepared by quick annealing of anodized nanotubes in argon, followed by controllable electrodeposition of Au NPs. The decoration of Au NPs not only improved photoelectrochemical behavior but also enhanced electrocatalytic activities of the resulted hybrid NTAs. Meanwhile, the high photocatalytic activity of the NTAs allowed the electrode to be readily renewed without damaging the microstructures and surface states after a short UV treatment. The electrochemical detection of BPA on TiO2/Au NTAs electrode was significantly improved under UV irradiation as the electrode could provide fresh reaction surface continuously and the further increased photocurrent resulting from the improved separation efficiency of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs derived from the consumption of holes by BPA. The results showed that the refreshable TiO2/Au NTAs electrode is a promising sensor for long-term BPA monitoring with the detection limit (S/N = 3) of 6.2 nM and the sensitivity of 2.8 μA·μM(-1)·cm(-2).

Preparation of Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays and their photocatalytic activities under visible light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tu, Ya-Fang; Huang, Sheng-You [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Sang, Jian-Ping, E-mail: jpsang@acc-lab.whu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Department of Physics, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056 (China); Zou, Xian-Wu [Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China)

2010-02-15

Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays have been prepared by the template-based liquid phase deposition method. Their morphologies, structures and optical properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under visible light. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays showed a red shift and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region compared to the undoped sample. The Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays exhibited good photocatalytic activities under visible light irradiation, and the optimum dopant amount was found to be 5.9 at% in our experiments.

Polyoxometalate-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays photoanode materials for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ran; Sun, Zhixia; Zhang, Yuzhuo; Xu, Lin; Li, Na

2017-10-01

In this work, we prepared for the first time the TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) photoanode with polyoxometalate(POMs)-modified TiO2 electron-transport layer for improving the performance of zinc phthalocyanine(ZnPc)-sensitized solar cells. The as-prepared POMs/TNAs/ZnPc composite photoanode exhibited higher photovoltaic performances than the TNAs/ZnPc photoanode, so that the power conversion efficiency of the solar cell device based on the POMs/TNAs/ZnPc photoanode displayed a notable improvement of 45%. These results indicated that the POMs play a key role in reducing charge recombination in phthalocyanine-sensitized solar cells, together with TiO2 nanotube arrays being helpful for electron transport. The mechanism of the performance improvement was demonstrated by the measurements of electrochemical impedance spectra and open-circuit voltage decay curves. Although the resulting performance is still below that of the state-of-the-art dye-sensitized solar cells, this study presents a new insight into improving the power conversion efficiency of phthalocyanine-sensitized solar cells via polyoxometalate-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays photoanode.

The influence of geometrical characteristics on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotube arrays for degradation of refractory organic pollutants in wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Noeiaghaei, T; Yun, J-H; Nam, S W; Zoh, K D; Gomes, V G; Kim, J O; Chae, S R

2015-01-01

The effects of geometrical characteristics such as surface area (SA) and porosity of TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) on its photocatalytic activity were investigated by applying variable voltages and reaction times for the anodization of Ti substrates. While larger SA of nanotubes was observed under higher applied potential, the porosity of TNAs decreased by increasing anodizing voltage. Under applied potential of 80 V, the SA of TNAs increased from 0.164 to 0.471 m2/g as anodization time increased from 1 to 5 hours, respectively. However, no significant effect on the porosity of TNAs was observed. On the other hand, both SA and porosity of TNAs, synthesized at 60 V, increased by augmenting the anodization time from 1 to 3 hours. But further increasing of anodization time to 5 hours resulted in a decreased SA of TNAs with no effect on their porosity. Accordingly, the TNAs with SA of 0.368 m2/g and porosity of 47% showed the highest photocatalytic activity for degradation of 4-chlorobenzoic acid (4CBA). Finally, the degradation of refractory model compounds such as carbamazepine and bisphenol-A was tested and more than 50% of both compounds could be degraded under UV-A irradiation (λmax=365 nm).

Structure and dye-sensitized solar cell application of TiO2 nanotube arrays fabricated by the anodic oxidation method

Science.gov (United States)

Ok, Seon-Yeong; Cho, Kwon-Koo; Kim, Ki-Won; Ryu, Kwang-Sun

2010-05-01

Well-ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated by the potentiostatic anodic oxidation method using pure Ti foil as a working electrode and ethylene glycol solution as an electrolyte with the small addition of NH4F and H2O. The influence of anodization temperature and time on the morphology and formation of TiO2 nanotube arrays was examined. The TiO2 nanotube arrays were applied as a photoelectrode to dye-sensitized solar cells. Regardless of anodizing temperature and time, the average diameter and wall thickness of TiO2 nanotube arrays show a similar value, whereas the length increases with decreasing reaction temperature. The conversion efficiency is very low, which is due to a morphology breaking of the TiO2 nanotube arrays in the manufacturing process of a photoelectrode.

Heterostructured ZnFe2O4/Fe2TiO5/TiO2 Composite Nanotube Arrays with an Improved Photocatalysis Degradation Efficiency Under Simulated Sunlight Irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Kun; Wang, Kunzhou; Chen, Lin; Wang, Xinqing; Fan, Qingbo; Courtois, Jérémie; Liu, Yuliang; Tuo, Xianguo; Yan, Minhao

2018-03-01

To improve the visible light absorption and photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TONTAs), ZnFe2O4 (ZFO) nanocrystals were perfused into pristine TONTA pipelines using a novel bias voltage-assisted perfusion method. ZFO nanocrystals were well anchored on the inner walls of the pristine TONTAs when the ZFO suspensions (0.025 mg mL-1) were kept under a 60 V bias voltage for 1 h. After annealing at 750 °C for 2 h, the heterostructured ZFO/Fe2TiO5 (FTO)/TiO2 composite nanotube arrays were successfully obtained. Furthermore, Fe3+ was reduced to Fe2+ when solid solution reactions occurred at the interface of ZFO and the pristine TONTAs. Introducing ZFO significantly enhanced the visible light absorption of the ZFO/FTO/TONTAs relative to that of the annealed TONTAs. The coexistence of type I and staggered type II band alignment in the ZFO/FTO/TONTAs facilitated the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, thereby improving the efficiency of the ZFO/FTO/TONTAs for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue when irradiated with simulated sunlight. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Enhanced photocatalytic, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanotubes arrays modified with Cu, AgCu and Bi nanoparticles obtained via radiolytic reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nischk, Michał; Mazierski, Paweł; Wei, Zhishun; Siuzdak, Katarzyna; Kouame, Natalie Amoin; Kowalska, Ewa; Remita, Hynd; Zaleska-Medynska, Adriana

2016-01-01

Highlights: • TiO 2 nanotubes were modified with Cu, AgCu, Bi nanoparticles via gamma radiolysis. • Excessive amount of deposited metal decreased photocatalytic activity. • AgCu-modified samples were more active than Cu-modified (with the same Cu content). • AgCu nanoparticles exist in a core (Ag) -shell (Cu) form. • Examined photocatalysts were resistant towards photocorrosion processes. - Abstract: TiO 2 nanotubes arrays (NTs), obtained via electrochemical anodization of Ti foil, were modified with monometallic (Cu, Bi) and bimetallic (AgCu) nanoparticles. Different amounts of metals’ precursors were deposited on the surface of NTs by the spin-coating technique, and the reduction of metals was performed via gamma radiolysis. Surface modification of titania was studied by EDS and XPS analysis. The results show that AgCu nanoparticles exist in a Ag core -Cu shell form. Photocatalytic activity was examined under UV irradiation and phenol was used as a model pollutant of water. Over 95% of phenol degradation was achieved after 60 min of irradiation for almost all examined samples, but only slight difference in degradation efficiency (about 3%) between modified and bare NTs was observed. However, the initial phenol degradation rate and TOC removal efficiency was significantly enhanced for the samples modified with 0.31 and 0.63 mol% of Bi as well as for all the samples modified with Cu and AgCu nanoparticles in comparison with bare titania nanotubes. The saturated photocurrent, under the influence of simulated solar light irradiation, for the most active Bi- and AgCu-modified samples, was over two times higher than for pristine NTs. All the examined materials were resistant towards photocorrosion processes that enables their application for long term processes induced by light.

Optical properties of TiO2 nanotube arrays fabricated by the electrochemical anodization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ly, Ngoc Tai; Nguyen, Van Chien; Dao, Thi Hoa; Hoang To, Le Hong; Pham, Duy Long; Do, Hung Manh; Vu, Dinh Lam; Le, Van Hong

2014-01-01

Perpendicularly self-aligned TiO 2 nanotube samples of size of 3 × 5 cm 2 were fabricated by the electrochemical anodization method using a solution containing NH 4 F. Influences of the technological conditions such as NH 4 F concentration and anodization voltage were studied. It was found that NH 4 F concentration in the solution and anodization voltage significantly affect the diameter and length of a TiO 2 nanotube. The diameter and the length of a TiO 2 nanotube were observed and estimated by using scanning electron microscopy. It has shown that the largest diameter and the longest length of about 80 nm and 20 μm, respectively, were obtained for the sample anodized in a solution containing 0.4% of NH 4 F, under a voltage of 48 V. Photoluminescence spectra excited by laser lights having wavelengths of 325 and 442 nm (having energies higher and lower than the band gap energy of TiO 2 ) was recorded at room temperature for the TiO 2 nanotube arrays. An abnormal luminescence result was observed. It is experimental evidence that the manufactured TiO 2 nanotube array is an expected material for hydrogen splitting from water by photochemical effect under sunlight as well as for the nano solar cells. (paper)

Fast fabrication of long TiO2 nanotube array with high photoelectrochemical property on flexible stainless steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Jie; Wu, Tao; Gao, Peng

2012-03-01

Oriented highly ordered long TiO2 nanotube array films with nanopore structure and high photoelectrochemical property were fabricated on flexible stainless steel substrate (50 microm) by anodization treatment of titanium thin films in a short time. The samples were characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoelectrochemical methods, respectively. The results showed that Ti films deposited at the condition of 0.7 Pa Ar pressure and 96 W sputtering power at room temperature was uniform and dense with good homogeneity and high crystallinity. The voltage and the anodization time both played significant roles in the formation of TiO2 nanopore-nanotube array film. The optimal voltage was 60 V and the anodization time is less than 30 min by anodizing Ti films in ethylene glycerol containing 0.5% (w) NH4F and 3% (w) H2O. The growth rate of TiO2 nanotube array was as high as 340 nm/min. Moreover, the photocurrent-potential curves, photocurrent response curves and electrochemical impedance spectra results indicated that the TiO2 nanotube array film with the nanoporous structure exhibited a better photo-response ability and photoelectrochemical performance than the ordinary TiO2 nanotube array film. The reason is that the nanoporous structure on the surface of the nanotube array can separate the photo electron-hole pairs more efficiently and completely than the tubular structure.

Pd-MnO2 nanoparticles/TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) photo-electrodes photo-catalytic properties and their ability of degrading Rhodamine B under visible light.

Science.gov (United States)

Thabit, Mohamed; Liu, Huiling; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Bing

2017-10-01

Pd-MnO 2 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) photo-electrodes were successfully fabricated via anodization and electro deposition subsequently; the obtained Pd-MnO 2 /TiO 2 NTAs photo electrodes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and characterized accordingly. Moreover, the light harvesting and absorption properties were investigated via ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS); photo degradation efficiency was investigated via analyzing the photo catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under visible illumination (xenon light). The performed analyses illustrated that Pd-MnO 2 codoped particles were successfully deposited onto the surface of the TiO 2 nanotube arrays; DRS results showed significant improvement in visible light absorption which was between 400 and 700nm. Finally, the photo catalytic degradation efficiency results of the designated organic pollutant (Rhodamine B) illustrated a superior photocatalytic (PC) efficiency of approximately 95% compared to the bare TiO 2 NTAs, which only exhibited a photo catalytic degradation efficiency of approximately 61%, thus it indicated the significant enhancement of the light absorption properties of fabricated photo electrodes and their yield of OH radicals. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characteristics of N-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays by N{sub 2}-plasma for visible light-driven photocatalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Xu [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Liu Zhongqing, E-mail: 301zql@vip.sina.com [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Zheng Jian; Yan Xin; Li Dandan; Chen Si [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Chu Wei, E-mail: chuwei1965_scu@yahoo.com [College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China)

2011-10-13

Highlights: > A new pathway is provided to prepare N-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays using N{sub 2}-plasma treatment. > N{sub 2}-plasma treatment did not wreck the structure of nanotube arrays. > Nitrogen doping promoted the phase transition to rutile phase at low annealing temperatures > Nitrogen doping narrow band gap of TiO{sub 2} and improve the photocatalytic activity of samples. - Abstract: N-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays were prepared by electrochemical anode oxidation of Ti foil followed by treatment with N{sub 2}-plasma and subsequent annealed under Ar atmosphere. The morphologies, composition and optical properties of N-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction spectrometer (XRD), Photoluminescence (PL) and UV-vis diffusion reflection spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS). Methylene blue (MB) solution was utilized as the degradation model to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the samples under visible light irradiation. The results suggested N{sub 2}-plasma treatment created doping of nitrogen onto the surface of photoelectrodes successfully and the N-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays display a significantly enhancement of the photocatalytic activity comparing with the pure TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays under the visible light irradiation.

Photocatalysis-assisted water filtration: Using TiO2-coated vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube array for removal of Escherichia coli O157:H7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oza, Goldie; Pandey, Sunil; Gupta, Arvind; Shinde, Sachin; Mewada, Ashmi; Jagadale, Pravin; Sharon, Maheshwar; Sharon, Madhuri

2013-01-01

A porous ceramic was coated with vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by spray pyrolysis. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles were then coated onto this densely aligned MWCNT. The presence of TiO 2 /MWCNT interfacial arrays was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (SEM–EDAX) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). This is a novel report in which water loaded with a most dreadful enterohemorrhagic pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was filtered through TiO 2 /MWCNT coated porous ceramic filter and then analysed. Bacterial removal performance was found to be significantly lower in control i.e. plain porous ceramic (P < 0.05) as compared to TiO 2 /MWCNT coated ceramic. The photocatalytic killing rate constant for TiO 2 -ceramic and MWCNT/TiO 2 -ceramic under fluorescent light was found be 1.45 × 10 −2 min −1 and 2.23 × 10 −2 min −1 respectively. Further, when I–V characteristics were performed for TiO 2 /MWCNT composite, it was corroborated that the current under light irradiation is comparatively higher than that in dark, thus proving it to be photocatalytically efficient system. The enhanced photocatalysis may be a contribution of increased surface area and charge transfer rate as a consequence of aligned MWCNT network. - Highlights: • Coating of vertically aligned MWCNT on ceramic candle filter • Surface orchestration of TiO 2 on MWCNT arrays • I–V characteristic studies are performed under dark and illumination. • Photocatalytic efficiency of TiO 2 /MWCNT arrays is determined using E. coli O157:H7. • Proposed a mechanism of bacterial killing due to free radical formation

MoSe2 modified TiO2 nanotube arrays with superior photoelectrochemical performance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yaping; Zhu, Haifeng; Yu, Lianqing; He, Jiandong; Huang, Chengxing

2018-04-01

TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTs) are first prepared by anodization Ti foils in ethylene glycol electrolyte. Then, MoSe2 deposites electrochemically on TNTs. The as-synthesized MoSe2/TiO2 composite has a much higher photocurrent density of 1.07 mA cm‑2 at 0 V than pure TNTs of 0.38 mA cm‑2, which suggests that the MoSe2/TiO2 composite film has optimum photoelectrocatalysis properties. The electron transport resistances of the MoSe2/TiO2 decreases to half of pure TiO2, at 295.6 ohm/cm2. Both photocurrent-time and Mott-Schottky plots indicate MoSe2 a p-type semiconductor characteristics. MoSe2/TiO2 composite can achieve a maximum 5 orders of magnitude enhancement in carrier density (4.650 × 1027 cm‑3) than that of pure TiO2 arrays. It can be attributed to p-n heterojunction formed between MoSe2 and TiO2, and the composite can be potentially applied in photoelectrochemical, photocatalysis fields.

Flow-Regulated Growth of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2 ) Nanotubes in Microfluidics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Rong; Chen, Xinye; Wang, Zihao; Custer, David; Wan, Jiandi

2017-08-01

Electrochemical anodization of titanium (Ti) in a static, bulk condition is used widely to fabricate self-organized TiO 2 nanotube arrays. Such bulk approaches, however, require extended anodization times to obtain long TiO 2 nanotubes and produce only vertically aligned nanotubes. To date, it remains challenging to develop effective strategies to grow long TiO 2 nanotubes in a short period of time, and to control the nanotube orientation. Here, it is shown that the anodic growth of TiO 2 nanotubes is significantly enhanced (≈16-20 times faster) under flow conditions in microfluidics. Flow not only controls the diameter, length, and crystal orientations of TiO 2 nanotubes, but also regulates the spatial distribution of nanotubes inside microfluidic devices. Strikingly, when a Ti thin film is deposited on silicon substrates and anodized in microfluidics, both vertically and horizontally aligned (relative to the bottom substrate) TiO 2 nanotubes can be produced. The results demonstrate previously unidentified roles of flow in the regulation of growth of TiO 2 nanotubes, and provide powerful approaches to effectively grow long, oriented TiO 2 nanotubes, and construct hierarchical TiO 2 nanotube arrays on silicon-based materials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrodeposition synthesis of MnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays nanocomposites and their visible light photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Xuyao [School of Chemistry Science and Technology, and Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Zhou, Xiaosong, E-mail: zxs801213@163.com [School of Chemistry Science and Technology, and Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); Li, Xiaoyu, E-mail: lixiaoyu@iga.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun 130012 (China); Yang, Fei [The State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101 (China); Jin, Bei; Xu, Tan; Li, Guosheng; Li, Manyi [School of Chemistry Science and Technology, and Institute of Physical Chemistry, Zhanjiang Normal University, Zhanjiang 524048 (China)

2014-11-15

Highlights: • MnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays nanocomposites are prepared by electrodeposition. • MnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} exhibits high visible light photocatalytic activity. • The results of XRD show the depositions are attributed to α-MnO{sub 2}. • A photocatalytic mechanism is discussed under visible light irradiation. - Abstract: MnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays nanocomposite photocatalysts have been synthesized through an electrodeposition method. X-ray powder diffraction analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal that the products of electrodeposition method are MnO{sub 2}. Scanning electron microscopy measurements suggest that the depositions are deposited on the surface or internal of the nanotube. UV–vis light absorbance spectra demonstrate the excellent adsorption properties of MnO{sub 2}/TiO{sub 2} over the whole region of visible light, which enables this novel photocatalytic material to possess remarkable activity in the photocatalytic degradation of acid Orange II under visible light radiation. Moreover, a possible photocatalytic mechanism is discussed.

Template-based fabrication of nanowire-nanotube hybrid arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Zuxin; Liu Haidong; Schultz, Isabel; Wu Wenhao; Naugle, D G; Lyuksyutov, I

2008-01-01

The fabrication and structure characterization of ordered nanowire-nanotube hybrid arrays embedded in porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are reported. Arrays of TiO 2 nanotubes were first deposited into the pores of AAO membranes by a sol-gel technique. Co nanowires were then electrochemically deposited into the TiO 2 nanotubes to form the nanowire-nanotube hybrid arrays. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements showed a high nanowire filling factor and a clean interface between the Co nanowire and the TiO 2 nanotube. Application of these hybrids to the fabrication of ordered nanowire arrays with highly controllable geometric parameters is discussed

Flexible symmetric supercapacitors based on vertical TiO2 and carbon nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, C. J.; Chang, Pai-Chun; Lu, Jia G.

2010-03-01

Highly conducting and porous carbon nanotubes are widely used as electrodes in double-layer-effect supercapacitors. In this presentation, vertical TiO2 nanotube array is fabricated by anodization process and used as supercapacitor electrode utilizing its compact density, high surface area and porous structure. By spin coating carbon nanotube networks on vertical TiO2 nanotube array as electrodes with 1M H2SO4 electrolyte in between, the specific capacitance can be enhanced by 30% compared to using pure carbon nanotube network alone because of the combination of double layer effect and redox reaction from metal oxide materials. Based on cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements, this type of hybrid electrode has proven to be suitable for high performance supercapacitor application and maintain desirable cycling stability. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique shows that the electrode has good electrical conductivity. Furthermore, we will discuss the prospect of extending this energy storage approach in flexible electronics.

Photocatalytic activity of self-assembled porous TiO2 nano-columns array fabricated by oblique angle sputter deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Pengjun; Li, Xibo; Zhang, Qiuju; Yi, Zao; Luo, Jiangshan

2018-04-01

A well-separated and oriented TiO2 nano-columns arrays with porous structure were fabricated by the oblique angle sputter deposition technique and subsequently annealing at 450 °C in Ar/O2 mixed atmosphere. The deposited substrate was firstly modified by a template of self-assembled close-packed arrays of 500 nm-diameter silica (SiO2) spheres. Scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) images show that the porous columnar nanostructure is formed as a result of the geometric shadowing effect and surface diffusion of the adatoms in oblique angle deposition (OAD). X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements reveal that the physically OAD film with annealing treatment are generally mixed phase of rutile and anatase TiO2 polymorphic forms. The morphology induced absorbance and band gap tuning by different substrates was demonstrated by the UV–vis spectroscopy. The well-separated one-dimensional (1D) nano-columns array with specific large porous surface area is beneficial for charge separation in photocatalytic degradation. Compared with compact thin film, such self-assembled porous TiO2 nano-columns array fabricated by oblique angle sputter deposition performed an enhanced visible light induced photocatalytic activity by decomposing methyl orange (MO) solution. The well-designed periodic array-structured porous TiO2 films by using modified patterned substrates has been demonstrated significantly increased absorption edge in the UV-visible light region with a narrower optical band gap, which are expected to be favorable for application in photovoltaic, lithium-ion insertion and photocatalytic, etc.

Room temperature alcohol sensing by oxygen vacancy controlled TiO2 nanotube array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazra, A.; Dutta, K.; Bhowmik, B.; Bhattacharyya, P.; Chattopadhyay, P. P.

2014-01-01

Oxygen vacancy (OV) controlled TiO 2 nanotubes, having diameters of 50–70 nm and lengths of 200–250 nm, were synthesized by electrochemical anodization in the mixed electrolyte comprising NH 4 F and ethylene glycol with selective H 2 O content. The structural evolution of TiO 2 nanoforms has been studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Variation in the formation of OVs with the variation of the structure of TiO 2 nanoforms has been evaluated by photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sensor characteristics were correlated to the variation of the amount of induced OVs in the nanotubes. The efficient room temperature sensing achieved by the control of OVs of TiO 2 nanotube array has paved the way for developing fast responding alcohol sensor with corresponding response magnitude of 60.2%, 45.3%, and 36.5% towards methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol, respectively.

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on TiO_2 Nanotube and Shelled Arrayed Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Jie; Kusumawati, Yuly; Pauporté, Thierry

2016-01-01

Anatase TiO_2 nanostructure arrays were synthetized starting from a template made of self-standing ZnO NWs prepared by an electrodeposition technique. By controlling the liquid phase deposition step, the obtained structures could be varied from free-standing nanotube (NT) arrays with controlled morphology to hierarchical spiky radiating core-shell rods. The nanotubes were made of assembled nanocrystals with an average size of 7–8 nm. The structures were investigated as n-type layers in DSSCs. The efficiency was enhanced for the core-shell layer and by starting with longer initial ZnO NW templates. The limitation of the cell efficiency was shown related to the specific surface area and dye loading. The cell functioning was in-depth investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy over a large applied voltage range and compared to a cell based on a nanoparticle TO_2 mesoporous layer. A slow recombination rate was found. The enhancement of electron transport with nanocrystallite size explained the conductivity results. We also found that the prepared structures presented a high charge collection efficiency.

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of graphene based doped TiO2 nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Yongji; Xing, Mingyang; Zhang, Jinlong

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Graphene based doped TiO 2 nanocomposites were prepared. • The intimate contact between doped TiO 2 and graphene is achieved simultaneously. • These nanocomposites showed higher photocatalytic activity than TiO 2 and doped TiO 2 . • Photocatalytic mechanism was explained thoroughly. - Abstract: The nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide based nitrogen doped TiO 2 (N–TiO 2 –RGO) and reduced graphene oxide based nitrogen and vanadium co-doped TiO 2 (N, V–TiO 2 –RGO) were prepared via a facile hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide and TiO 2 in a water solvent. In this hydrothermal treatment, the reduction of graphene oxide and the intimate contact between nitrogen doped TiO 2 (N–TiO 2 ) or nitrogen and vanadium co-doped TiO 2 (N,V–TiO 2 ) and the RGO sheet is achieved simultaneously. Both N–TiO 2 –RGO and N,V–TiO 2 –RGO nanocomposites exhibit much higher visible light photocatalytic activity than N–TiO 2 and N,V–TiO 2 , and the order of visible light photocatalytic activity is N,V–TiO 2 –RGO > N–TiO 2 –RGO > N,V–TiO 2 > N–TiO 2 > TiO 2 . According to the characterization, the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites is attributed to reasons, such as enhancement of adsorption of pollutants, light absorption intensity, minimizing the recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes and more excited states of these nanocomposites under visible light irradiation. Overall, this work provides a more marked contrast of graphene based semiconductor nanocomposites and a more comprehensive explanation of the mechanism

Photocatalytic decouloration of malachite green dye by application of TiO2 nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prado, Alexandre G.S.; Costa, Leonardo L.

2009-01-01

The nanotubes of titania were synthesized in a hydrothermal system and characterized by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), FT-IR, FT-Raman, and surface charge density by surface area analyzer. These nanomaterials were applied to photocatalyse malachite green dye degradation. Photodegradation capacity of TiO 2 nanotubes was compared to TiO 2 anatase photoactivity. Malachite dye was completely degraded in 75 and 105 min of reaction photocatalysed by TiO 2 nanotubes and TiO 2 anatase, respectively. Catalysts displayed high photodegradation activity at pH 4. TiO 2 nanotubes were easily recycled whereas the reuse of TiO 2 anatase was not effective. Nanotubes maintained 80% of their activity after 10 catalytic cycles and TiO 2 anatase presented only 8% of its activity after 10 cycles.

Optimization of photoelectrochemical water splitting performance on hierarchical TiO 2 nanotube arrays

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Z.

2012-02-10

In this paper, we show that by varying the voltages during two-step anodization the morphology of the hierarchical top-layer/bottom-tube TiO 2 (TiO 2 NTs) can be finely tuned between nanoring/nanotube, nanopore/nanotube, and nanohole-nanocave/nanotube morphologies. This allows us to optimize the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance on the hierarchical TiO 2 NTs. The optimized photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency in this study, occurring on the nanopore/nanotube TiO 2 NTs, were 1.59 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE and 0.84% respectively, which are the highest values ever reported on pristine TiO 2 materials under illumination of AM 1.5G. Our findings contribute to further improvement of the energy conversion efficiency of TiO 2-based devices.

Optimization of photoelectrochemical water splitting performance on hierarchical TiO 2 nanotube arrays

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Z.; Wang, Peng

2012-01-01

In this paper, we show that by varying the voltages during two-step anodization the morphology of the hierarchical top-layer/bottom-tube TiO 2 (TiO 2 NTs) can be finely tuned between nanoring/nanotube, nanopore/nanotube, and nanohole-nanocave/nanotube morphologies. This allows us to optimize the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance on the hierarchical TiO 2 NTs. The optimized photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency in this study, occurring on the nanopore/nanotube TiO 2 NTs, were 1.59 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE and 0.84% respectively, which are the highest values ever reported on pristine TiO 2 materials under illumination of AM 1.5G. Our findings contribute to further improvement of the energy conversion efficiency of TiO 2-based devices.

Bacterial adhesion and inactivation on Ag decorated TiO2-nanotubes under visible light: Effect of the nanotubes geometry on the photocatalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajjaji, A; Elabidi, M; Trabelsi, K; Assadi, A A; Bessais, B; Rtimi, S

2018-06-05

This study investigates the effect of the diameter of TiO 2 nanotubes and silver decorated nanotubes on optical properties and photocatalytic inactivation of Escherichia coli under visible light. The TiO 2 nanotubes (TiO 2 -NTs) were prepared using the electrochemical method varying the anodization potential starting from 20 V until 70 V. The Ag nanoparticles were carried out using the photoreduction process under the same experimental conditions. The diameter size was determined using the scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). TiO 2 -NTs diameter reached ∼100 nm at 70 V. Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) imaging confirmed the TiO 2 -NTs surface decoration by silver nanoparticles. The Ag-NPs average size was found to be equal to 8 nm. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirm that all TiO 2 -NTs crystallize in the anatase phases regardless the used anodization potential. The decrease of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of Ag NPs decorated TiO 2 -NTs indicates the decrease of the specific area when the nanotubes diameter increases. The UV-vis absorbance show that the absorption edges was bleu shifted with the increasing of nanotubes diameter, which can be explained by the increase of the crystallites average size. The bacterial adhesion and inactivation tests were carried in the dark and under light. Bacteria were seen to adhere on TiO 2 -NTs in the dark; however, under light the bacteria were killed before they establish a strong contact with the TiO 2 -NTs and Ag/TiO 2 -NTs surfaces. Bacterial inactivation kinetics were faster when the anodizing potential of the NTs-preparation increases. A total bacterial inactivation was obtained on ∼100 nm nanotubes diameter within 90 min. This result was attributed to the enhancement of the TNTs crystallinity leading to reduced surface defects. Redox catalysis was seen to occur under light on the TiO 2 -NTs and Ag/TiO 2 -NTs. the photo-induced antibacterial activity on the AgO/Ag 2 O decorated TiO

Double Walled Carbon Nanotube/TiO2 Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Dye Degradation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex T. Kuvarega

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Double walled carbon nanotube (DWCNT/N,Pd codoped TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by a modified sol-gel method and characterised using FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, DRUV-Vis, XRD, SEM, and TEM analyses. TEM images showed unique pearl-bead-necklace structured morphologies at higher DWCNT ratios. The nanocomposite materials showed characteristic anatase TiO2 Raman bands in addition to the carbon nanotube D and G bands. Red shifts in the UV-Vis absorption edge were observed at low DWCNT percentages. The photocatalytic activity of DWCNT/N,Pd TiO2 nanocomposite was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of eosin yellow under simulated solar light irradiation and the 2% DWCNT/N,Pd TiO2 nanocomposite showed the highest photoactivity while the 20% DWCNT/N,Pd TiO2 hybrid was the least efficient. The photocatalytic enhancement was attributed to the synergistic effects of the supporting and electron channeling role of the DWCNTs as well as the electron trapping effects of the platinum group metal. These phenomena favour the separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, reducing their recombination rate, which consequently lead to significantly enhanced photoactivity.

A Facile Method for Loading CeO2 Nanoparticles on Anodic TiO2 Nanotube Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Yulong; Yuan, Botao; Zhang, Dainan; Wang, Xiaoyi; Li, Yuanxun; Wen, Qiye; Zhang, Huaiwu; Zhong, Zhiyong

2018-04-03

In this paper, a facile method was proposed to load CeO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) on anodic TiO 2 nanotube (NT) arrays, which leads to a formation of CeO 2 /TiO 2 heterojunctions. Highly ordered anatase phase TiO 2 NT arrays were fabricated by using anodic oxidation method, then these individual TiO 2 NTs were used as tiny "nano-containers" to load a small amount of Ce(NO 3 ) 3 solutions. The loaded anodic TiO 2 NTs were baked and heated to a high temperature of 450 °C, under which the Ce(NO 3 ) 3 would be thermally decomposed inside those nano-containers. After the thermal decomposition of Ce(NO 3 ) 3 , cubic crystal CeO 2 NPs were obtained and successfully loaded into the anodic TiO 2 NT arrays. The prepared CeO 2 /TiO 2 heterojunction structures were characterized by a variety of analytical technologies, including XRD, SEM, and Raman spectra. This study provides a facile approach to prepare CeO 2 /TiO 2 films, which could be very useful for environmental and energy-related areas.

High-performance and renewable supercapacitors based on TiO2 nanotube array electrodes treated by an electrochemical doping approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Hui; Li, Dongdong; Zhu, Xufei; Yang, Chunyan; Liu, Dongfang; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Song, Ye; Lu, Linfeng

2014-01-01

Although one-dimensional anodic TiO 2 nanotube arrays have shown promise as supercapacitor electrode materials, their poor electronic conductivity embarrasses the practical applications. Here, we develop a simple electrochemical doping method to significantly improve the electronic conductivity and the electrochemical performances of TiO 2 nanotube electrodes. These TiO 2 nanotube electrodes treated by the electrochemical hydrogenation doping (TiO 2 -H) exhibit a very high average specific capacitance of 20.08 mF cm −2 at a current density of 0.05 mA cm −2 , ∼20 times more than the pristine TiO 2 nanotube electrodes. The improved electrochemical performances can be attributed to ultrahigh conductivity of TiO 2 -H due to the introduction of interstitial hydrogen ions and oxygen vacancies by the doping. The supercapacitor device assembled by the doped electrodes delivers a specific capacitance of 5.42 mF cm −2 and power density of 27.66 mW cm −2 , on average, at the current density of 0.05 mA cm −2 . The device also shows an outstanding rate capability with 60% specific capacitance retained when the current density increases from 0.05 to 4.00 mA cm −2 . More interestingly, the electrochemical performances of the supercapacitor after cycling can be recovered by the same doping process. This strategy boosts the performances of the supercapacitor, especially cycling stability

Influence of energy band alignment in mixed crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays: good for photocatalysis, bad for electron transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadpour, Raheleh

2017-12-01

Despite the wide application ranges of TiO2, the precise explanation of the charge transport dynamic through a mixed crystal phase of this semiconductor has remained elusive. Here, in this research, mixed-phase TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) consisting of anatase and 0-15% rutile phases has been formed through various annealing processes and employed as a photoelectrode of a photovoltaic cell. Wide ranges of optoelectronic experiments have been employed to explore the band alignment position, as well as the depth and density of trap states in TNTAs. Short circuit potential, as well as open circuit potential measurements specified that the band alignment of more than 0.2 eV exists between the anatase and rutile phase Fermi levels, with a higher electron affinity for anatase; this can result in a potential barrier in crystallite interfaces and the deterioration of electron mobility through mixed phase structures. Moreover, a higher density of shallow localized trap states below the conduction band with more depth (133 meV in anatase to 247 meV in 15% rutile phase) and also deep oxygen vacancy traps have been explored upon introducing the rutile phase. Based on our results, employing TiO2 nanotubes as just the electron transport medium in mixed crystalline phases can deteriorate the charge transport mechanism, however, in photocatalytic applications when both electrons and holes are present, a robust charge separation in crystalline anatase/rutile interphases will result in better performances.

Morphological evolution of TiO2 nanotube arrays with lotus-root-shaped nanostructure

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Dongliang; Song, Ye; Zhu, Xufei; Yang, Ruiquan; Han, Aijun

2013-07-01

TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) with lotus-root-shaped nanostructure have been fabricated by a modified two-step electrochemical anodization method. In the present work, different morphologies formed under different anodizing voltages are investigated in detail by field-emission scanning electron microscope. The results show that the concaves left by the first-step anodization can guide the uniform growth of TNAs in some degree as the second-step anodizing voltage is the same with that in the first step, however, when lower voltages are adopted in the second-step anodization, no guidance can be achieved, and different morphological TNAs with lotus-root-shaped nanostructure are fabricated. And we find that the nanotube diameters are directly proportional to the applied voltage in the second-step anodization. Furthermore, a possible mechanism for the growth of the TiO2 nanotubes with the special morphology is proposed for the first time, which depends on both the oxygen bubble mold and the viscous flow of the barrier oxide from the pore base to the pore wall.

Asymmetric photoelectric property of transparent TiO2 nanotube films loaded with Au nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Hui; Liang, Wei; Liu, Yiming; Zhang, Wanggang; Zhou, Diaoyu; Wen, Jing

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Highly transparent films of TiO 2 nanotube arrays were directly fabricated on FTO glasses. • Semitransparent TNT-Au composite films were obtained and exhibited excellent photoelectrocatalytic ability. • Back-side of TNT-Au composite films was firstly irradiated and tested to compare with front-side of films. - Abstract: Semitransparent composite films of Au loaded TiO 2 nanotubes (TNT-Au) were prepared by sputtering Au nanoparticles on highly transparent TiO 2 nanotubes films, which were fabricated directly on FTO glasses by anodizing the Ti film sputtered on the FTO glasses. Compared with pure TNT films, the prepared TNT-Au films possessed excellent absorption ability and high photocurrent response and improved photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation. It could be concluded that Au nanoparticles played important roles in improving the photoelectrochemical performance of TNT-Au films. Moreover, in this work, both sides of TNT-Au films were researched and compared owing to theirs semitransparency. It was firstly found that the photoelectric activity of TNT-Au composite films with back-side illumination was obviously superior to front-side illumination.

Microstructure and antibacterial property of in situ TiO(2) nanotube layers/titanium biocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, C X; Gao, X; Qi, Y M; Liu, S J; Sun, J B

2012-04-01

The TiO(2) nanotube layer was in situ synthesized on the surface of pure titanium by the electrochemical anodic oxidation. The diameter of nano- TiO(2) nanotubes was about 70~100 nm. The surface morphology and phase compositions of TiO(2) nanotube layers were observed and analyzed using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The important processing parameters, including anodizing voltage, reaction time, concentration of electrolyte, were optimized in more detail. The photocatalytic activity of the nano- TiO(2) nanotube layers prepared with optimal conditions was evaluated via the photodegradation of methylthionine in aqueous solution. The antibacterial property of TiO(2) nanotube layers prepared with optimal conditions was evaluated by inoculating Streptococcus mutans on the TiO(2) nanotube layers in vitro. The results showed that TiO(2) nanotube layers/Ti biocomposites had very good antibacterial activity to resist Streptococcus mutans. As a dental implant biomaterial, in situ TiO(2) nanotube layer/Ti biocomposite has better and wider application prospects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication, characterization and photocatalytic properties of Ag nanoparticles modified TiO2 NTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qingyao; Yang Xiuchun; Liu Dan; Zhao Jianfu

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: The TiO 2 NTs were first treated with bi-functional mercaptoacetic acid linkers (HOOC–R–S). The –OH group on the surface of TiO 2 NT provides a strong affinity with the carboxylate group in the linker molecules. The thiol functional group in the linker molecules facilitates the binding with Ag from AgNO 3 solution. After Ag + ions were reduced by NaBH 4 , Ag nanoparticles formed by nucleation and growth. Highlights: ► Ag nanoparticles with an average diameter of 9.2 nm were filled in the TiO 2 nanotubes by a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. ► Bi-functional mercaptoacetic acid linkers were used to bind TiO 2 nanotubes with Ag nanoparticles. ► Ag nanoparticles modification of TiO 2 NTs largely enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange under ultraviolet light irradiation. - Abstract: Ordered anatase TiO 2 nanotubes (TiO 2 NTs) on Ti substrate were synthesized by electrochemical anodization and subsequently vapor-thermal treatment. Ag nanoparticles were decorated on TiO 2 NTs by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for the characterization of surface morphology, phase composition, and microstructure of the original TiO 2 NTs, the vapor-thermally treated TiO 2 NTs and the Ag nanoparticles decorated TiO 2 NTs. The results indicate that vapor-thermal treatment favors to the transformation of amorphous TiO 2 into anatase phase. Increasing the SILAR cycle times favors to increase the loaded amounts of Ag nanoparticles in TiO 2 NTs. Ag nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the TiO 2 NTs, and the SILAR process does not damage the ordered tubular structure. A possible formation mechanism of Ag/TiO 2 NTs has also been proposed. The

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of gaseous N,N-dimethylformamide in tannery waste gas using doubly open-ended Ag/TiO2 nanotube array membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yang; Ma, Lin; Chang, Wenkai; Huang, Zhiding; Feng, Xugen; Qi, Xiaoxia; Li, Zenghe

2018-06-01

Gaseous N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), typical volatile organic compound exhausted from manufacturing factories, may damage the health of workers under long-term exposure even at low levels. The defined geometry, porous surface and highly ordered channels make the free-standing anodic TiO2 nanotube (TiNT) arrays particularly suitable for applications of practical air purification by flow-through photocatalysis. In the present work, crystallized doubly open-ended Ag/TiNT array membranes were designed and prepared by employing a lift-off process based on an anodization-annealing-anodization-etching sequence, followed by uniform Ag nanoparticles decoration. For the photocatalytic degradation of gaseous DMF at low concentration levels close to that found in realistic pollutant air, an analytical methodology for the monitoring and determination of degradation process was developed based on the coupling of headspace sampling with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS). The doubly open-ended Ag/TiNT arrays exhibited higher removal efficiency of gaseous DMF from air compared with conventional bottom-closed Ag/TiNT arrays and pure bottomless TiNT arrays. These results indicated that the photocatalytic properties of TiNT arrays were improved with the open-bottom morphology and the Ag nanoparticles decoration. Based on the analysis with GC-MS and high performance ion chromatography (HPIC), it was found that demethylation is the main pathway of DMF degradation in photocatalytic reactions. Furthermore, decontamination of actual polluted tannery waste gas collected in leather factory proved that the photocatalysis on doubly open-ended Ag/TiNT array membrane is an efficient way and a promising application to treat air contaminated by DMF despite the complexity of various volatile organic compounds.

Wet-Chemical Preparation of TiO2-Based Composites with Different Morphologies and Photocatalytic Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liqin Xiang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available TiO2-based composites have been paid significant attention in the photocatalysis field. The size, crystallinity and nanomorphology of TiO2 materials have an important effect on the photocatalytic efficiency. The synthesis and photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based materials have been widely investigated in past decades. Based on our group’s research works on TiO2 materials, this review introduces several methods for the fabrication of TiO2, rare-earth-doped TiO2 and noble-metal-decorated TiO2 particles with different morphologies. We focused on the preparation and the formation mechanism of TiO2-based materials with unique structures including spheres, hollow spheres, porous spheres, hollow porous spheres and urchin-like spheres. The photocatalytical activity of urchin-like TiO2, noble metal nanoparticle-decorated 3D (three-dimensional urchin-like TiO2 and bimetallic core/shell nanoparticle-decorated urchin-like hierarchical TiO2 are briefly discussed.

Photoelectrochemical Performances and Potential Applications of TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Modified with Ag and Pt Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Guangqing; Liu, Haipeng; Wang, Jinwen; Lv, Jun; Zheng, Zhixiang; Wu, Yucheng

2014-01-01

TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) modified with Ag (Ag/TiO 2 ) and Pt (Pt/TiO 2 ) nanoparticles were fabricated by anodic oxidation combined with photoreduction and hydrothermal methods, respectively. Structures, element components and morphologies of TiO 2 , Ag/TiO 2 and Pt/TiO 2 NTAs were measured by X-ray diffraction diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The photoeletrochemical performances of TiO 2 , Pt/TiO 2 and Ag/TiO 2 NTAs were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry in phosphate buffer solution in absence and presence of glucose. Modifications of Ag and Pt nanoparticles play different roles in the photoelectrochemical process and have different potential applications. Ag nanoparticles decrease the photocurrent in buffer solution but increase the photocurrent response to organic compounds, which is fit for electrochemical detection of organic compounds due to the low background photocurrent and high photocurrent response. Ag/TiO 2 NTAs achieve the best detection performance with sensitivity of 0.152 μA/μM and detection limit of 0.53 μM. On the contrary, Pt nanoparticles can enhance the photocurrent of TiO 2 NTAs in buffer solution but decrease the photocurrent response to organic compounds, which are benefit for photocatalytic water splitting but not for photoelectrochemical detection

Synthesis and enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of p–n junction Co3O4/TiO2 nanotube arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai Gaopeng; Liu Suqin; Liang Ying; Luo Tianxiong

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTs) were prepared by an impregnating–deposition–decompostion method treatment. ► Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 NTs exhibit high photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity. ► The high PEC activity was attribute to the formation of p–n junction between Co 3 O 4 and TiO 2 . - Abstract: Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTs) were prepared by depositing Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) on the tube wall of the self-organized TiO 2 NTs using an impregnating–deposition–decompostion method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity is evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution. The prepared Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 NTs exhibit much higher PEC activity than TiO 2 NTs due to the p–n junction formed between Co 3 O 4 and TiO 2 .

Electrochemically synthesized visible light absorbing vertically aligned N-doped TiO2 nanotube array films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antony, Rajini P.; Mathews, Tom; Ajikumar, P.K.; Krishna, D. Nandagopala; Dash, S.; Tyagi, A.K.

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Single step electrochemical synthesis of N-doped TiO 2 nanotube array films. ► Effective substitutional N-doping achieved. ► Different N-concentrations were achieved by varying the N-precursor concentration in the electrolyte. ► Visible light absorption observed at high N-doping. -- Abstract: Visible light absorbing vertically aligned N-doped anatase nanotube array thin films were synthesized by anodizing Ti foils in ethylene glycol + NH 4 F + water mixture containing urea as nitrogen source. Different nitrogen concentrations were achieved by varying the urea content in the electrolyte. The structure, morphology, composition and optical band gap of the nanotube arrays were determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. The substitution of O 2− ions by N 3− ions in the anion sublattice as well as the formulae of the doped samples was confirmed from the results of XPS. The optical band gap of the nanotube arrays was found to decrease with N-concentration. The sample with the highest concentration corresponding to the formula TiO 1.83 N 0.14 showed two regions in the Tauc's plot indicating the presence of interband states.

Controlled Directional Growth of TiO2 Nanotubes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

In, Su-il; Hou, Yidong; Abrams, Billie

2010-01-01

We demonstrate how the anodization direction and growth rate of vertically aligned, highly ordered TiO2 nanotube (NT) arrays can be controlled and manipulated by the local concentration of O-2 in the electrolyte. This leads to the growth of highly active TiO2 NT arrays directly on nonconducting s...

TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Composite Film as Photoanode for High-Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinghua Hu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A double-layered photoanode made of hierarchical TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNT-arrays as the overlayer and commercial-grade TiO2 nanoparticles (P25 as the underlayer is designed for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs. Crystallized free-standing TNT-arrays films are prepared by two-step anodization process. For photovoltaic applications, DSSCs based on double-layered photoanodes produce a remarkably enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE of up to 6.32% compared with the DSSCs solely composed of TNT-arrays (5.18% or nanoparticles (3.65% with a similar thickness (24 μm at a constant irradiation of 100 mW cm−2. This is mainly attributed to the fast charge transport paths and superior light-scattering ability of TNT-arrays overlayer and good electronic contact with F-doped tin oxide (FTO glass provided from P25 nanoparticles as a bonding layer.

Towards TiO2 nanotubes modified by WO3 species: influence of ex situ crystallization of precursor on the photocatalytic activities of WO3/TiO2 composites

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Hui; Dong, Bohua; Su, Ge; Gao, Rongjie; Liu, Wei; Song, Liang; Cao, Lixin

2015-09-01

TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) crystallized at different temperatures were loaded with WO3 hydrate through the reaction between (NH4)6W7O24·6H2O and an aqueous solution of HCl. The photocatalytic activities of nanocomposites firstly increase and then decrease as a function of the crystallized temperature of the TNT precursor. The structural, morphologic and optical properties of WO3/TiO2 nanocomposites were also investigated in this study. The samples, initially anatase titania (573 K-773 K), presented phase transition to rutile titania at 873 K. With the crystallized temperature increasing, an evolution of samples morphology changing from nanotube-like structure to nanorod-like structure was observed. Meanwhile, the absorption edge of samples exhibited a red shift, and correspondingly their band gap decreased. Consistent with x-ray diffraction diffractograms, the existence of rutile titania as an impurity in the precursor TNT, crystallized at higher than 873 K, depressed photocatalytic activity evidently. As a result, the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) increased with the samples crystallinity firstly, and then reduced due to the appearance of rutile titania. In our experimental conditions, the optimal photocatalytic activity was achieved for the sample crystalized at 773 K. Its degradation rate could reach 98.76% after 90 min UV light irradiation.

Towards TiO2 nanotubes modified by WO3 species: influence of ex situ crystallization of precursor on the photocatalytic activities of WO3/TiO2 composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Hui; Dong, Bohua; Su, Ge; Gao, Rongjie; Liu, Wei; Cao, Lixin; Song, Liang

2015-01-01

TiO 2 nanotubes (TNT) crystallized at different temperatures were loaded with WO 3 hydrate through the reaction between (NH 4 ) 6 W 7 O 24 ·6H 2 O and an aqueous solution of HCl. The photocatalytic activities of nanocomposites firstly increase and then decrease as a function of the crystallized temperature of the TNT precursor. The structural, morphologic and optical properties of WO 3 /TiO 2 nanocomposites were also investigated in this study. The samples, initially anatase titania (573 K–773 K), presented phase transition to rutile titania at 873 K. With the crystallized temperature increasing, an evolution of samples morphology changing from nanotube-like structure to nanorod-like structure was observed. Meanwhile, the absorption edge of samples exhibited a red shift, and correspondingly their band gap decreased. Consistent with x-ray diffraction diffractograms, the existence of rutile titania as an impurity in the precursor TNT, crystallized at higher than 873 K, depressed photocatalytic activity evidently. As a result, the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) increased with the samples crystallinity firstly, and then reduced due to the appearance of rutile titania. In our experimental conditions, the optimal photocatalytic activity was achieved for the sample crystalized at 773 K. Its degradation rate could reach 98.76% after 90 min UV light irradiation. (paper)

Synthesis of Nb doped TiO2 nanotube/reduced graphene oxide heterostructure photocatalyst with high visible light photocatalytic activity

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Xiaoyou; Yan, Weijing; Zhao, Hongli; Yang, Jingkai

2018-05-01

Limited by the narrowed photoresponse range and unsatisfactory recombination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 is still far below what is expected. Here, we initially doped TiO2 nanotubes (TNTS) by transition metal ion Nb, then it is coupled with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to construct a heterostructure photocatalyst. The defect state presented in TiO2 leading to the formation of localized midgap states (MS) in the bandgap, which regulating the band structure of TiO2 and extending the optical absorption to visible light region. The internal charge transport and transfer behavior analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) reveal that the coupling of rGO with TNTS results in the formation of electron transport channel in the heterostructure, which makes a great contribution to the photoinduced charge separation. As expected, the Nb-TNTS/rGO exhibits a stable and remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity in the visible-light irradiation degradation of methylene blue (MB), up to ∼5 times with respect to TNTS, which is attributed to the effective inhibition of charge recombination, the reduction of bandgap and higher redox potential, as well as the great adsorptivity.

Assembly, characterization, and photocatalytic activities of TiO2 nanotubes/CdS quantum dots nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Qiang; Fu Minglai; Yuan Baoling; Cui Haojie; Shi Jianwen

2011-01-01

The semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) can be very efficient to tune the response of photocatalyst of TiO 2 to visible light. In this study, CdS QDs formed in situ with about 8 nm have been successfully deposited onto the surfaces of TiO 2 nanotubes (TNTs) to form TNTs/CdS QDs nanocomposites by use of a simple bifunctional organic linker, thiolactic acid. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) spectra of as prepared samples showed that the absorption edge of the TNTs/CdS composite is extended to visible range, with absorption edge at 530 nm. The photocatalytic activity and stability of TNTs/CdS were also evaluated for the photodegradation of rhodamine B. The results showed that when TNTs/CdS QDs was used, photocatalytic degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation reached 91.6%, higher than 45.4 and 30.5% for P25 and TNTs, respectively. This study indicated that the TNTs/CdS QDs nanocomposites were superior catalysts for photodegradation under visible light irradiation compared with TNTs and P25 samples, which may find wide application as a powerful photocatalyst in environmental field.

Uniform deposition of water-soluble CdS quantum dots on TiO2 nanotube arrays by cyclic voltammetric electrodeposition: Effectively prevent aggregation and enhance visible-light photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xiaojiao; Lin, Shiwei; Liao, Jianjun; Pan, Nengqian; Li, Danhong; Cao, Xiankun; Li, Jianbao

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Water-soluble CdS QDs were deposited on the TNTAs by DC electrodeposition, CV electrodeposition, and SILAR. • The CV method could effectively prevent the aggregation and uniformly deposit CdS QDs onto the TNTAs. • The CTAB/CdS/TNTAs prepared by the CV method exhibited superior photoelectrical properties and photocatalytic activity. -- Abstract: Water-soluble CdS quantum dots (QDs) covered with cationic surfactant-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were deposited on the highly ordered TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) by various methods, such as direct current (DC) electrodeposition, cyclic voltammetric (CV) electrodeposition, and successive ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR). The morphology measurements show that CTAB capping could well control the QD size and the CV method could effectively prevent the nanoparticle aggregation and uniformly deposit QDs onto TNTAs. Among all the deposition methods studied, the sample prepared by the CV method possesses superior photoelectrical properties and photocatalytic activity. A maximum photoconversion efficiency of 2.81% is achieved for the CdS/TNTAs prepared by CV electrodeposition, which exhibits about 17 times enhancement over the efficiency of the sample prepared by DC electrodeposition. And the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange under visible-light irradiation demonstrates that the rate constant of the sample prepared by the CV method is almost seven times of that of the untreated TNTAs. Moreover, the underlying mechanism for the improving properties has been discussed

Preparation and solar-light photocatalytic activity of TiO2 composites: TiO2/kaolin, TiO2/diatomite, and TiO2/zeolite

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y.; Li, S. G.; Wang, J.; Li, Y.; Ma, C. H.; Zhang, L.

2014-12-01

Three TiO2 loaded composites, TiO2/kaolin, TiO2/diatomite, and TiO2/zeolite, were prepared in order to improve the solar-light photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity could obviously be enhanced by loading appropriate amount of inorganic mineral materials. Meanwhile, TiO2 content, heat-treatment temperature and heat-treatment time on the photocatalytic activity were reviewed. Otherwise, the effect of solar light irradiation time and dye concentration on the photocatalytic degradation of Acid Red B was investigated. Furthermore, the degradation mechanism and adsorption process were also discussed.

An innovative approach to synthesize highly-ordered TiO2 nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Isimjan, Tayirjan T; Yang, D Q; Rohani, Sohrab; Ray, Ajay K

2011-02-01

An innovative route to prepare highly-ordered and dimensionally controlled TiO2 nanotubes has been proposed using a mild sonication method. The nanotube arrays were prepared by the anodization of titanium in an electrolyte containing 3% NH4F and 5% H2O in glycerol. It is demonstrated that the TiO2 nanostructures has two layers: the top layer is TiO2 nanowire and underneath is well-ordered TiO2 nanotubes. The top layer can easily fall off and form nanowires bundles by implementing a mild sonication after a short annealing time. We found that the dimensions of the TiO2 nanotubes were only dependent on the anodizing condition. The proposed technique may be extended to fabricate reproducible well-ordered TiO2 nanotubes with large area on other metals.

TiO2 micro-flowers composed of nanotubes and their application to dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Woong-Rae; Park, Hun; Choi, Won-Youl

2014-02-01

TiO2 micro-flowers were made to bloom on Ti foil by the anodic oxidation of Ti-protruding dots with a cylindrical shape. Arrays of the Ti-protruding dots were prepared by photolithography, which consisted of coating the photoresists, attaching a patterned mask, illuminating with UV light, etching the Ti surface by reactive ion etching (RIE), and stripping the photoresist on the Ti foil. The procedure for the blooming of the TiO2 micro-flowers was analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) as the anodizing time was increased. Photoelectrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) were fabricated using TiO2 micro-flowers. Bare TiO2 nanotube arrays were used for reference samples. The short-circuit current ( J sc) and the power conversion efficiency of the DSCs based on the TiO2 micro-flowers were 4.340 mA/cm2 and 1.517%, respectively. These values of DSCs based on TiO2 micro-flowers were higher than those of bare samples. The TiO2 micro-flowers had a larger surface area for dye adsorption compared to bare TiO2 nanotube arrays, resulting in improved J sc characteristics. The structure of the TiO2 micro-flowers allowed it to adsorb dyes very effectively, also demonstrating the potential to achieve higher power conversion efficiency levels for DSCs compared to a bare TiO2 nanotube array structure and the conventional TiO2 nanoparticle structure.

Synthesis of highly-ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays with tunable sizes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xian; Zha, Chenyang; Ji, Cheng; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Shen, Liming; Wang, Yifeng; Gupta, Arunava; Yoriya, Sorachon; Bao, Ningzhong

2014-09-01

Vertically-oriented one-dimensional TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays have been fabricated by anodic oxidation using different electrolyte solvents, including ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in the presence of hydrofluoric acid (HF) or ammonium fluoride (NH4F). The influence of synthetic conditions, including the nature of the electrolyte and anodization voltage, on nanotube microstructure has been systematically investigated. Highly-ordered TNTs with tube length of ˜0.5-26.7 μm, inner diameter of ˜13-201 nm, and outer diameter of ˜28-250 nm have been obtained. The conversion of as-prepared TNT arrays from amorphous phase to crystalline structure has been achieved by a post-synthetic annealing at 500 °C for 3 h in oxygen ambient. The TNT arrays with tunable sizes and structures are attractive for use as electrode materials in fabrication of thin film solar cells and highly active photocatalysts.

Synthesis of highly-ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays with tunable sizes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xian; Zha, Chenyang; Ji, Cheng; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Shen, Liming; Wang, Yifeng; Bao, Ningzhong; Gupta, Arunava; Yoriya, Sorachon

2014-01-01

Vertically-oriented one-dimensional TiO 2 nanotube (TNT) arrays have been fabricated by anodic oxidation using different electrolyte solvents, including ethylene glycol (EG), diethylene glycol (DEG), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in the presence of hydrofluoric acid (HF) or ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F). The influence of synthetic conditions, including the nature of the electrolyte and anodization voltage, on nanotube microstructure has been systematically investigated. Highly-ordered TNTs with tube length of ∼0.5–26.7 μm, inner diameter of ∼13–201 nm, and outer diameter of ∼28–250 nm have been obtained. The conversion of as-prepared TNT arrays from amorphous phase to crystalline structure has been achieved by a post-synthetic annealing at 500 °C for 3 h in oxygen ambient. The TNT arrays with tunable sizes and structures are attractive for use as electrode materials in fabrication of thin film solar cells and highly active photocatalysts. (paper)

Enhancement in photo-electrochemical efficiency by reducing recombination rate in branched TiO2 nanotube array on functionalizing with ZnO micro crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Boda, Muzaffar Ahmad; Ashraf Shah, Mohammad

2018-06-01

In this study, branched TiO2 nanotube array were fabricated through electrochemical anodization process at constant voltage using third generation electrolyte. On account of morphological advantage, these nanotubes shows significant enhancement in photo-electrochemical property than compact or conventional titania nanotube array. However, their photo-electrochemical efficiency intensifies on coating with ZnO micro-crystals. ZnO coated branched TiO2 nanotube array shows a photocurrent density of 27.8 mA cm‑2 which is 1.55 times the photocurrent density (17.2 mA cm‑2) shown by bare branched titania nanotubes. The significant enhancement in photocurrent density shown by the resulting ZnO/TiO2 hybrid structure is attributed to suppression in electron–hole recombination phenomenon by offering smooth pathway to photo generated excitons on account of staggered band edge positions in individual semiconductors.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic behaviors of MFe2O4 (M = Ni, Co, Zn and Sr) modified TiO2 nanorod arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Xin; Liu, Xiangxuan; Zhu, Zuoming; Wang, Xuanjun; Xie, Zheng

2016-07-01

Modified TiO2 nanomaterials are considered to be promising in energy conversion and ferrites modification may be one of the most efficient modifications. In this research, various ferrites, incorporated with various cations (MFe2O4, M = Ni, Co, Zn, and Sr), are utilized to modify the well aligned TiO2 nanorod arrays (NRAs), which is synthesized by hydrothermal method. It is found that all MFe2O4/TiO2 NRAs show obvious red shift into the visible light region compared with the TiO2 NRAs. In particular, NiFe2O4 modification is demonstrated to be the best way to enhance the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 NRAs. Furthermore, the separation and transfer of charge carriers after MFe2O4 modification are clarified by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Finally, the underlying mechanism accounting for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of MFe2O4/TiO2 NRAs is proposed. Through comparison among different transition metals modified TiO2 with the same synthesis process and under the same evaluating condition, this work may provide new insight in designing modified TiO2 nanomaterials as visible light active photocatalysts.

Electrodeposition of Ru in TiO_2 nanotubes: increase of photocatalytical activity and identification of deposition route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castelhano, Douglas Iafrate; Rodrigues, Christiane de Arruda; Bertazzoli, Rodnei

2014-01-01

TiO2 nanotubes are semiconductors widely used in heterogeneous photocatalysis processes. It has a band gap energy (E_b_g) of 3,2 eV and an photoactive crystalline structure (anatase). To increase the photocatalytic activity of this oxide, by lowering the Ebg and reduction of charge recombination rate, a modification of oxide crystalline layer was made with ruthenium, using electrochemical deposition at constant potential. TiO_2 layer was made by anodization process at 20V, followed by thermic treatment in 450 deg C and electrodeposition of Ru at constant potential. Voltammetric studies showed that Ru electrodeposition occurs in two stages, and in the second stage is the deposition of metallic Ru. Photocurrent studies showed that the amount of Ru in the oxide layer varies according with the applied potential and a significant increase of semiconductor activity is obtained with the introduction of small quantities of Ru, increasing at least 70% in current values. Morphological and crystallinity analysis were made using SEM and XRD. To identify and quantify Ru in TiO_2 was used WDS. (author)

In situ growth of lamellar ZnTiO3 nanosheets on TiO2 tubular array with enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Yunyu; Ye, Yixing; Tian, Zhenfei; Liu, Jun; Liu, Yishu; Liang, Changhao

2013-12-14

We report a self-sacrificed in situ growth design toward preparation of ZnTiO3-TiO2 heterojunction structure. Highly reactive zinc oxide colloidal particles derived by laser ablation in liquids can react with TiO2 nanotubes to form a lamellar ZnTiO3 nanosheet structure in a hydrothermal-treatment process. Such hybrid structural product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the hybrid structure toward degradation of methyl orange (MO) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) molecules was demonstrated and compared with single phase TiO2, as a result of the efficient separation of light excited electrons and holes at the hetero-interfaces in the two semiconductors.

Fabrication of uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles loaded TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays for enhancing photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances under visible light irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yi, Junhui; Zhang, Shengsen; Wang, Hongjuan; Yu, Hao; Peng, Feng, E-mail: cefpeng@scut.edu.cn

2014-12-15

Graphical abstract: Uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully loaded on both the outer and inner surface of the TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (NTs) through a simple polyol method, which exhibited the enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances under visible-light irradiation due to the more effective separation of photo-generated electron–hole pairs and faster interfacial charge transfer. - Highlights: • Highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are successfully prepared by polyol method. • Ag NPs are uniformly loaded on the surface of the TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (NTs). • Ag/TiO{sub 2}-NTs exhibit the enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible-light. • The enhanced photocurrent is explained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. - Abstract: Uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully loaded on both the outer and inner surface of the TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (NTs) through a simple polyol method. The as-prepared Ag/TiO{sub 2}-NTs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy. Photoelectrochemical behaviors were investigated via photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO{sub 2}-NTs was evaluated by degradation of acid orange II under visible light irradiation. The results showed that photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/TiO{sub 2}-NTs is more than 5 times higher than that of pure TiO{sub 2} NTs. Comparing with the electrochemical deposition method, the photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO{sub 2}-NTs prepared by polyol method has been obviously increased.

Thiourea-Modified TiO2 Nanorods with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

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Xiaofeng Wu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Semiconductor TiO2 photocatalysis has attracted much attention due to its potential application in solving the problems of environmental pollution. In this paper, thiourea (CH4N2S modified anatase TiO2 nanorods were fabricated by calcination of the mixture of TiO2 nanorods and thiourea at 600 °C for 2 h. It was found that only N element was doped into the lattice of TiO2 nanorods. With increasing the weight ratio of thiourea to TiO2 (R from 0 to 8, the light-harvesting ability of the photocatalyst steady increases. Both the crystallization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanorods increase first and then decrease with increase in R value, and R2 sample showed the highest crystallization and photocatalytic activity in degradation of Brilliant Red X3B (X3B and Rhodamine B (RhB dyes under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm. The increased visible-light photocatalytic activity of the prepared N-doped TiO2 nanorods is due to the synergistic effects of the enhanced crystallization, improved light-harvesting ability and reduced recombination rate of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Note that the enhanced visible photocatalytic activity of N-doped nanorods is not based on the scarification of their UV photocatalytic activity.

Evaluating the Catalytic Effects of Carbon Materials on the Photocatalytic Reduction and Oxidation Reactions of TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Gulzar; Kim, Young Kwang; Choi, Sung Kyu; Han, Dong Suk; Abdelwahab, Ahmed; Park, Hyunwoong

2013-01-01

TiO 2 composites with seven different carbon materials (activated carbons, graphite, carbon fibers, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene oxides, and reduced graphene oxides) that are virgin or treated with nitric acid are prepared through an evaporation method. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples are evaluated in terms of H 2 production from aqueous methanol solution (photo-catalytic reduction: PCR) and degradation of aqueous pollutants (phenol, methylene blue, and rhodamine B) (photocatalytic oxidation: PCO) under AM 1.5-light irradiation. Despite varying effects depending on the kinds of carbon materials and their surface treatment, composites typically show enhanced PCR activity with maximum 50 times higher H 2 production as compared to bare TiO 2 . Conversely, the carbon-induced synergy effects on PCO activities are insignificant for all three substrates. Colorimetric quantification of hydroxyl radicals supports the absence of carbon effects. However, platinum deposition on the binary composites displays the enhanced effect on both PCR and PCO reactions. These differing effects of carbon materials on PCR and PCO reactions of TiO 2 are discussed in terms of physicochemical properties of carbon materials, coupling states of TiO 2 /carbon composites, interfacial charge transfers. Various surface characterizations of composites (UV-Vis diffuse reflectance, SEM, FTIR, surface area, electrical conductivity, and photoluminescence) are performed to gain insight on their photocatalytic redox behaviors

Synthesis and magnetotransport studies of CrO2 films grown on TiO2 nanotube arrays by chemical vapor deposition

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Wang, Xiaoling; Zhang, Caiping; Wang, Lu; Lin, Tao; Wen, Gehui

2018-04-01

The CrO2 films have been prepared on the TiO2 nanotube array template via atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method. And the growth procedure was studied. In the beginning of the deposition process, the CrO2 grows on the cross section of the TiO2 nanotubes wall, forms a nanonet-like layer. And the grain size of CrO2 is very small. With the increase of the deposition time, the grain size of CrO2 also increases, and the nanonet-like layer changes into porous film. With the further increase of the deposition time, all the nanotubes are covered by CrO2 grains and the surface structure becomes polycrystalline film. The average grain size on the surface of the CrO2 films deposited for 1 h, 2 h and 5 h is about 190 nm, 300 nm and 470 nm. The X-ray diffraction pattern reveals that the rutile CrO2 film has been synthesized on the TiO2 nanotube array template. The CrO2 films show large magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperature, which should originate from spin-dependent tunneling through grain boundaries between CrO2 grains. And the tunneling mechanism of the CrO2 films can be well described by the fluctuation-induced tunneling (FIT) model. The CrO2 film deposited for 2 h shows insulator behavior from 5 k to 300 K, but the CrO2 film deposited for 5 h shows insulator-metal transition around 140 K. The reason is briefly discussed.

Synergistic effects between TiO2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a TiO2/CNTs system under visible light irradiation.

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Wu, Chung-Hsin; Kuo, Chao-Yin; Chen, Shih-Ting

2013-01-01

This study synthesized a TiO2/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite via the sol-gel method. The surface characteristics of the TiO2/CNTs composite were determined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, specific surface area analyser, ultraviolent (UV)-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectrometer. The photocatalytic activity ofthe TiO2/CNTs composite was evaluated by decolourizing C.I. Reactive Red 2 (RR2) under visible light irradiation. Furthermore, the effects of calcination temperature, pH, RR2 concentration, and the TiO2/CNTs composite dosage on RR2 decolourization were determined simultaneously. The optimal calcination temperature to generate TiO2 and the TiO2/CNTs composite was 673 K, as the percentage of anatase crystallization at this temperature was highest. The specific surface area of the TiO2/CNTs composite and TiO2 were 45 and 42 m2/g, respectively. The band gap of TiO2 and the TiO2/CNTs composite was 2.97 and 2.71 eV by UV-vis measurements, respectively. Experimental data indicate that the Ti-O-C bond formed in the TiO2/CNTs composite. The RR2 decolourization rates can be approximated by pseudo-first-order kinetics; moreover, only the TiO2/CNTs composite had photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. At pH 7, the RR2 decolourization rate constant of 0.5, 1 and 2 g/L TiO2/CNTs addition was 0.005, 0.0015, and 0.0047 min(-1), respectively. Decolourization rate increased as pH and the RR2 concentration decreased. The CNTs functioned as electron acceptors, promoting separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs to retard their recombination; thus, photocatalytic activity of the TiO2/CNTs composite exceeded that of TiO2.

Single Step Formation of C-TiO2 Nanotubes: Influence of Applied Voltage and Their Photocatalytic Activity under Solar Illumination

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Chin Wei Lai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Self-aligned and high-uniformity carbon (C- titania (TiO2 nanotube arrays were successfully formed via single step anodization of titanium (Ti foil at 30 V for 1 h in a bath composed of ethylene glycol (EG, ammonium fluoride (NH4F, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2. It was well established that applied voltage played an important role in controlling field-assisted oxidation and field-assisted dissolution during electrochemical anodization process. Therefore, the influences of applied voltage on the formation of C-TiO2 nanotube arrays were discussed. It was found that a minimal applied voltage of 30 V was required to form the self-aligned and high-uniformity C-TiO2 nanotube arrays with diameter of ~75 nm and length of ~2 μm. The samples synthesized using different applied voltages were then subjected to heat treatment for the conversion of amorphous phase to crystalline phase. The photocatalytic activity evaluation of C-TiO2 samples was made under degradation of organic dye (methyl orange (MO solution. The results revealed that controlled nanoarchitecture C-TiO2 photocatalyst led to a significant enhancement in photocatalytic activity due to the creation of more specific active surface areas for incident photons absorption from the solar illumination.

Photocatalytic effects for the TiO2-coated phosphor materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Jin-Ho; Jung, Sang-Chul; Kim, Jung-Sik

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The photocatalytic behavior of the coupling of TiO 2 with phosphorescent materials. → The photobleaching of an MB aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. → The ALD TiO 2 -coated phosphor composite showed much higher photocatalytic reactivity. → The light emitted from the phosphors contributed to the photo-generation. - Abstract: This study investigated the photocatalytic behavior of the coupling of TiO 2 with phosphorescent materials. A TiO 2 thin film was deposited on CaAl 2 O 4 :Eu 2+ ,Nd 3+ phosphor particles by using atomic layer deposition (ALD), and its photocatalytic reaction was investigated by the photobleaching of an aqueous solution of methylene-blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. To clarify the mechanism of the TiO 2 -phosphorescent materials, two different samples of TiO 2 -coated phosphor and TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -coated phosphor particles were prepared. The photocatalytic mechanisms of the ALD TiO 2 -coated phosphor powders were different from those of the pure TiO 2 and TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -coated phosphor. The absorbance in a solution of the ALD TiO 2 -coated phosphor decreased much faster than that of pure TiO 2 under visible irradiation. In addition, the ALD TiO 2 -coated phosphor showed moderately higher photocatalytic degradation of MB solution than the TiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -coated phosphor did. The TiO 2 -coated phosphorescent materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS).

Photo-Catalytic Properties of TiO2 Supported on MWCNTs, SBA-15 and Silica-Coated MWCNTs Nanocomposites.

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Ramoraswi, Nteseng O; Ndungu, Patrick G

2015-12-01

Mesoporous silica, specifically SBA-15, acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a hybrid nanocomposite of SBA-15 coated onto the sidewalls acid-treated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared and used as supports for anatase TiO2. Sol-gel methods were adapted for the synthesis of selected supports and for coating the materials with selected wt% loading of titania. Physical and chemical properties of the supports and catalyst composite materials were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The photo-activity of the catalyst composites were evaluated on the decolorisation of methylene blue as a model pollutant. Coating CNTs with SBA-15 improved the thermal stability and textural properties of the nanotubes. All supported titania composites had high surface areas (207-301 m(2)/g), altered band gap energies and reduced TiO2 crystallite sizes. The TiO2/SBA-CNT composite showed enhanced photo-catalytic properties and activity than the TiO2/SBA-15 and TiO2/CNT composites. In addition, an interesting observation was noted with the TiO2/SBA-15 nanocomposites, which had a significantly greater photo-catalytic activity than the TiO2/CNT nanocomposites in spite of the high electron-hole recombination phenomena observed with the photoluminescence results. Discussions in terms of morphological, textural and physical-chemical aspects to account for the result are presented.

Facile fabrication of Si-doped TiO2 nanotubes photoanode for enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation

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Dong, Zhenbiao; Ding, Dongyan; Li, Ting; Ning, Congqin

2018-04-01

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting based doping modified one dimensional (1D) titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructures provide an efficient method for hydrogen generation. Here we first successfully fabricated 1D Si-doped TiO2 (Ti-Si-O) nanotube arrays through anodizing Ti-Si alloys with different Si amount, and reported the PEC properties for water splitting. The Ti-Si-O nanotube arrays fabricated on Ti-5 wt.% Si alloy and annealed at 600 °C possess higher PEC activity, yielding a higher photocurrent density of 0.83 mA/cm2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The maximum photoconversion efficiency was 0.54%, which was 2.7 times the photoconversion efficiency of undoped TiO2.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with nitrogen, palladium co-doped TiO2 (MWCNT/N, Pd co-doped TiO2) for visible light photocatalytic degradation of Eosin Yellow in water

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Kuvarega, Alex T.; Krause, Rui W. M.; Mamba, Bhekie B.

2012-03-01

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT/N), Pd co-doped TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by calcining the hydrolysis products of the reaction of titanium isopropoxide, Ti(OC3H7)4 containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes with aqueous ammonia. The prepared samples were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectrophotometry (DRUV-Vis), XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). DRUV-Vis analysis confirmed the red shift in the absorption edge at lower MWCNT percentages. SEM and TEM images showed the complete coverage of the MWCNTs with clusters of anatase TiO2 at low MWCNT percentages. Higher MWCNT levels led to their aggregation and consequently poor coverage by N, Pd co-doped TiO2. The photocatalytic activities of the nanocomposites were monitored by photodegradation of Eosin Yellow under simulated solar and visible light irradiation (λ > 450 nm). Irradiation with simulated solar radiation gave higher dye-degradation rates compared to visible radiation. The optimum MWCNT weight percentage in the composites was found to be 0.5. High degradation-rate constants of 3.42 × 10-2 and 5.18 × 10-3 min-1 were realised for the 0.5% MWCNT/N, Pd co-doped TiO2 composite, using simulated solar light and visible light, respectively.

Defective TiO2 with oxygen vacancies: synthesis, properties and photocatalytic applications

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Pan, Xiaoyang; Yang, Min-Quan; Fu, Xianzhi; Zhang, Nan; Xu, Yi-Jun

2013-04-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), as an important semiconductor metal oxide, has been widely investigated in the field of photocatalysis. The properties of TiO2, including its light absorption, charge transport and surface adsorption, are closely related to its defect disorder, which in turn plays a significant role in the photocatalytic performance of TiO2. Among all the defects identified in TiO2, oxygen vacancy is one of the most important and is supposed to be the prevalent defect in many metal oxides, which has been widely investigated both by theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations. Here, we give a short review on the existing strategies for the synthesis of defective TiO2 with oxygen vacancies, and the defect related properties of TiO2 including structural, electronic, optical, dissociative adsorption and reductive properties, which are intimately related to the photocatalytic performance of TiO2. In particular, photocatalytic applications with regard to defective TiO2 are outlined. In addition, we offer some perspectives on the challenge and new direction for future research in this field. We hope that this tutorial minireview would provide some useful contribution to the future design and fabrication of defective semiconductor-based nanomaterials for diverse photocatalytic applications.Titanium dioxide (TiO2), as an important semiconductor metal oxide, has been widely investigated in the field of photocatalysis. The properties of TiO2, including its light absorption, charge transport and surface adsorption, are closely related to its defect disorder, which in turn plays a significant role in the photocatalytic performance of TiO2. Among all the defects identified in TiO2, oxygen vacancy is one of the most important and is supposed to be the prevalent defect in many metal oxides, which has been widely investigated both by theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations. Here, we give a short review on the existing strategies for the

Engineering of highly ordered TiO2 nanopore arrays by anodization

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Wang, Huijie; Huang, Zhennan; Zhang, Li; Ding, Jie; Ma, Zhaoxia; Liu, Yong; Kou, Shengzhong; Yang, Hangsheng

2016-07-01

Finite element analysis was used to simulate the current density distributions in the TiO2 barrier layer formed at the initial stage of Ti anodization. The morphology modification of the barrier layer was found to induce current density distribution change. By starting the anodization with proper TiO2 barrier layer morphology, the current density distribution can be adjusted to favor the formation of either nanotube arrays or nanopore arrays of anodic TiO2. We also found that the addition of sodium acetate into the electrolyte suppressed both the field-assisted chemical dissolution of TiO2 and the TiF62- hydrolysis induced TiO2 deposition during anodization, and thus further favored the nanopore formation. Accordingly, highly ordered anodic TiO2 nanopore arrays, similar to anodic aluminum oxide nanopore arrays, were successfully prepared.

TiO2/carbon nanotube hybrid nanostructures: Solvothermal synthesis and their visible light photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Lihong; Ye Liqun; Deng Kejian; Zan Ling

2011-01-01

MWCNT/TiO 2 hybrid nanostructures were prepared via solvothermal synthesis and sol-gel method with benzyl alcohol as a surfactant. As-prepared hybrid materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that MWCNTs were uniformly decorated with anatase nanocrystals in solvothermal condition, but MWCNTs were embedded in a majority of TiO 2 nanoparticles by sol-gel method. When the weight ratio of MWCNTs to TiO 2 was 20%, MWCNT/TiO 2 hybrid nanostructures prepared by solvothermal synthesis exhibited higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity than that prepared by sol-gel method. Post-annealing of MWCNT/TiO 2 nanostructures at 400 deg. C resulted in the formation of the carbonaceous Ti-C bonds on the interface between TiO 2 and MWCNTs, which enhanced the photoabsorbance of the hybrid materials in the visible light region and improved the visible-light degradation efficiency of methylene blue. - Graphical abstract: MWCNT/TiO 2 nanostructures have been prepared by solvothermal method, which exhibited higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity than that prepared by sol-gel method. The carbonaceous Ti-C bonds on the interface between TiO 2 and MWCNTs enhanced the photoabsorbance of the hybrid materials in the visible light region. Highlights: → Anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles were anchored on CNTs surface uniformly via solvothermal method → The morphology facilitated the electron transfer between CNTs and TiO 2 → Ti-C bonds extended the absorption of MWCNT/TiO 2 to the whole visible light region. → The hybrid nanostructures showed enhanced visible-light induced photocatalytic activity.

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of atrazine by boron-fluorine co-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays.

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Wang, He-Xuan; Zhu, Li-Nan; Guo, Fu-Qiao

2018-06-23

Atrazine, one of the most widespread herbicides in the world, is considered as an environmental estrogen and has potential carcinogenicity. In this study, atrazine was degraded on boron-fluorine co-doped TiO 2 nanotube arrays (B, F-TiO 2 NTAs), which had similar morphology with the pristine TiO 2 NTAs. The structure and morphology of TiO 2 nanotube samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). It showed that the decoration of fluorine and boron made both the absorption in the visible region enhanced and the band edge absorption shifted. The efficiency of atrazine degradation by B, F-TiO 2 NTAs through photoelectrocatalysis was investigated by current, solution pH, and electrolyte concentration, respectively. The atrazine removal rate reached 76% through photoelectrocatalytic reaction by B, F-TiO 2 NTAs, which was 46% higher than that under the photocatalysis process. Moreover, the maximum degradation rate was achieved at pH of 6 in 0.01 M of Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte solution under a current of 0.02 A and visible light for 2 h in the presence of B, F-TiO 2 NTAs. These results showed that B, F-TiO 2 NTAs exhibit remarkable photoelectrocatalytic activity in degradation of atrazine.

Thermal degradation of TiO2 nanotubes on titanium

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Shivaram, Anish; Bose, Susmita; Bandyopadhyay, Amit

2014-10-01

The objective of this research was to study thermal degradation behavior of TiO2 nanotubes on titanium (Ti). TiO2 nanotubes were grown via anodization method on commercially pure Ti (Cp-Ti) discs using two different electrolytes, 1 vol. % HF in deionized (DI) water and 1 vol. % HF + 0.5 wt. % NH4F + 10 vol. % DI water in ethylene glycol, to obtain nanotubes with two different lengths, 300 nm and 950 nm keeping the nanotube diameter constant at 100 ± 20 nm. As grown TiO2 nanotubes were subjected to heat treatment to understand thermal degradation as a function of both temperature and hold time. The signs of degradation were observed mainly when amorphous nanotubes started to crystallize, however the crystallization temperature varied based on TiO2 nanotubes length and anodizing condition. Overall, 300 nm nanotubes were thermally stable at least up to 400 °C for 12 h, while the 950 nm long nanotubes show signs of degradation from 400 °C for 6 h only. Clearly, length of nanotubes, heat treatment temperature as well as hold times show influence toward degradation kinetics of TiO2 nanotubes on titanium.

TiO2 Nanotubes: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Gas Sensing Properties

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Giorgio Sberveglieri

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Synthesis—particularly by electrochemical anodization-, growth mechanism and chemical sensing properties of pure, doped and mixed titania tubular arrays are reviewed. The first part deals on how anodization parameters affect the size, shape and morphology of titania nanotubes. In the second part fabrication of sensing devices based on titania nanotubes is presented, together with their most notable gas sensing performances. Doping largely improves conductivity and enhances gas sensing performances of TiO2 nanotubes

Dye-sensitized solar cells employing doubly or singly open-ended TiO2 nanotube arrays: structural geometry and charge transport.

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Choi, Jongmin; Song, Seulki; Kang, Gyeongho; Park, Taiho

2014-09-10

We systematically investigated the charge transport properties of doubly or singly open-ended TiO2 nanotube arrays (DNT and SNT, respectively) for their utility as electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The SNT or DNT arrays were transferred in a bottom-up (B-up) or top-up (T-up) configuration onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate onto which had been deposited a 2 μm thick TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) interlayer. This process yielded four types of DSCs prepared with SNTs (B-up or T-up) or DNT (B-up or T-up). The photovoltaic performances of these DSCs were analyzed by measuring the dependence of the charge transport on the DSC geometry. High resolution scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to characterize the electrode cross sections, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to characterize the electrical connection at the interface between the NT array and the TiO2 NP interlayer. We examined the effects of decorating the DNT or SNT arrays with small NPs (sNP@DNT and sNP@SNT, respectively) in an effort to increase the extent of dye loading. The DNT arrays decorated with small NPs performed better than the decorated SNT arrays, most likely because the Ti(OH)4 precursor solution flowed freely into the array through the open ends of the NTs in the DNT case but not in the SNT case. The sNP@DNT-based DSC exhibited a better PCE (10%) compared to the sNP@SNT-based DSCs (6.8%) because the electrolyte solution flow was not restricted, direct electron transport though the NT arrays was possible, the electrical connection at the interface between the NT array and the TiO2 NP interlayer was good, and the array provided efficient light harvesting.

A bamboo-inspired hierarchical nanoarchitecture of Ag/CuO/TiO{sub 2} nanotube array for highly photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xuhong; Wang, Longlu [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Liu, Chengbin, E-mail: chem_cbliu@hnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Ding, Yangbin; Zhang, Shuqu; Zeng, Yunxiong [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Liu, Yutang, E-mail: liuyutang@126.com [Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082 (China); Luo, Shenglian [State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

2016-08-05

Highlights: • Bamboo-like architecture of ternary photocatalyst. • High simulated solar light photocatalytic activity. • Integration of p-n heterojunction and Schottky junction. • Excellent stable recycling performance. - Abstract: The optimized geometrical configuration of muitiple active materials into hierarchical nanoarchitecture is essential for the creation of photocatalytic degradation system that can mimic natural photosynthesis. A bamboo-like architecture, CuO nanosheets and Ag nanoparticles co-decorated TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (Ag/CuO/TiO{sub 2}), was fabricated by using simple solution-immersion and electrodeposition process. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) photocatalytic degradation rate over Ag/CuO/TiO{sub 2} was about 2.0, 1.5 and 1.2 times that over TiO{sub 2} nanotubes, CuO/TiO{sub 2} and Ag/TiO{sub 2}, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ternary Ag/CuO/TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst was ascribed to improved light absorption, reduced carrier recombination and more exposed active sites. Moreover, the excellent stability and reliability of the Ag/CuO/TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst demonstrated a promising application for organic pollutant removal from water.

Plasmonic gold nanocrystals coupled with photonic crystal seamlessly on TiO2 nanotube photoelectrodes for efficient visible light photoelectrochemical water splitting

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Zhonghai

2013-01-09

A visible light responsive plasmonic photocatalytic composite material is designed by rationally selecting Au nanocrystals and assembling them with the TiO2-based photonic crystal substrate. The selection of the Au nanocrystals is so that their surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) wavelength matches the photonic band gap of the photonic crystal and thus that the SPR of the Au receives remarkable assistance from the photonic crystal substrate. The design of the composite material is expected to significantly increase the Au SPR intensity and consequently boost the hot electron injection from the Au nanocrystals into the conduction band of TiO2, leading to a considerably enhanced water splitting performance of the material under visible light. A proof-of-concept example is provided by assembling 20 nm Au nanocrystals, with a SPR peak at 556 nm, onto the photonic crystal which is seamlessly connected on TiO2 nanotube array. Under visible light illumination (>420 nm), the designed material produced a photocurrent density of ∼150 μA cm-2, which is the highest value ever reported in any plasmonic Au/TiO2 system under visible light irradiation due to the photonic crystal-assisted SPR. This work contributes to the rational design of the visible light responsive plasmonic photocatalytic composite material based on wide band gap metal oxides for photoelectrochemical applications. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

SiO2@TiO2 Coating: Synthesis, Physical Characterization and Photocatalytic Evaluation

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A. Rosales

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Use of silicon dioxide (SiO2 and titanium dioxide (TiO2 have been widely investigated individually in coatings technology, but their combined properties promote compatibility for different innovative applications. For example, the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 coatings, when exposed to UV light, have interesting environmental applications, such as air purification, self-cleaning and antibacterial properties. However, as reported in different pilot projects, serious durability problems, associated with the adhesion between the substrate and TiO2, have been evidenced. Thus, the aim of this work is to synthesize SiO2 together with TiO2 to increase the durability of the photocatalytic coating without affecting its photocatalytic potential. Therefore, synthesis using sonochemistry, synthesis without sonochemistry, physical characterization, photocatalytic evaluation, and durability of the SiO2, SiO2@TiO2 and TiO2 coatings are presented. Results indicate that using SiO2 improved the durability of the TiO2 coating without affecting its photocatalytic properties. Thus, this novel SiO2@TiO2 coating shows potential for developing long-lasting, self-cleaning and air-purifying construction materials.

The structure and the photocatalytic activity of titania based nanotube and nanofiber coatings

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Radtke, A.; Piszczek, P.; Topolski, A.; Lewandowska, Ż.; Talik, E.; Andersen, I. Hald; Nielsen, L. Pleth; Heikkilä, M.; Leskelä, M.

2016-04-01

The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 based nanotube (TNT) and nanofiber (TNF) coatings has been investigated, in correlation to their structure, morphology, specific surface area, acidity and the amount of surface H2O molecules and sbnd OH groups. Characterization of these materials was carried out using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). The photocatalytic activity has been quantified by two different methods, based on the photodegradation of methylene blue (the pattern of water-soluble organic pollutant) and acetone (the pattern of volatile organic pollutant), respectively. Results of our investigations revealed that TNF coatings were significantly more active in case of both photodegradation processes in air and water, as compared to TNT, even if the specific surface area of TNF films was smaller than the adequate surface area of TNT. The microstructure of produced materials, the amount of adsorbed sbnd OH groups and H2O molecules located on the surface of materials, and the acidity of the surface, were the main factors which affect their photoactivity. Photocatalytic properties of tubular and porous TiO2-based materials are the resultant of the compilation of individual factors impact and any of them cannot be neglected.

Characterization and Comparison of Photocatalytic Activity Silver Ion doped on TiO2(TiO2/Ag+) and Silver Ion doped on Black TiO2(Black TiO2/Ag+)

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Kim, Jin Yi; Sim, Ho Hyung; Song, Sinae; Noh, Yeoung Ah; Lee, Hong Woon; Taik Kim, Hee

2018-03-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the representative ceramic materials containing photocatalyst, optic and antibacterial activity. The hydroxyl radical in TiO2 applies to the intensive oxidizing agent, hence TiO2 is suitable to use photocatalytic materials. Black TiO2was prepared through reduction of amorphous TiO2 conducting under H2 which leads to color changes. Its black color is proven that absorbs 100% light across the whole-visible light, drawing enhancement of photocatalytic property. In this study, we aimed to compare the photocatalytic activity of silver ion doped on TiO2(TiO2/Ag+) and silver ion doped on black TiO2(black TiO2/Ag+) under visible light range. TiO2/Ag+ was fabricated following steps. 1) TiO2 was synthesized by a sol-gel method from Titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP). 2) Then AgNO3 was added during an aging process step for silver ion doping on the surface of TiO2. Moreover, Black TiO2/Ag+ was obtained same as TiO2/Ag+ except for calcination under H2. The samples were characterized X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible reflectance (UV-vis DRS), and Methylene Blue degradation test. XRD analysis confirmed morphology of TiO2. The band gap of black TiO2/Ag+ was confirmed (2.6 eV) through UV-vis DRS, which was lower than TiO2/Ag+ (2.9 eV). The photocatalytic effect was conducted by methylene blue degradation test. It demonstrated that black TiO2/Ag+ had a photocatalytic effect under UV light also visible light.

Fabrication, Modification, and Emerging Applications of TiO2 Nanotube Arrays by Electrochemical Synthesis: A Review

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Jian-Ying Huang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Titania nanotube arrays (TNAs as a hot nanomaterial have a unique highly ordered array structure and good mechanical and chemical stability, as well as excellent anticorrosion, biocompatible, and photocatalytic performance. It has been fabricated by a facile electrochemical anodization in electrolytes containing small amounts of fluoric ions. In combination with our research work, we review the recent progress of the new research achievements of TNAs on the preparation processes, forming mechanism, and modification. In addition, we will review the potential and significant applications in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, solar cells, water splitting, and other aspects. Finally, the existing problems and further prospects of this renascent and rapidly developing field are also briefly addressed and discussed.

Bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells based on vertically oriented TiO2 nanotube arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zhaoyue; Misra, Mano

2010-01-01

In this work we describe a novel bifacial design concept for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Bifacial DSCs are fabricated with ruthenium complex chemisorbed double-sided TiO 2 nanotube arrays on a Ti metal substrate, in combination with two electron-collecting counter electrodes. Our investigation shows that the present bifacial DSCs have similar conversion efficiencies when illuminated from either their front or rear side, and a summated output power when illuminated on both sides. Furthermore, this type of bifacial DSC is also able to summate the output power of each side when working at an 'unsymmetrical' mode, in which much different output powers are generated by the front and rear sides. Therefore, this bifacial design concept exhibits a promising potential to reduce the cost of solar electricity when DSCs are operated at a location where a high albedo radiation is available.

Synthesis of highly ordered TiO2 nanotube in malonic acid solution by anodization.

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Ryu, Won Hee; Park, Chan Jin; Kwon, Hyuk Sang

2008-10-01

We synthesized TiO2 nanotube array by anodizing in a solution of malonic acid (HOOCCH2COOH) and NH4F, and analyzed the morphology of the nanotube using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphology of TiO2 nanotube was largely affected by anodizing time, anodizing voltage, and malonic acid concentration. With increasing the anodizing voltage from 5 V to 20 V, the diameter of TiO2 nanotube was increased from about 20 nm to 110 nm and its length from about 10 nm to 700 nm. In addition, the length of TiO2 nanotube was increased with increasing anodizing time up to 6 h at 20 V. We obtained the longest and the most highly ordered nanotube structure when anodizing Ti in a solution of 0.5 wt% NH4F and 1 M malonic acid at 20 V for 6 h.

Facile synthesis of a conjugation-grafted-TiO2 nanohybrid with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties from nanotube titanic acid precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yanru; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Zhihua; Li, Qiuye; Yang, Jianjun

2016-08-01

A conjugation-grafted-TiO2 nanohybrid was synthesized by chemically grafting conjugated structures on the surface of nanotube titanic acid (NTA) precursor-based TiO2 through the controlled thermal degradation of a coacervated polymer layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The interfacial interactions between the NTA precursor-based TiO2 and conjugated structures were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the effects of the NTA's pretreatment temperature and the weight ratio of NTA to PVA on the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange were also investigated. A higher NTA pretreatment temperature and a lower NTA to PVA weight ratio were found to enhance photogenerated electron-hole separation efficiency and photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the conjugation-grafted-TiO2 nanohybrid synthesized from the NTA precursor displayed a much higher visible-light photocatalytic activity than that of the sample obtained from the P25 precursor. The origin of the enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation is also discussed in detail.

Supported noble metals on hydrogen-treated TiO2 nanotube arrays as highly ordered electrodes for fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Changkun; Yu, Hongmei; Li, Yongkun; Gao, Yuan; Zhao, Yun; Song, Wei; Shao, Zhigang; Yi, Baolian

2013-04-01

Hydrogen-treated TiO2 nanotube (H-TNT) arrays serve as highly ordered nanostructured electrode supports, which are able to significantly improve the electrochemical performance and durability of fuel cells. The electrical conductivity of H-TNTs increases by approximately one order of magnitude in comparison to air-treated TNTs. The increase in the number of oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl groups on the H-TNTs help to anchor a greater number of Pt atoms during Pt electrodeposition. The H-TNTs are pretreated by using a successive ion adsorption and reaction (SIAR) method that enhances the loading and dispersion of Pt catalysts when electrodeposited. In the SIAR method a Pd activator can be used to provide uniform nucleation sites for Pt and leads to increased Pt loading on the H-TNTs. Furthermore, fabricated Pt nanoparticles with a diameter of 3.4 nm are located uniformly around the pretreated H-TNT support. The as-prepared and highly ordered electrodes exhibit excellent stability during accelerated durability tests, particularly for the H-TNT-loaded Pt catalysts that have been annealed in ultrahigh purity H2 for a second time. There is minimal decrease in the electrochemical surface area of the as-prepared electrode after 1000 cycles compared to a 68 % decrease for the commercial JM 20 % Pt/C electrode after 800 cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that after the H-TNT-loaded Pt catalysts are annealed in H2 for the second time, the strong metal-support interaction between the H-TNTs and the Pt catalysts enhances the electrochemical stability of the electrodes. Fuel-cell testing shows that the power density reaches a maximum of 500 mWcm(-2) when this highly ordered electrode is used as the anode. When used as the cathode in a fuel cell with extra-low Pt loading, the new electrode generates a specific power density of 2.68 kWg(Pt) (-1) . It is indicated that H-TNT arrays, which have highly ordered nanostructures, could be used as ordered electrode supports

Dependence of Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2-SiO2 Nanopowders

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M. Riazian

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Structural properties and chemical composition change the photocatalytic activity in TiO2-SiO2 nanopowder composite. The SiO2-TiO2 nanostructure is synthesized based on sol–gel method. The nanoparticles are characterized by x-ray fluorescents (XRF, x- ray diffraction (XRD, tunneling electron microscopy (TEM, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, UV-vis. Spectrophotometer and furrier transmission create infrared absorption (FTIR techniques. The rate constant k for the degradation of methylen blue in its aqueous solution under UV irradiation is determined as a measure of photocatalytic activity. Dependence between photocatalytic activity and SiO2 content in the composite is determined. Rate constant k is found dependent on the content of SiO2 in the composite that calcined at 900 oC. The addition of low composition SiO2 to the TiO2 matrix (lower than 45% enhances the photocatalytic activity due to thermal stability and increasing in the surface area. The effects of chemical compositions on the surface topography and the crystallization of phases are studied.

Biophotofuel cell anode containing self-organized titanium dioxide nanotube array

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gan, Yong X., E-mail: yong.gan@utoledo.edu [Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, 2801 W Bancroft Street, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Gan, Bo J. [Ottawa Hills High School, 2532 Evergreen Road, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Su Lusheng [Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Toledo, 2801 W Bancroft Street, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States)

2011-09-15

Graphical abstract: Highlights: {center_dot} A photoactive anode containing highly ordered TiO{sub 2} nanotube array was made and the formation mechanism of self-organized TiO{sub 2} nanotube array on Ti was revealed. {center_dot} Effect of electrolyte concentration and voltage on the size distribution of the nanotubes was investigated. {center_dot} Self-organized TiO{sub 2} nanotube array anode possesses good photo-catalytic behavior of biomass decomposition under ultraviolet (UV) radiation. {center_dot} The fuel cell generates electricity and hydrogen via photoelectrochemical decomposition of ethanol, apple vinegar, sugar and tissue paper. - Abstract: We made a biophotofuel cell consisting of a titanium dioxide nanotube array photosensitive anode for biomass decomposition, and a low-hydrogen overpotential metal, Pt, as the cathode for hydrogen production. The titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO{sub 2} NTs) were prepared via electrochemical oxidation of pure Ti in NaF solutions. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the morphology of the nanotubes. The average diameter, wall thickness and length of the as-prepared TiO{sub 2} NTs were 88 {+-} 16 nm, 10 {+-} 2 nm and 491 {+-} 56 nm, respectively. Such dimensions are affected by the NaF concentration and the applied voltage during processing. Higher NaF concentrations result in the formation of longer and thicker nanotubes. The higher the voltage is, the thicker the nanotubes. The photosensitive anode made from the highly ordered TiO{sub 2} NTs has good photo-catalytic property, as can be seen from the test results of ethanol, apple vinegar, sugar and tissue paper decomposition under ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is concluded that the biophotofuel cell with the TiO{sub 2} nanotube photoanode and a Pt cathode can generate electricity, hydrogen and clean water depending on the pH value and the oxygen presence in the solutions.

Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye by Aligned Arrays of Self-Assembled Hydrogen Titanate Nanotubes

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Sriparna Chatterjee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We show that an aligned array of hydrothermally grown, multiwalled hydrogen titanate (H2Ti3O7 nanotubes—anchored to both faces of a metallic Ti foil—acts as an efficient photocatalyst. We studied the degradation of rhodamine B dye in the presence of the nanostructured photocatalyst under UV irradiation, by monitoring the optical absorption of the dye. Rhodamine B was chosen as a representative—and particularly harmful—industrial pollutant dye. The inner and outer diameters of the H2Ti3O7 nanotubes were 5 nm and 10 nm, respectively. The nanotube array catalyst is recyclable and structurally stable. Most importantly, it shows comparable or higher photodecomposition rate constant than those of both H2Ti3O7 nanotube powder and P-25 (Degussa. The enhanced photocatalytic performance may be ascribed to the nanotube array having a superhydrophilic surface with a high accessible surface area.

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of chemically-bonded phosphate ceramics containing TiO2

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Martins, Monize Aparecida; de Lima, Bruna de Oliveira; Ferreira, Leticia Patrício; Colonetti, Emerson; Feltrin, Jucilene; De Noni, Agenor

2017-05-01

Titanium dioxide was incorporated into chemically-bonded phosphate ceramic for use as photocatalytic inorganic coating. The coatings obtained were applied to unglazed ceramic tiles and cured at 350 °C. The surfaces were characterized by photocatalytic activity, determined in aqueous medium, based on the degradation of methylene blue dye. The effects of the percentage of TiO2 and the thickness of the layer on the photocatalytic efficiency were evaluated. The influence of the incorporation of TiO2 on the consolidation of the phosphate matrix coating was investigated using the wear resistance test. The crystalline phases of the coatings obtained were determined by XRD. The microstructure of the surfaces was analyzed by SEM. The thermal curing treatment did not cause a phase transition from anatase to rutile. An increase in the photocatalytic activity of the coating was observed with an increase in the TiO2 content. The dye degradation indices ranged from 14.9 to 44.0%. The photocatalytic efficiency was not correlated with the thickness of the coating layer deposited. The resistance to wear decreased with an increase in the TiO2 content. Comparison with a commercial photocatalytic ceramic coating indicated that there is a range of values for the TiO2 contents which offer potential for photocatalytic applications.

Ag and CdS nanoparticles co-sensitized TiO2 nanotubes for enhancing visible photoelectrochemical performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Qingyao; Yang Xiuchun; Liu Dan; Chi Lina; Hou Junwei

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Ag and CdS nanoparticles co-sensitized TiO 2 nanotubes were fabricated by the SILAR method. ► The co-sensitization expands the photoresponse range of TiO 2 NTs to 668.7 nm. ► Visible light photocurrents and photocatalytic activities of CdS–Ag/TiO 2 NTs were studied. ► The electron transfer mechanism of CdS–Ag/TiO 2 NTs was proposed. - Abstract: The Ag and CdS nanoparticles co-sensitization of TiO 2 nanotubes (CdS–Ag/TiO 2 NTs) were prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. The phase composition, morphology and optical property were characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis diffusion reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The co-modification of Ag and CdS nanoparticles expanded the photoresponse range of TiO 2 NTs from ultraviolet region to 668.7 nm, and the CdS–Ag/TiO 2 NTs prepared by SILAR deposition of 5 cycles exhibited higher visible photocurrent and stability against photocorrosion. The detailed electrons transfer mechanism of CdS–Ag/TiO 2 NTs was proposed, and photocatalytic activity toward degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible-light irradiation was also investigated.

Electrochemical synthesis of self-organized TiO2 crystalline nanotubes without annealing

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Giorgi, Leonardo; Dikonimos, Theodoros; Giorgi, Rossella; Buonocore, Francesco; Faggio, Giuliana; Messina, Giacomo; Lisi, Nicola

2018-03-01

This work demonstrates that upon anodic polarization in an aqueous fluoride-containing electrolyte, TiO2 nanotube array films can be formed with a well-defined crystalline phase, rather than an amorphous one. The crystalline phase was obtained avoiding any high temperature annealing. We studied the formation of nanotubes in an HF/H2O medium and the development of crystalline grains on the nanotube wall, and we found a facile way to achieve crystalline TiO2 nanotube arrays through a one-step anodization. The crystallinity of the film was influenced by the synthesis parameters, and the optimization of the electrolyte composition and anodization conditions (applied voltage and time) were carried out. For comparison purposes, crystalline anatase TiO2 nanotubes were also prepared by thermal treatment of amorphous nanotubes grown in an organic bath (ethylene glycol/NH4F/H2O). The morphology and the crystallinity of the nanotubes were studied by field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and Raman spectroscopy, whereas the electrochemical and semiconducting properties were analyzed by means of linear sweep voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky plots. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) allowed us to determine the surface composition and the electronic structure of the samples and to correlate them with the electrochemical data. The optimal conditions to achieve a crystalline phase with high donor concentration are defined.

Investigation on the influence of pH on structure and photoelectrochemical properties of CdSe electrolytically deposited into TiO2 nanotube arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Jinbo; Shen, Qianqian; Yang, Fei; Liang, Wei; Liu, Xuguang

2014-01-01

Highlights: • There-dimensional CdSe-TiO 2 multijunction was fabricated by electrochemical method. • CdSe nanoparticles had a good bonding with the walls of TiO 2 nanotube. • pH value played an important role in the quality of CdSe-TiO 2 interfaces. - Abstract: In this work, we fabricated CdSe/TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) by electrochemical method. In electrodeposition, the pH value of the electrolyte played an important role in formation of CdSe nanoparticles. As the pH value decreased, more CdSe deposited on TiO 2 NTAs. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy characterization shows that the CdSe nanoparticles were uniformly deposited on and into TiO 2 nanotubes when the pH value was 3, and this structure fully utilized the three-dimensional (3D) space of TiO 2 nanotubes to form 3D multijunction heterostructures. According to the photoelectrochemical test, the CdSe/TiO 2 NTAs sample prepared at pH = 3 exhibited maximum photocurrent and open circuit potential. This is because that the deposited CdSe nanoparticles had better bond with the walls of TiO 2 nanotube than the samples deposited at other pH values, which facilitated the propagation and kinetic separation of photogenerated charges

Are TiO2 nanotubes worth using in photocatalytic purification of air and water?

Science.gov (United States)

Pichat, Pierre

2014-09-19

Titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNT) have mainly been used in dye sensitized solar cells, essentially because of a higher transport rate of electrons from the adsorbed photo-excited dye to the Ti electrode onto which TNT instead of TiO2 nanoparticles (TNP) are attached. The dimension ranges and the two main synthesis methods of TNT are briefly indicated here. Not surprisingly, the particular and regular texture of TNT was also expected to improve the photocatalytic efficacy for pollutant removal in air and water with respect to TNP. In this short review, the validity of this expectation is checked using the regrettably small number of literature comparisons between TNT and commercialized TNP referring to films of similar thickness and layers or slurries containing an equal TiO2 mass. Although the irradiated geometrical area differed for each study, it was identical for each comparison considered here. For the removal of toluene (methylbenzene) or acetaldehyde (ethanal) in air, the average ratio of the efficacy of TNT over that of TiO2 P25 was about 1.5, and for the removal of dyes in water, it was around 1. This lack of major improvement with TNT compared to TNP could partially be due to TNT texture disorders as seems to be suggested by the better average performance of anodic oxidation-prepared TNT. It could also come from the fact that the properties influencing the efficacy are more numerous, their interrelations more complex and their effects more important for pollutant removal than for dye sensitized solar cells and photoelectrocatalysis where the electron transport rate is the crucial parameter.

Preparation and Use of Photocatalytically Active Segmented Ag|ZnO and Coaxial TiO2-Ag Nanowires Made by Templated Electrodeposition

Science.gov (United States)

Maijenburg, A. Wouter; Rodijk, Eddy J.B.; Maas, Michiel G.; ten Elshof, Johan E.

2014-01-01

Photocatalytically active nanostructures require a large specific surface area with the presence of many catalytically active sites for the oxidation and reduction half reactions, and fast electron (hole) diffusion and charge separation. Nanowires present suitable architectures to meet these requirements. Axially segmented Ag|ZnO and radially segmented (coaxial) TiO2-Ag nanowires with a diameter of 200 nm and a length of 6-20 µm were made by templated electrodeposition within the pores of polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) or anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes, respectively. In the photocatalytic experiments, the ZnO and TiO2 phases acted as photoanodes, and Ag as cathode. No external circuit is needed to connect both electrodes, which is a key advantage over conventional photo-electrochemical cells. For making segmented Ag|ZnO nanowires, the Ag salt electrolyte was replaced after formation of the Ag segment to form a ZnO segment attached to the Ag segment. For making coaxial TiO2-Ag nanowires, a TiO2 gel was first formed by the electrochemically induced sol-gel method. Drying and thermal annealing of the as-formed TiO2 gel resulted in the formation of crystalline TiO2 nanotubes. A subsequent Ag electrodeposition step inside the TiO2 nanotubes resulted in formation of coaxial TiO2-Ag nanowires. Due to the combination of an n-type semiconductor (ZnO or TiO2) and a metal (Ag) within the same nanowire, a Schottky barrier was created at the interface between the phases. To demonstrate the photocatalytic activity of these nanowires, the Ag|ZnO nanowires were used in a photocatalytic experiment in which H2 gas was detected upon UV illumination of the nanowires dispersed in a methanol/water mixture. After 17 min of illumination, approximately 0.2 vol% H2 gas was detected from a suspension of ~0.1 g of Ag|ZnO nanowires in a 50 ml 80 vol% aqueous methanol solution. PMID:24837535

Low temperature RF plasma nitriding of self-organized TiO2 nanotubes for effective bandgap reduction

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Bonelli, Thiago Scremin; Pereyra, Inés

2018-06-01

Titanium dioxide is a widely studied semiconductor material found in many nanostructured forms, presenting very interesting properties for several applications, particularly photocatalysis. TiO2 nanotubes have a high surface-to-volume ratio and functional electronic properties for light harvesting. Despite these manifold advantages, TiO2 photocatalytic activity is limited to UV radiation due to its large band gap. In this work, TiO2 nanotubes produced by electrochemical anodization were submitted to plasma nitriding processes in a PECVD reactor. The plasma parameters were evaluated to find the best conditions for gap reduction, in order to increase their photocatalytic activity. The pressure and RF power density were varied from 0.66 to 2.66 mbar and 0.22 to 3.51 W/cm2 respectively. The best gap reduction, to 2.80 eV, was achieved using a pressure of 1.33 mbar and 1.75 W/cm2 RF power at 320 °C, during a 2-h process. This leads to a 14% reduction in the band gap value and an increase of 25.3% in methylene blue reduction, doubling the range of solar photons absorption from 5 to 10% of the solar spectrum.

Investigation of anodic TiO2 nanotube composition with high spatial resolution AES and ToF SIMS

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Dronov, Alexey; Gavrilin, Ilya; Kirilenko, Elena; Dronova, Daria; Gavrilov, Sergey

2018-03-01

High resolution Scanning Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass-Spectrometry (ToF SIMS) were used to investigate structure and elemental composition variation of both across an array of TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) and single tube of an array. The TiO2 NT array was grown by anodic oxidation of Ti foil in fluorine-containing ethylene glycol electrolyte. It was found that the studied anodic TiO2 nanotubes have a layered structure with rather sharp interfaces. The differences in AES depth profiling results of a single tube with the focused primary electron beam (point analysis) and over an area of 75 μm in diameter of a nanotube array with the defocused primary electron beam are discussed. Depth profiling by ToF SIMS was carried out over approximately the same size of a nanotube array to determine possible ionic fragments in the structure. The analysis results show that the combination of both mentioned methods is useful for a detailed analysis of nanostructures with complex morphology and multi-layered nature.

Effect of TiO2 nanotube length and lateral tubular spacing on ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The main objective of this study is to show the effect of TiO2 nanotube length, diameter and intertubular ... formation of nanotube arrays spread uniformly over a large area. ... 36, 48 and 72 h at an applied voltage of 40 V. The anodized ... and phase analysis for the obtained nanotubes were done .... Using an extra-.

Enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performance for degradation of diclofenac and mechanism with TiO2 nano-particles decorated TiO2 nano-tubes arrays photoelectrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Xiuwen; Liu, Huiling; Chen, Qinghua; Li, Junjing; Wang, Pu

2013-01-01

In this study, TiO 2 nano-particles decorated TiO 2 nano-tubes arrays (TiO 2 NPs/TiO 2 NTAs) photoelectrodes have been successfully prepared through anodization, combined with ultrasonic strategy, followed by annealing post-treatment. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared TiO 2 NPs/TiO 2 NTAs photoelectrodes were characterized by scanning electrons microscopy (SEM), N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV–visible light diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). In addition, the generation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) was detected by a photoluminescence (PL) spectra using terephthalic acid (TA) as a probe molecule. Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical (PECH) properties of TiO 2 NPs/TiO 2 NTAs photoanode were investigated through transient open circuit potential (OCP), photocurrent response (PCR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was found that TiO 2 NPs/TiO 2 NTAs photoelectrode exhibited a distinct decrease of OCP of −0.219 mV cm −2 and PCR of 0.049 mA cm −2 , while a significantly enhanced photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) efficiency of 63.6% (0.4 V vs. SCE) for the degradation of diclofenac. Moreover, the enhanced PEC mechanism of TiO 2 NPs/TiO 2 NTAs photoanode was proposed. The high PEC performance could be attributed to the decoration of TiO 2 NPs, which could improve the mobility and separation efficiency of photoinduced charge carriers under external potential

Physicochemical impact of zeolites as the support for photocatalytic hydrogen production using solar-activated TiO2-based nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taheri Najafabadi, Amin; Taghipour, Fariborz

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Zeolite chemical properties are crucial to photocatalytic hydrogen production. • Basic zeolite, TiO 2 , heteropolyacid and cobalt together are active under visible light. • TiO 2 impregnation on zeolite causes band gap widening and band edges’ anodic shift. • Heteropolyacid enhances the visible light activity of the photocatalyst. • Zeolite’s basicity can overshadow the anodic shift, advancing hydrogen evolution. - Abstract: Silico-aluminates (zeolites) have been recently utilized promisingly as the support for photocatalytic hydrogen production using solar-activated TiO 2 -based nanoparticles. Aside from conventional advantages offered by the supports in photocatalysis, we demonstrate the unique physicochemical impact of zeolites on photocatalytic hydrogen production. Beside zeolites, our synthesized materials comprise titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) as the semiconductor, cobalt ions as the hydrogen evolution sites, and heteropolyacids (HPAs) as the multifunctional solid acids with significant excitability under visible light. Four classes of zeolites (Na-Y, Na-mordenite, H-Y, and H-beta) with different Si/Al ratios and sodium contents were evaluated. Among the studied photocatalysts, Na-Y and Na-mordenite containing 10 wt% titania emerged as the potential candidates for the hydrogen evolution reaction, with corresponding rates of 250.8 and 187.2 μmol/g h, in comparison to 84.2 μmol/g h for Degussa P25; while these values for H-Y and H-beta were 96.8 and 100.1 μmol/g h, respectively. The higher photocatalytic activity of the first two classes is attributed to the basicity of the zeolite matrix, which is possibly due to the pH dependency of the TiO 2 band edges. The results indicate the importance of controlling the chemical properties of the zeolite as a photocatalyst support through the selection of suitable types. Furthermore, our analyses show that the precise pore size distribution of the zeolite framework rules over accommodating the

Sol-gel synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in aqueous TiO2 suspensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Huaming; Zhang Ke; Shi Rongrong; Li Xianwei; Dong Xiaodan; Yu Yongmei

2006-01-01

Anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles of about 16 nm in crystal size have been successfully synthesized via a sol-gel method. Thermal treatment of the precursor at 500-600 deg. C results in the formation of different TiO 2 phase compositions. The samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Effects of the pH value of the solution, H 2 O 2 addition, TiO 2 phase composition and recycled TiO 2 on the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MeO) in TiO 2 suspensions under ultraviolet (UV) illumination were primarily investigated. The results indicate that a low pH value, proper amount of H 2 O 2 and pure anatase TiO 2 will facilitate the photocatalytic oxidation of the MeO solution. The photodegradation degree decreases with increasing the pH value of the solution and varies with different amounts of H 2 O 2 . Pure anatase TiO 2 shows better photocatalytic activity for MeO decolorization than biphase TiO 2 . The photocatalytic mechanism of the as-synthesized TiO 2 nanoparticles was discussed

Electrochemically conductive treatment of TiO2 nanotube arrays in AlCl3 aqueous solution for supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Wenjie; Sang, Shangbin; Liu, Yingying; Wu, Qiumei; Liu, Kaiyu; Liu, Hongtao

2015-10-01

Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) with excellent stability and large specific surface area make them competitive using as supercapacitor materials. Improving the conductivity of TiO2 is of great concern for the construction of high-performance supercapacitors. In this work, we developed a novel approach to improve the performance of TiO2 materials, involving the fabrication of Al-doped TiO2 NTAs by a simple electrochemical cathodic polarization treatment in AlCl3 aqueous solution. The prepared Al-doped TiO2 NTAs exhibited excellent electrochemical performances, attributing to the remarkably improved electrical conductivity (i.e., from approx. 10 kΩ to 20 Ω). Further analysis showed that Al3+ ions rather than H+ protons doped into TiO2 lattice cause this high conductivity. A MnO2/Al-TiO2 composite was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, and achieved the specific capacitance of 544 F g-1, and the Ragone plot of the sample showed a high power density but less reduction of energy density. These results indicate that the MnO2/Al-TiO2 NTAs sample could be served as a promising electrode material for high -performance supercapacitors.

Hydrothermal solid-gas route to TiO2 nanoparticles/nanotube arrays for high-performance supercapacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Haowen; Zhang, He; Luo, Xiaolei; Liao, Maoying; Zhu, Xufei; Ma, Jing; Song, Ye

2017-07-01

Although TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) have shown great promise as supercapacitor materials, their specific capacitances are still not comparable with some typical materials. Here, TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs)/TNTAs hybrid structure has been derived from the anodized TNTAs by a facile hydrothermal solid-gas method (HSGM), which can avoid cracking or curling of the TNTAs from Ti substrate. The obtained NPs/TNTAs hybrid structure can exhibit a ∼4.90 times increase in surface area and a ∼5.49 times increase in areal specific capacitance compared to the TNTAs without HSGM treatment. Besides, the argon-atmosphere annealing can offer improved areal capacitance and cycling stability relative to the air-atmosphere annealing. The hydrothermal vapor pressure is a key factor for controlling microscopic morphologies of TNTAs, the morphology transformations of TNTAs during the HSGM treatment can be accelerated under enhanced vapor pressures. The highest areal capacitance of HSGM-treated TNTAs is up to 76.12 mF cm-2 at 0.5 mA cm-2, well above that of any TiO2 materials reported to date.

Dominant factors governing the rate capability of a TiO2 nanotube anode for high power lithium ion batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Hyungkyu; Song, Taeseup; Lee, Eung-Kwan; Devadoss, Anitha; Jeon, Yeryung; Ha, Jaehwan; Chung, Yong-Chae; Choi, Young-Min; Jung, Yeon-Gil; Paik, Ungyu

2012-09-25

Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) is one of the most promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries due to low cost and structural stability during Li insertion/extraction. However, its poor rate capability limits its practical use. Although various approaches have been explored to overcome this problem, previous reports have mainly focused on the enhancement of both the electronic conductivity and the kinetic associated with lithium in the composite film of active material/conducting agent/binder. Here, we systematically explore the effect of the contact resistance between a current collector and a composite film of active material/conducting agent/binder on the rate capability of a TiO(2)-based electrode. The vertically aligned TiO(2) nanotubes arrays, directly grown on the current collector, with sealed cap and unsealed cap, and conventional randomly oriented TiO(2) nanotubes electrodes were prepared for this study. The vertically aligned TiO(2) nanotubes array electrode with unsealed cap showed superior performance with six times higher capacity at 10 C rate compared to conventional randomly oriented TiO(2) nanotubes electrode with 10 wt % conducting agent. On the basis of the detailed experimental results and associated theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that the reduction of the contact resistance between electrode and current collector plays an important role in improving the electronic conductivity of the overall electrode system.

Alternative photocatalysts to TiO2 for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2

Science.gov (United States)

Nikokavoura, Aspasia; Trapalis, Christos

2017-01-01

The increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, originating from the burning of fossil fuels in stationary and mobile sources, is referred as the "Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect" and constitutes a major environmental concern. The scientific community is highly concerned about the resulting enhancement of the mean atmospheric temperature, so a vast diversity of methods has been applied. Thermochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical processes, as well as combination of solar electricity generation and water splitting processes have been performed in order to lower the CO2 atmospheric levels. Photocatalytic methods are environmental friendly and succeed in reducing the atmospheric CO2 concentration and producing fuels or/and useful organic compounds at the same time. The most common photocatalysts for the CO2 reduction are the inorganic, the carbon based semiconductors and the hybrids based on semiconductors, which combine stability, low cost and appropriate structure in order to accomplish redox reactions. In this review, inorganic semiconductors such as single-metal oxide, mixed-metal oxides, metal oxide composites, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), salt composites, carbon based semiconductors such as graphene based composites, CNT composites, g-C3N4 composites and hybrid organic-inorganic materials (ZIFs) were studied. TiO2 and Ti based photocatalysts are extensively studied and therefore in this review they are not mentioned.

Study of TiO2 nanotubes as an implant application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazan, Roshasnorlyza; Sreekantan, Srimala; Mydin, Rabiatul Basria S. M. N.; Mat, Ishak; Abdullah, Yusof

2016-01-01

Vertically aligned TiO 2 nanotubes have become the primary candidates for implant materials that can provide direct control of cell behaviors. In this work, 65 nm inner diameters of TiO 2 nanotubes were successfully prepared by anodization method. The interaction of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) in term of cell adhesion and cell morphology on bare titanium and TiO 2 nanotubes is reported. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis proved interaction of BMSC on TiO 2 nanotubes structure was better than flat titanium (Ti) surface. Also, significant cell adhesion on TiO 2 nanotubes surface during in vitro study revealed that BMSC prone to attach on TiO 2 nanotubes. From the result, it can be conclude that TiO 2 nanotubes are biocompatible to biological environment and become a new generation for advanced implant materials

Photocatalytic degradation of diuron in aqueous solution by platinized TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsumata, Hideyuki; Sada, Maki; Nakaoka, Yusuke; Kaneco, Satoshi; Suzuki, Tohru; Ohta, Kiyohisa

2009-01-01

The photocatalytic degradation of diuron, which is one of phenylurea herbicides, was carried out in the presence of platinized TiO 2 photocatalyst. Platinization was found to increase the rate of diuron degradation. When 0.2 wt.% of platinum was deposited onto the surface of TiO 2 , an initial diuron concentration of 10 mg L -1 was completely degraded after 20 min. Furthermore, the first-order rate constant for diuron degradation by Pt-TiO 2 was ca. 4 times higher than P-25 TiO 2 . In addition, the photocatalytic activity of Pt-TiO 2 was appeared under visible light. The decrease of TOC as a result of mineralization of diuron was observed during the photocatalytic process. The degree of diuron mineralization was about 97% under UV irradiation after 8 h. The formations of chloride, nitrate and ammonium ions as end-products were observed during the photocatalytic system. The decomposition of diuron gave four kinds of intermediate products. The degradation mechanism of diuron was proposed on the base of the evidence of the identified intermediates. Based on these results, the photocatalytic reaction by Pt-TiO 2 could be useful technology for the treatment of wastewater containing diuron.

1D TiO2 Nanostructures Prepared from Seeds Presenting Tailored TiO2 Crystalline Phases and Their Photocatalytic Activity for Escherichia coli in Water

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Julieta Cabrera

2018-01-01

Full Text Available TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized by alkaline hydrothermal treatment of TiO2 nanoparticles with a controlled proportion of anatase and rutile. Tailoring of TiO2 phases was achieved by adjusting the pH and type of acid used in the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide (first step in the sol-gel synthesis. The anatase proportion in the precursor nanoparticles was in the 3–100% range. Tube-like nanostructures were obtained with an anatase percentage of 18 or higher while flake-like shapes were obtained when rutile was dominant in the seed. After annealing at 400°C for 2 h, a fraction of nanotubes was conserved in all the samples but, depending on the anatase/rutile ratio in the starting material, spherical and rod-shaped structures were also observed. The photocatalytic activity of 1D nanostructures was evaluated by measuring the deactivation of E. coli in stirred water in the dark and under UV-A/B irradiation. Results show that in addition to the bactericidal activity of TiO2 under UV-A illumination, under dark conditions, the decrease in bacteria viability is ascribed to mechanical stress due to stirring.

Improved photocatalytic activity of highly ordered TiO{sub 2} nanowire arrays for methylene blue degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lv, Xiaojun, E-mail: xjlv@mail.ipc.ac.cn [Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials and HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Zhang, Hao; Chang, Haixin [WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578 (Japan)

2012-10-15

Although many efforts have been done on the photocatalytic properties of anodic TiO{sub 2} nanotubes, much less work is done on the photocatalytic performance of TiO{sub 2} nanowires. Self-organized anodic TiO{sub 2} nanowire arrays have been fabricated using a simple electrochemical approach and used as photocatalysts in photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dyes. Here we found for the first time TiO{sub 2} nanowires have better photocatalytic properties and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) than TiO{sub 2} nanotubes. N doped TiO{sub 2} nanowires showed further enhancement in photodegradation activity and photocurrent response in the visible region. Such TiO{sub 2} nanowires are expected to have great potential in photodegradation of pollutants, photovoltaic solar energy conversion and water splitting for hydrogen generation as well. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TiO{sub 2} nanowire arrays electrode fabricated via anodizing Ti foil. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TiO{sub 2} nanowire arrays have higher photodegradation activity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer N doped TiO{sub 2} nanowires enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity.

Adhesion measurement of highly-ordered TiO2 nanotubes on Ti-6Al-4V alloy

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Masoud Sarraf

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Self-assembled nanotubular arrays on Ti alloys could be used for more effective implantable devices in various medical approaches. In the present work, the adhesion of TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2 NTs on Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64 was investigated by laser spallation and scratch test techniques. At first, electrochemical anodization was performed in an ammonium fluoride solution dissolved in a 90:10 ethane-1,2-diol (ethylene glycol and water solvent mixture. This process was performed at room temperature (23 °C at a steady potential of 60 V for 1 h. Next, the TiO2 nanotubes layer was heat-treated to improve the adhesion of the coating. The formation of selforganized TiO2 nanotubes as well as the microstructural evolution, are strongly dependent on the processing parameters and subsequent annealing. From microscopic analysis, highly oriented arrays of TiO2 nanotubes were grown by thermal treatment for 90 min at 500 °C. Further heat treatment above 500 °C led to the detachment of the nanotubes and the complete destruction of the nanotubes occurred at temperature above 700 °C. Scratch test analysis over a constant scratch length (1000 µm indicated that the failure point was shifted from 247.4 to 557.9 µm while the adhesion strength was increased from ∼862 to ∼1814 mN after annealing at 500 °C. The adhesion measurement determined by laser spallation technique provided an intrinsic adhesion strength of 51.4 MPa for the TiO2 nanotubes on the Ti64 substrate.

Scanning electron microscopy of heat treated TiO2 nanotubes arrays obtained by anodic oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Naranjo, D. I.; García-Vergara, S. J.; Blanco, S.

2017-12-01

Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the anatase-rutile transformation of self-organized TiO2 nanotubes obtained on titanium foil by anodizing and subsequent heat treatment. The anodizing was carried out at 20V in an 1% v/v HF acid and ethylene glycol:water (50:50) electrolyte at room temperature. The anodized samples were initially pre-heat treated at 450°C for 4 hours to modify the amorphous structure of TiO2 nanotubes into anatase structure. Then, the samples were heated between 600 to 800°C for different times, in order to promote the transformation to rutile structure. The formation of TiO2 nanotubes is evident by SEM images. Notably, when the samples are treated at high temperature, the formation of rutile crystals starts to become evident at the nanotubes located on the originally grain boundaries of the titanium. Thus, the anatase - rutile transformation has a close relationship with the microstructure of the titanium, more exactly with grain boundaries.

Photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Modified with BiOCl nanosheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Haipeng; Xu, Guangqing; Wang, Jinwen; Lv, Jun; Zheng, Zhixiang; Wu, Yucheng

2014-01-01

Highlights: • BiOCl were deposited on TiO2 NTAs by sequential chemical bath deposition. • BiOCl can decrease background photocurrent and increase current response. • High sensitivity BiOCl/TiO2 is due to the direct oxidation of organics on BiOCl. - Abstract: BiOCl nanosheets were deposited on anodized TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) by sequential chemical bath deposition method to get BiOCl/TiO 2 NTAs for photoelectrochemical detection of organic compounds (represented by glucose). The structures, elemental components and morphologies of TiO 2 and BiOCl/TiO 2 NTAs were characterized by using X-ray diffraction diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The photoelectrochemical behaviors of TiO 2 and BiOCl/TiO 2 NTAs in the buffer and glucose solutions were measured by cyclic votammetry and amperometry with different optical powers. The modification of BiOCl nanosheets on TiO 2 NTAs decreases the photocurrents of TiO 2 NTAs in the buffer solution and increases the current response to glucose. Both of the background photocurrent decrease and current response increase are benefit for photoelectrochemical detection of organic compounds. When glucose was used as the target organic compound, the optimized BiOCl/TiO 2 NTAs sensor achieved a sensitivity of 0.327 μA/μM (0.417 μA·cm −2 ·μM −1 ), linear range from 0 to 1300 μM and calculated detection limit of 5.7 μM. Mechanisms of BiOCl modification were studied by measuring the optical absorption and hydroxyl radical HO· productivity. The transfer of holes from TiO 2 to BiOCl and the direct oxidation of organic compounds on BiOCl nanosheets led to the decrease of background photocurrent (lower reaction rate of water splitting on BiOCl nanosheets) and the increase of current response to organic compounds (higher reaction rate of direct oxidation of organic compounds)

Photoelectrolysis of water using heterostructural composite of TiO2 nanotubes and nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Prajna P; Mohapatra, Susanta K; Misra, Mano

2008-01-01

Efficient photoelectrolysis of water to generate hydrogen (H 2 ) can be carried out by designing photocatalysts with good absorption as well as charge transport properties. One dimensional (1D), self-organized titania (TiO 2 ) nanotubes are known to have excellent charge transport properties and TiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) are good for better photon absorption. This paper describes the synthesis of a composite photocatalyst combining the above two properties of TiO 2 nanocomposites with different morphologies. TiO 2 NPs (5-9 nm nanocrystals form 500-700 nm clusters) have been synthesized from TiCl 4 precursor on TiO 2 nanotubular arrays (∼80 nm diameter and ∼550 nm length) synthesized by the sonoelectrochemical anodization method. This TiO 2 nanotube-nanoparticle composite photoanode has enabled obtaining of enhanced photocurrent density (2.2 mA cm -2 ) as compared with NTs (0.9 mA cm -2 ) and NPs (0.65 mA cm -2 ) alone.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Property of TiO2/Diatomite-Based Porous Ceramics Composite Materials

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Shuilin Zheng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The diatomite-based porous ceramics was made by low-temperature sintering. Then the nano-TiO2/diatomite-based porous ceramics composite materials were prepared by hydrolysis deposition method with titanium tetrachloride as the precursor of TiO2 and diatomite-based porous as the supporting body of the nano-TiO2. The structure and microscopic appearance of nano-TiO2/diatomite-based porous ceramics composite materials was characterized by XRD and SEM. The photocatalytic property of the composite was investigated by the degradation of malachite green. Results showed that, after calcination at 550°C, TiO2 thin film loaded on the diatomite-based porous ceramics is anatase TiO2 and average grain size of TiO2 is about 10 nm. The degradation ratio of the composite for 5 mg/L malachite green solution reached 86.2% after irradiation for 6 h under ultraviolet.

Surface Plasmon Enhanced Photocatalysis of Au/Pt-decorated TiO2 Nanopillar Arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Shuang, Shuang; Lv, Ruitao; Xie, Zheng; Zhang, Zhengjun

2016-05-01

The low quantum yields and lack of visible light utilization hinder the practical application of TiO2 in high-performance photocatalysis. Herein, we present a design of TiO2 nanopillar arrays (NPAs) decorated with both Au and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) directly synthesized through successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) at room temperature. Au/Pt NPs with sizes of ~4 nm are well-dispersed on the TiO2 NPAs as evidenced by electron microscopic analyses. The present design of Au/Pt co-decoration on the TiO2 NPAs shows much higher visible and ultraviolet (UV) light absorption response, which leads to remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activities on both the dye degradation and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. Its photocatalytic reaction efficiency is 21 and 13 times higher than that of pure TiO2 sample under UV-vis and visible light, respectively. This great enhancement can be attributed to the synergy of electron-sink function of Pt and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Au NPs, which significantly improves charge separation of photoexcited TiO2. Our studies demonstrate that through rational design of composite nanostructures one can harvest visible light through the SPR effect to enhance the photocatalytic activities initiated by UV-light, and thus realize more effectively utilization of the whole solar spectrum for energy conversion.

Pr3+ doped biphasic TiO2 (rutile-brookite) nanorod arrays grown on activated carbon fibers: Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic properties

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Min; Zhang, Xiaomei; Liu, Ying; Yang, Yi

2018-05-01

Praseodymium-doped biphasic TiO2 (rutile-brookite) nanorod arrays (Pr-TiO2 NRAs) were successfully prepared via a two-step hydrothermal reaction on activated carbon fibers (ACFs) which pre-coated with TiO2 nanoparticles at first step. The bicrystalline arrays grown on ACFs are primarily constructed by the well-aligned TiO2 nanorods growing along [0 0 1] direction, which were indicated by the results of SEM and XRD. The nanorods are uniform in diameter and length with about 250 nm and 2.5 μm. The composite photocatalyst with high specific surface area and well-aligned nanostructure are beneficial to enhance the adsorption capacity and even help to suppress electron-hole recombination effectively, which consequently revealed much better (2 times) catalytic performance than that of commercially available P25 TiO2 on methylene blue(MB) photodegradation. In addition, the existence of praseodymium in TiO2 gives rise to shift of absorption edge towards long wavelength, which was indicated by the results of UV-vis DRS. Photodegradation results reveal that Pr-doping significantly improves the activity of TiO2, which was 20% higher than that of undoped TiO2 NRAs for the photodegradation of MB in aqueous medium under visible light irradiation. Meanwhile, the doped amount of Pr had a tiny influence on the photocatalytic performance of the composites. In our experiment, 3% Pr-doped molar concentration was proven to be the relatively optimal dopant concentration for the doping of TiO2 NRAs. Moreover, the photocatalyst grown on ACFs substrates is favorable to reuse and photodegradation rate kept on 76% even after 4 times of reuse.

Photocatalytic Decolorization Study of Methyl Orange by TiO2–Chitosan Nanocomposites

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Imelda Fajriati

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The photocatalytic decolorization of methyl orange (MO by TiO2-chitosan nanocomposite has been studied. This study was started by synthesizing TiO2-chitosan nanocomposites using sol-gel method with various concentrations of Titanium(IV isopropoxide (TTIP as the TiO2 precursor. The structure, surface morphology, thermal and optical property of TiO2-chitosan nanocomposite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, fourier transform infra red (FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, and diffuse reflectance ultra violet (DRUV spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2-chitosan nanocomposite was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of methyl orange as a model pollutant. The results indicate that the particle size of TiO2 increases with increasing ofthe concentration of TTIP, in which TiO2 with smallest particle size exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity. The highest photocatalytic decolorization was obtained at 5 h of contact time, initial concentration of MO at 20 ppm and at solution pH of 4. Using these conditions, over 90% of MO was able to be decolorized using 0.02 g of TiO2-chitosan nanocomposite under UV light irradiation. The TiO2-chitosan nanocomposite could be reused, which meant that the TiO2-chitosan nanocomposites can be developed as an effective and economical photocatalyst to decolorize or treat dye in wastewater.

Synthesis and characterization of Ag-doped TiO2 nanotubes on Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Ulfah, Ika Maria; Bachtiar, Boy M.; Murnandityas, Arnita Rut; Slamet

2018-05-01

The present paper is focused on comparative behavior of nanotubes growth on Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy using electrochemical anodization method. These alloys were anodized in electrolytes solution containing glycerol, water and 0.5wt.% of NH4F. Silver-doped TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized using photo-assisted deposition (PAD) at various Ag loading concentration in 0.05 M, 0.10 M, and 0.15 M. The phase composition and morphological characteristics were investigated by XRD and FESEM/EDX, respectively. The surface wettability was measured by contact angle meter. The results showed that TiO2 nanotubes can be grown on these surface alloys. XRD profiles revealed crystal formation of anatase, rutile and Ag on these surface alloys. According to FESEM images, the average nanotube diameter of Ti-6Al-4V alloy and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy are 134 nm and 120 nm, respectively. EDX-Mapping analysis showed that Ag desposited over surface of TiO2 nanotubes. The surface wettability indicated hydrophilicity properties on Ti-4Al-4V alloy and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy surface. This study may contribute to the development of silver-doped TiO2 nanotubes on Ti-6Al-4V alloy and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy can be considered in various photocatalytic applications such as biomedical devicesdue to photocatalytic mechanism and antibacterial ability.

Self-assembly graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots anchored on TiO_2 nanotube arrays: An efficient heterojunction for pollutants degradation under solar light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Jingyang; Zhu, Lin; Geng, Ping; Chen, Guohua

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs) were decorated onto TiO_2 nanotube arrays (NTAs). • The CNQDs/TiO_2 NTAs exhibits much improved photoelectrochemical activity. • The heterojunction displays efficient removal efficiencies for RhB and phenol. • Pollutants degradation mechanism over CNQDs/TiO_2 NTAs was clarified. - Abstract: In this study, an efficient heterojunction was constructed by anchoring graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots onto TiO_2 nanotube arrays through hydrothermal reaction strategy. The prepared graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots, which were prepared by solid-thermal reaction and sequential dialysis process, act as a sensitizer to enhance light absorption. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the charge transfer and separation in the formed heterojunction were significantly improved compared with pristine TiO_2. The prepared heterojunction was used as a photoanode, exhibiting much improved photoelectrochemical capability and excellent photo-stability under solar light illumination. The photoelectrocatalytic activities of prepared heterojunction were demonstrated by degradation of RhB and phenol in aqueous solution. The kinetic constants of RhB and phenol degradation using prepared photoelectrode are 2.4 times and 4.9 times higher than those of pristine TiO_2, respectively. Moreover, hydroxyl radicals are demonstrated to be dominant active radicals during the pollutants degradation.

Novel preparation and photocatalytic activity of one-dimensional TiO2 hollow structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Huogen; Yu Jiaguo; Cheng Bei; Liu Shengwei

2007-01-01

Usually, templated methods include two important steps: the coating of nanocrystals on the surface of the templates and the removal of the templates. In this study, one-dimensional TiO 2 hollow structures, based on the template-directed deposition and then in situ template-sacrificial reaction (or dissolution), were prepared by a one-step template method using vanadium oxide nanobelts as the templates and TiF 4 as the precursor at 60 deg. C. The coating of TiO 2 nanoparticles on the surface of the templates was accompanied with the dissolution of vanadium oxide nanobelts by HF produced during the hydrolysis of TiF 4 in the reaction solution. It was found that the prepared one-dimensional TiO 2 hollow structures with a mesoporous wall were composed of TiO 2 nanoparticles with a diameter of 10-55 nm, resulting in a large specific surface area (77.2 m 2 g -1 ) and high pore volume (0.13 cm 3 g -1 ), and the wall thickness of the TiO 2 hollow structures could be easily controlled by adjusting the precursor concentration of TiF 4 . The photocatalytic activity experiment indicated that the prepared one-dimensional TiO 2 hollow structures, which could be readily separated from a slurry system after photocatalytic reaction, exhibited obvious photocatalytic activity for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange aqueous solution

TiO2/Halloysite Composites Codoped with Carbon and Nitrogen from Melamine and Their Enhanced Solar-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Performance

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Pengcheng Yao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Carbon (C and nitrogen (N codoped anatase TiO2/amorphous halloysite nanotubes (C+N-TiO2/HNTs were fabricated using melamine as C and N source. The samples prepared by different weight ratios of melamine and TiO2 were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrometer. It is shown that the doping amounts of C and N could influence the photocatalytic performance of as-prepared composites. When the weight ratio of melamine/TiO2 is 4.5, the C+N-TiO2/HNTs exhibited the best photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methyl blue (MB under solar light irradiation. The obtained C+N-TiO2/HNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm (BET, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR. The results showed that the aggregation was effectively reduced, and TiO2 nanoparticles could be uniformly deposited on the surface of HNTs. This leads to an increase of their specific surface area. XPS and FT-IR analyses indicated TiO2 particles were doped successfully with C and N via the linkage of the Ti–O–N, O–Ti–N, and Ti–O–C. Photocatalytic experiments showed that C+N-TiO2/HNTs had higher degradation efficiency of MB than TiO2/HNTs. This makes the composite a potential candidate for the photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

Role of Ag2S coupling on enhancing the visible-light-induced catalytic property of TiO2 nanorod arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhengcao; Xiong, Shan; Wang, Guojing; Xie, Zheng; Zhang, Zhengjun

2016-01-01

In order to obtain a better photocatalytic performance under visible light, Ag2S-coupled TiO2 nanorod arrays (NRAs) were prepared through the electron beam deposition with glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique, annealing in air, followed by the successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The properties of the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) were thus conducted. The presence of Ag2S on TiO2 NRAs was observed to have a significant improvement on the response to visible light. It’s resulted from that Ag2S coupling can improve the short circuit photocurrent density and enhance the photocatalytic activity remarkably.

Nanoscale Optimization and Statistical Modeling of Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Efficiency of N-Doped TiO2 Nanotubes

KAUST Repository

Isimjan, Tayirjan T.

2014-12-19

Highly ordered nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO2) nanotube array films with enhanced photo-electrochemical water splitting efficiency (PCE) for hydrogen generation were fabricated by electrochemical anodization, followed by annealing in a nitrogen atmosphere. Morphology, structure and composition of the N-doped TiO2 nanotube array films were investigated by FE-SEM, XPS, UV-Vis and XRD. The effect of annealing temperature, heating rate and annealing time on the morphology, structure, and photo-electrochemical property of the N-doped TiO2 nanotube array films were investigated. A design of experiments method was applied in order to minimize the number of experiments and obtain a statistical model for this system. From the modelling results, optimum values for the influential factors were obtained in order to achieve the maximum PCE. The optimized experiment resulted in 7.42 % PCE which was within 95 % confidence interval of the predicted value by the model. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media.

Biofilm formation on a TiO2 nanotube with controlled pore diameter and surface wettability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anitha, V C; Narayan Banerjee, Arghya; Woo Joo, Sang; Lee, Jin-Hyung; Lee, Jintae; Ki Min, Bong

2015-01-01

Titania (TiO 2 ) nanotube arrays (TNAs) with different pore diameters (140 − 20 nm) are fabricated via anodization using hydrofluoric acid (HF) containing ethylene glycol (EG) by changing the HF-to-EG volume ratio and the anodization voltage. To evaluate the effects of different pore diameters of TiO 2 nanotubes on bacterial biofilm formation, Shewanella oneidensis (S. oneidensis) MR-1 cells and a crystal-violet biofilm assay are used. The surface roughness and wettability of the TNA surfaces as a function of pore diameter, measured via the contact angle and AFM techniques, are correlated with the controlled biofilm formation. Biofilm formation increases with the decreasing nanotube pore diameter, and a 20 nm TiO 2 nanotube shows the maximum biofilm formation. The measurements revealed that 20 nm surfaces have the least hydrophilicity with the highest surface roughness of ∼17 nm and that they show almost a 90% increase in the effective surface area relative to the 140 nm TNAs, which stimulate the cells more effectively to produce the pili to attach to the surface for more biofilm formation. The results demonstrate that bacterial cell adhesion (and hence, biofilm formation) can effectively be controlled by tuning the roughness and wettability of TNAs via controlling the pore diameters of TNA surfaces. This biofilm formation as a function of the surface properties of TNAs can be a potential candidate for both medical applications and as electrodes in microbial fuel cells. (paper)

High pressure synthesis of amorphous TiO2 nanotubes

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Quanjun Li

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Amorphous TiO2 nanotubes with diameters of 8-10 nm and length of several nanometers were synthesized by high pressure treatment of anatase TiO2 nanotubes. The structural phase transitions of anatase TiO2 nanotubes were investigated by using in-situ high-pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD method. The starting anatase structure is stable up to ∼20GPa, and transforms into a high-density amorphous (HDA form at higher pressure. Pressure-modified high- to low-density transition was observed in the amorphous form upon decompression. The pressure-induced amorphization and polyamorphism are in good agreement with the previous results in ultrafine TiO2 nanoparticles and nanoribbons. The relationship between the LDA form and α-PbO2 phase was revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM study. In addition, the bulk modulus (B0 = 158 GPa of the anatase TiO2 nanotubes is smaller than those of the corresponding bulks and nanoparticles (180-240 GPa. We suggest that the unique open-ended nanotube morphology and nanosize play important roles in the high pressure phase transition of TiO2 nanotubes.

The structure and the photocatalytic activity of titania based nanotube and nanofiber coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radtke, A.; Piszczek, P.; Topolski, A.; Lewandowska, Ż.; Talik, E.; Andersen, I. Hald; Nielsen, L. Pleth; Heikkilä, M.; Leskelä, M.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The photoactivity of TNT and TNF has been quantified by two different methods. • The influence of the TNT and TNF structure on their photoactivity was studied. • The photoactivity comparison of TNT and TNF was carried out. • TNF coatings show higher photoactivity in comparison to TNT. - Abstract: The photocatalytic activity of TiO_2 based nanotube (TNT) and nanofiber (TNF) coatings has been investigated, in correlation to their structure, morphology, specific surface area, acidity and the amount of surface H_2O molecules and −OH groups. Characterization of these materials was carried out using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). The photocatalytic activity has been quantified by two different methods, based on the photodegradation of methylene blue (the pattern of water-soluble organic pollutant) and acetone (the pattern of volatile organic pollutant), respectively. Results of our investigations revealed that TNF coatings were significantly more active in case of both photodegradation processes in air and water, as compared to TNT, even if the specific surface area of TNF films was smaller than the adequate surface area of TNT. The microstructure of produced materials, the amount of adsorbed −OH groups and H_2O molecules located on the surface of materials, and the acidity of the surface, were the main factors which affect their photoactivity. Photocatalytic properties of tubular and porous TiO_2-based materials are the resultant of the compilation of individual factors impact and any of them cannot be neglected.

Favorable recycling photocatalyst TiO2/CFA: Effects of loading percent of TiO2 on the structural property and photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Jianwen; Chen Shaohua; Ye Zhilong; Wang Shumei; Wu Peng

2010-01-01

A series of photocatalysts TiO 2 /CFA were prepared using coal fly ash (CFA), waste discharged from coal-fired power plant, as substrate, and then these photocatalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction analysis, nitrogen adsorption test and ultraviolet-visible absorption analysis. The effects of loading percent of TiO 2 on the photocatalytic activity and re-use property of TiO 2 /CFA were evaluated by the photocatalytic decoloration and mineralization of methyl orange solution. The results show that the pore volume and the specific surface area of the TiO 2 /CFA both increased with the increase in the loading percent of TiO 2 , which improved the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 /CFA. However, when the loading percent of TiO 2 was too high (up to 54.51%), superfluous TiO 2 was easy to break away from CFA in the course of water treatment, which was disadvantaged to the recycling property of TiO 2 /CFA. In this study, the optimal loading percent of TiO 2 was 49.97%, and the efficiencies of photocatalytic decoloration and mineralization could be maintained above 99% and 90%, respectively, when the photocatalyst was used repeatedly, without any decline, even at the sixth cycle.

Visible-light photocatalytic activity of nitrided TiO2 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camps, Enrique; Escobar-Alarcon, L.; Camacho-Lopez, Marco Antonio; Casados, Dora A. Solis

2010-01-01

TiO 2 thin films have been applied in UV-light photocatalysis. Nevertheless visible-light photocatalytic activity would make this material more attractive for applications. In this work we present results on the modification of titanium oxide (anatase) sol-gel thin films, via a nitriding process using a microwave plasma source. After the treatment in the nitrogen plasma, the nitrogen content in the TiO 2 films varied in the range from 14 up to 28 at%. The titanium oxide films and the nitrided ones were characterized by XPS, micro-Raman spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity tests were done using a Methylene Blue dye solution, and as catalyst TiO 2 and nitrided TiO 2 films. The irradiation of films was carried out with a lamp with emission in the visible (without UV). The results showed that the nitrided TiO 2 films had photocatalytic activity, while the unnitrided films did not.

TiO2-Based Photocatalytic Geopolymers for Nitric Oxide Degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Strini, Alberto; Roviello, Giuseppina; Ricciotti, Laura; Ferone, Claudio; Messina, Francesco; Schiavi, Luca; Corsaro, Davide; Cioffi, Raffaele

2016-01-01

This study presents an experimental overview for the development of photocatalytic materials based on geopolymer binders as catalyst support matrices. Particularly, geopolymer matrices obtained from different solid precursors (fly ash and metakaolin), composite systems (siloxane-hybrid, foamed hybrid), and curing temperatures (room temperature and 60 °C) were investigated for the same photocatalyst content (i.e., 3% TiO2 by weight of paste). The geopolymer matrices were previously designed for different applications, ranging from insulating (foam) to structural materials. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated as NO degradation in air, and the results were compared with an ordinary Portland cement reference. The studied matrices demonstrated highly variable photocatalytic performance depending on both matrix constituents and the curing temperature, with promising activity revealed by the geopolymers based on fly ash and metakaolin. Furthermore, microstructural features and titania dispersion in the matrices were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analyses. Particularly, EDS analyses of sample sections indicated segregation effects of titania in the surface layer, with consequent enhancement or depletion of the catalyst concentration in the active sample region, suggesting non-negligible transport phenomena during the curing process. The described results demonstrated that geopolymer binders can be interesting catalyst support matrices for the development of photocatalytic materials and indicated a large potential for the exploitation of their peculiar features. PMID:28773634

TiO2-Based Photocatalytic Geopolymers for Nitric Oxide Degradation

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Alberto Strini

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study presents an experimental overview for the development of photocatalytic materials based on geopolymer binders as catalyst support matrices. Particularly, geopolymer matrices obtained from different solid precursors (fly ash and metakaolin, composite systems (siloxane-hybrid, foamed hybrid, and curing temperatures (room temperature and 60 °C were investigated for the same photocatalyst content (i.e., 3% TiO2 by weight of paste. The geopolymer matrices were previously designed for different applications, ranging from insulating (foam to structural materials. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated as NO degradation in air, and the results were compared with an ordinary Portland cement reference. The studied matrices demonstrated highly variable photocatalytic performance depending on both matrix constituents and the curing temperature, with promising activity revealed by the geopolymers based on fly ash and metakaolin. Furthermore, microstructural features and titania dispersion in the matrices were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS analyses. Particularly, EDS analyses of sample sections indicated segregation effects of titania in the surface layer, with consequent enhancement or depletion of the catalyst concentration in the active sample region, suggesting non-negligible transport phenomena during the curing process. The described results demonstrated that geopolymer binders can be interesting catalyst support matrices for the development of photocatalytic materials and indicated a large potential for the exploitation of their peculiar features.

Improved Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity for TiO2 Nanomaterials by Codoping with Zinc and Sulfur

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Qianzhi Xu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available S/Zn codoped TiO2 nanomaterials were synthesized by a sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the morphology, structure, and optical properties of the prepared samples. The introduction of Zn and S resulted in significant red shift of absorption edge for TiO2-based nanomaterials. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by degrading reactive brilliant red X-3B solution under simulated sunlight irradiation. The results showed S/Zn codoped TiO2 exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO2 and commercial P25, due to the photosynergistic effect of obvious visible light absorption, efficient separation of photoinduced charge carriers, and large surface area. Moreover, the content of Zn and S in the composites played important roles in photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based nanomaterials.

TiO{sub 2}-based nanotubes modified with nickel: synthesis, properties, and improved photocatalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qamar, M; Ganguli, A K [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016 (India); Kim, S J, E-mail: sjkim1@sejong.ac.k, E-mail: ashok@chemistry.iitd.ac.i [Department of Nano Science and Technology, Sejong Advanced Institute of Nano Technologies, Sejong University, 98, Gunja-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of)

2009-11-11

Titanate nanotubes containing 2.5 wt% Ni were synthesized from TiO{sub 2} sol using alkali hydrothermal treatment followed by a simple ion-exchange process. The changes in phase, shape and morphology, surface area, and photocatalytic activity of these nanotubes have been explored as a function of calcination temperature. The samples were characterized using standard techniques, including x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and Brauner-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The study revealed that the titanate phase containing Ni ions can be converted to the anatase phase after certain heat treatments but, at the same time, the tubular morphology was partially lost. Investigation of photocatalytic properties demonstrated that the as-prepared Ni-titanate nanotubes were photocatalytically inactive, but when heated at temperatures below 500 {sup 0}C their activity was significantly enhanced with the change in phase. The calcined nanotube samples carrying nickel ion showed better photocatalytic activity than calcined nanotube samples containing protons. The hydrogen adsorption capacity of these titanates has also been measured, and it was found that Ni-titanate nanotubes can adsorb more hydrogen than its counterpart Na-titanate.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of nano titanium dioxide coated on ethanol-soluble carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Xiaofei; Yang, Hanpei; He, Kuanyan; Zhang, Yingchao; Wu, Junming

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Homogenous and dense spreading of TiO 2 on surface modified CNTs and improved photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 was achieved by coupling TiO 2 with ethanol-soluble CNTs. Display Omitted Highlights: ► Ethanol-soluble CNTs were acquired by surface modification. ► Enhanced photoactivity of TiO 2 coated on modified CNTs was obtained. ► Improved activity of TiO 2 is attributed to the intimate contact between TiO 2 and CNTs. ► Dense heterojunctions through Ti–O–CNTs at the interface is proposed. -- Abstract: Surface functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with ethanol solubility were synthesized and the CNTs–TiO 2 nanocomposites were prepared by coupling of TiO 2 with modified CNTs through a sol–gel method. The as-prepared CNTs and composites were characterized and the composite samples were evaluated for their photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of aqueous methyl orange. It is showed that the acid oxidation of CNTs leads to the embedding of oxygenated functional groups, and as a result, the acid-treated CNTs in turn may serve as chemical reactors for subsequent covalent grafting of octadecylamine. Improved photocatalytic performance of CNTs–TiO 2 composites was obtained, which is mainly attributed to the high dispersion of TiO 2 on ethanol-soluble CNTs and the intimate contact between TiO 2 and CNTs resulted from the dense heterojunctions through the Ti-O-C structure at the interface between TiO 2 and CNTs.

Effects of Hydroxylation on PbS Quantum Dot Sensitized TiO2 Nanotube Array Photoelectrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Zhongqing; Wang, Bin; Wu, Jianchun; Dong, Qiang; Zhang, Xiaoming; Xu, He

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT: The contact state at the heterojunction interfaces greatly influences the interfacial kinetics of the photoinduced charge carriers. In this study, we used a facile NaOH pretreatment to replenish the hydroxyl groups lost during the heat treatment for crystallization of TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) prepared via anodic oxidization. By reacting the carboxylic acid groups of thioglycolic acid (TGA) with the TiO 2 surface hydroxyl groups, TGA molecules were covalently linked to the TiO 2 surface and then PbS quantum dots (QDs) were anchored onto the TNAs via the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The sample microstructure and photoelectrochemical properties were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM),current–voltage characteristics (J–V), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), transient photovoltage plots and Mott-Schottky curves. The contact state and electrostatic potential distribution between TiO 2 {1 0 1} and PbS {1 1 1} planes were estimated by using first principle simulation. It was found that the NaOH pretreatment could enhance the crystallization degree of PbS QDs, decrease the crystal face mismatch, dangling bond density and the interfacial resistance between PbS QDs and TiO 2 , and accelerate the interfacial separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers. The first principle calculations demonstrated that the PbS QDs and TiO 2 interfacial contact was strengthened, and the built-in electric field was induced from TiO 2 {1 0 1} towards PbS {1 1 1}. These combined effects apparently improved the device photoelectrochemical performance. Compared to the sample without pretreatment, the specimen pretreated with NaOH demonstrated 19.96% and 29.93% increases in peak photoconversion efficiency after five and ten cycles of SILAR deposition, respectively.

Direct Z-scheme TiO2/CdS hierarchical photocatalyst for enhanced photocatalytic H2-production activity

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Aiyun; Zhu, Bicheng; Zhong, Bo; Zhang, Liuyang; Cheng, Bei

2017-11-01

Photocatalytic H2 evolution, which utilizes solar energy via water splitting, is a promising route to deal with concerns about energy and environment. Herein, a direct Z-scheme TiO2/CdS binary hierarchical photocatalyst was fabricated via a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique, and photocatalytic H2 production was measured afterwards. The as-prepared TiO2/CdS hybrid photocatalyst exhibited noticeably promoted photocatalytic H2-production activity of 51.4 μmol h-1. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity was ascribed to the hierarchical structure, as well as the efficient charge separation and migration from TiO2 nanosheets to CdS nanoparticles (NPs) at their tight contact interfaces. Moreover, the direct Z-scheme photocatalytic reaction mechanism was demonstrated to elucidate the improved photocatalytic performance of TiO2/CdS composite photocatalyst. The photoluminescence (PL) analysis of hydroxyl radicals were conducted to provide clues for the direct Z-scheme mechanism. This work provides a facile route for the construction of redox mediator-free Z-scheme photocatalytic system for photocatalytic water splitting.

Defects improved photocatalytic ability of TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Lei; Tian, Hong-Wei; Meng, Fan-Ling; Hu, Xiao-Ying; Zheng, Wei-Tao; Sun, Chang Q.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Defect improves the photocatalytic ability by band gap narrowing and carrier life prolonging. • Atomic undercoordination shortens the local bonds, entraps, and polarizes electrons. • Polarization lowers the local workfunction and lengthens carrier life. • Entrapment and polarization narrows the band gap tuning the wavelength of absorption. - Abstract: Defect generation forms an important means modulating the photocatalytic ability of TiO 2 with mechanisms that remain yet unclear. Here we show that a spectral distillation clarifies the impact of defect on modulating the band gap, electroaffinity, and work function of the substance. Firstly, by analyzing XPS measurements, we calibrated the 2p 3/2 level of 451.47 eV for an isolated Ti atom and its shifts by 2.14 and 6.94 eV, respectively, upon Ti and TiO 2 bulk formation. Spectral difference between the defected and the un-defected TiO 2 skin revealed then that the 2p 3/2 level shifts further from 6.94 to 9.67 eV due to the defect-induced quantum entrapment. This entrapment is associated with an elevation of the upper edges of both the 2p 3/2 and the conduction band by polarization. The shortening and strengthening of bonds between undercoordinated atoms densify and entrap the core electrons, which in turn polarize the dangling bond electrons of defect atoms. The entrapment and polarization mediate thus the band gap, the electroaffinity, the work function, and the photocatalytic ability of TiO 2

Enhanced photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 nanorod arrays decorated with CdS nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Zheng; Wang, Weipeng; Liu, Can; Li, Zhengcao; Liu, Xiangxuan; Zhang, Zhengjun

2014-01-01

TiO 2 nanorod arrays (TiO 2 NRAs) sensitized with CdS nanoparticles were fabricated via successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), and TiO 2 NRAs were obtained by oxidizing Ti NRAs obtained through oblique angle deposition. The TiO 2 NRAs decorated with CdS nanoparticles exhibited excellent photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties under visible light, and the one decorated with 20 SILAR cycles CdS nanoparticles shows the best performance. This can be attributed to the enhanced separation of electrons and holes by forming heterojunctions of CdS nanoparticles and TiO 2 NRAs. This provides a promising way to fabricate the material for solar energy conversion and wastewater degradation. (paper)

Photocatalytic properties of porous TiO2/Ag thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.-C.; Chen, J.-Y.; Hsu, T.-L.; Lin, C.-K.; Chan, C.-C.

2008-01-01

In this study, nanocrystalline TiO 2 /Ag composite thin films were prepared by a sol-gel spin-coating technique. By introducing polystyrene (PS) spheres into the precursor solution, porous TiO 2 /Ag thin films were prepared after calcination at a temperature of 500 deg. C for 4 h. Three different sizes (50, 200, and 400 nm) of PS spheres were used to prepare porous TiO 2 films. The as-prepared TiO 2 and TiO 2 /Ag thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and by scanning electron microscopy to reveal structural and morphological differences. In addition, the photocatalytic properties of these films were investigated by degrading methylene blue under UV irradiation. When PS spheres of different sizes were introduced after calcination, the as-prepared TiO 2 films exhibited different porous structures. XRD results showed that all TiO 2 /Ag films exhibited a major anatase phase. The photodegradation of porous TiO 2 thin films prepared with 200 nm PS spheres and doped with 1 mol% Ag exhibited the best photocatalytic efficiency where ∼ 100% methylene blue was decomposed within 8 h under UV exposure

Probing Photocatalytic Characteristics of Sb-Doped TiO2 under Visible Light Irradiation

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Lingjing Luo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Sb-doped TiO2 nanoparticle with varied dopant concentrations was synthesized using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4 and antimony chloride (SbCl3 as the precursors. The properties of Sb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscope (SEM, fluorescence spectrophotometer, and Uv-vis spectrophotometer. The absorption edge of TiO2 nanoparticles could be extended to visible region after doping with antimony, in contrast to the UV absorption of pure TiO2. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of Sb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles was much more active than pure TiO2. The 0.1% Sb-doped TiO2 nanoparticles demonstrated the best photocatalytic activity which was better than that of the Degussa P25 under visible light irradiation using terephthalic acid as fluorescent probe. The effects of Sb dopant on the photocatalytic activity and the involved mechanism were extensively investigated in this work as well.

Graphene-spindle shaped TiO2 mesocrystal composites: Facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xiaofei; Qin, Jieling; Li, Yang; Zhang, Rongxian; Tang, Hua

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Graphene-TiO 2 mesocrystal composites were fabricated via a facile approach. • Graphene sheets were decorated with spindle-like TiO 2 mesocrystals. • Graphene causes enhanced light absorbance and visible light photocatalytic activity. • Oxygen-containing radicals are believed to responsible for its improved activity. -- Abstract: Graphene (GR)-TiO 2 mesocrystal composites were prepared by a facile template-free process based on the combination of sol–gel and solvothermal methods, and were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), nitrogen absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR). Visible light photocatalytic performance of GR-TiO 2 composites was evaluated for photocatalytic degradation of organic dye Rhodamine B. It was found that the amount of graphene oxide (GO) added obviously affects morphologies of TiO 2 mesocrystals and photocatalytic activities of as-prepared nanocomposites. Composites prepared in the presence of different amounts of GO all exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO 2 mesocrystals and P25, the composite obtained by using 20 mg GO presents the most uniform TiO 2 mesocrystals in the composite and shows the highest photocatalytic efficiency. The mechanism for the generation of TiO 2 mesocrystals in the GR-TiO 2 composite is proposed and possible reasons for the enhancement in visible light photocatalytic efficiency are also discussed

Highly Efficient Light-Driven TiO2-Au Janus Micromotors.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Renfeng; Zhang, Qilu; Gao, Wei; Pei, Allen; Ren, Biye

2016-01-26

A highly efficient light-driven photocatalytic TiO2-Au Janus micromotor with wireless steering and velocity control is described. Unlike chemically propelled micromotors which commonly require the addition of surfactants or toxic chemical fuels, the fuel-free Janus micromotor (diameter ∼1.0 μm) can be powered in pure water under an extremely low ultraviolet light intensity (2.5 × 10(-3) W/cm(2)), and with 40 × 10(-3) W/cm(2), they can reach a high speed of 25 body length/s, which is comparable to common Pt-based chemically induced self-electrophoretic Janus micromotors. The photocatalytic propulsion can be switched on and off by incident light modulation. In addition, the speed of the photocatalytic TiO2-Au Janus micromotor can be accelerated by increasing the light intensity or by adding low concentrations of chemical fuel H2O2 (i.e., 0.1%). The attractive fuel-free propulsion performance, fast movement triggering response, low light energy requirement, and precise motion control of the TiO2-Au Janus photocatalytic micromotor hold considerable promise for diverse practical applications.

Fabrication of photocatalytic composite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/TiO2 and its application for desulfurization of diesel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu, Thu Ha Thi; Nguyen, Thu Trang Thi; Nguyen, Phuong Hoa Thi; Do, Manh Hung; Au, Hang Thi; Nguyen, Thanh Binh; Nguyen, Dinh Lam; Park, Jun Seo

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► MWNTs and TiO 2 were mixed well, forming uniform microstructure in MWNTs/TiO 2 composites. ► The combination of MWNTs and TiO 2 contribute to improving photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 . ► MWNTs/TiO 2 composite is an effective photo-catalyst for the removal of sulfur from commercial diesel. -- Abstract: Composite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and titanium (IV) oxide (TiO 2 ) were prepared by a heterogeneous gelation method. The activities of the MWNTs/TiO 2 composites were evaluated by photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization using dibenzothiophene (DBT), 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT), n-tetradecane, and commercial diesel under irradiation using a high-pressure Hg lamp. The microstructures of MWNTs/TiO 2 composites were characterized by N 2 adsorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction. It was found that more than 98% of sulfur compounds in commercial diesel were oxidized and removed by the use of the MWNTs/TiO 2 composite as a photocatalyst.

Enhanced TiO2 Photocatalytic Processing of Organic Wastes for Green Space Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Udom, I.; Goswami, D. Y.; Ram, M. K.; Stefanakos, E. K.; Heep, A. F.; Kulis, M. J.; McNatt, J. S.; Jaworske, D. A.; Jones, C. A.

2013-01-01

The effect of transition metal co-catalysts on the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 was investigated. Ruthenium (Ru), palladium, platinum, copper, silver, and gold, were loaded onto TiO2 powders (anatase and mixed-phase P25) and screened for the decomposition of rhodamine B (RhB) under broad-band irradiation. The morphology and estimated chemical composition of photocatalysts were determined by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, respectively. Brunhauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) analysis measured mass-specific surface area(s). X-ray diffraction analysis was performed to confirm the identity of titania phase(s) present. The BET surface area of anatase TiO2/Ru 1% (9.2 sq m/gm) was one of the highest measured of all photocatalysts prepared in our laboratory. Photolyses conducted under air-saturated and nitrogen-saturated conditions revealed photodegradation efficiencies of 85 and 2 percent, respectively, after 60 min compared to 58 percent with no catalyst. The cause of low photocatalytic activity under an inert atmosphere is discussed. TiO2/Ru 1% showed a superior photocatalytic activity relative to P25-TiO2 under broad-band irradiation. A potential deployment of photocatalytic technologies on a mission could be a reactor with modest enhancement in solar intensity brought about by a trough-style reactor, with reactants and catalyst flowing along the axis of the trough and therefore being illuminated for a controlled duration based on the flow rate.

Fabrication of transparent TiO2 nanotube-based photoanodes for CdS/CdTe quantum co-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Gualdrón-Reyes, A. F.; Cárdenas-Arenas, A.; Martínez, C. A.; Kouznetsov, V. V.; Meléndez, A. M.

2017-01-01

In order to fabricate a solar cell, ordered TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays were prepared by double anodization. TNT arrays with variable lengths were obtained by changing the duration of the anodizing process of up to 3h. TNT membranes were transferred to indium tin oxide substrates and attached with a B-TiO2 sol. TNT photoanode with the best photoelectrochemical performance was sensitized with CdS by SILAR method. On other hand, CdTe quantum dots prepared via colloidal synthesis were deposited on TNT photoanodes for 2h, 4h and 6h. In addition, TNT/CdS was loaded with CdTe quantum dots for 4 h. Morphology and chemical modification of TiO2 were characterized by FESEM and XPS, while their photoelectrochemical performance was measured by open-circuit photopotential and photovoltammetry under visible light. TiO2 nanotubes grown during 2.5h showed the highest photocurrent due to presence of Ti3+ donor states by N and F co-doping, increasing the number of photogenerated electrons transported to back collector. TNT/CdS/CdTe photoanode reach the highest conversion efficiency under AM 1.5G simulated solar illumination.

Growth, Structure, and Photocatalytic Properties of Hierarchical V2O5–TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Obtained from the One-step Anodic Oxidation of Ti–V Alloys

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María C. Nevárez-Martínez

2017-04-01

Full Text Available V2O5-TiO2 mixed oxide nanotube (NT layers were successfully prepared via the one-step anodization of Ti-V alloys. The obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, UV-Vis absorption, photoluminescence spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX, X-ray diffraction (DRX, and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The effect of the applied voltage (30–50 V, vanadium content (5–15 wt % in the alloy, and water content (2–10 vol % in an ethylene glycol-based electrolyte was studied systematically to determine their influence on the morphology, and for the first-time, on the photocatalytic properties of these nanomaterials. The morphology of the samples varied from sponge-like to highly-organized nanotubular structures. The vanadium content in the alloy was found to have the highest influence on the morphology and the sample with the lowest vanadium content (5 wt % exhibited the best auto-alignment and self-organization (length = 1 μm, diameter = 86 nm and wall thickness = 11 nm. Additionally, a probable growth mechanism of V2O5-TiO2 nanotubes (NTs over the Ti-V alloys was presented. Toluene, in the gas phase, was effectively removed through photodegradation under visible light (LEDs, λmax = 465 nm in the presence of the modified TiO2 nanostructures. The highest degradation value was 35% after 60 min of irradiation. V2O5 species were ascribed as the main structures responsible for the generation of photoactive e− and h+ under Vis light and a possible excitation mechanism was proposed.

Síntese, caracterização e atividade fotocatalítica de catalisadores nanoestruturados de TiO2 dopados com metais Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of nanostructured TiO2 catalysts doped with metals

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William Leonardo da Silva

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide nanostructured catalysts (nanotubes doped with different metals (silver, gold, copper, palladium and zinc were synthesized by the hydrothermal method in order to promote an increase in their photocatalytic activity under visible light. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and specific area and pore volume determination. The materials' photocatalytic activity was evaluated by rhodamine B decomposition in a glass batch reactor. Under UV radiation, only nanotubes doped with palladium were more active than the TiO2 P25, but the samples doped with silver, palladium and gold exhibited better results than the undoped samples under visible light.

Charge transfer between biogenic jarosite derived Fe3+and TiO2 enhances visible light photocatalytic activity of TiO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowdhury, Mahabubur; Shoko, Sipiwe; Cummings, Fransciuos; Fester, Veruscha; Ojumu, Tunde Victor

2017-04-01

In this work, we have shown that mining waste derived Fe 3+ can be used to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 . This will allow us to harness a waste product from the mines, and utilize it to enhance TiO 2 photocatalytic waste water treatment efficiency. An organic linker mediated route was utilized to create a composite of TiO 2 and biogenic jarosite. Evidence of FeOTi bonding in the TiO 2 /jarosite composite was apparent from the FTIR, EFTEM, EELS and ELNEFS analysis. The as prepared material showed enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pristine TiO 2 , biogenic jarosite and mechanically mixed sample of jarosite and TiO 2 under both simulated and natural solar irradiation. The prepared material can reduce the electrical energy consumption by 4 times compared to pristine P25 for degradation of organic pollutant in water. The material also showed good recyclability. Results obtained from sedimentation experiments showed that the larger sized jarosite material provided the surface to TiO 2 nanoparticles, which increases the settling rate of the materials. This allowed simple and efficient recovery of the catalyst from the reaction system after completion of photocatalysis. Enhanced photocatalytic activity of the composite material was due to effective charge transfer between TiO 2 and jarosite derived Fe 3+ as was shown from the EELS and ELNEFS. Generation of OH was supported by photoluminesence (PL) experiments. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tuning the morphology, stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanocrystal colloids by tungsten doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Haiping; Liao, Jianhua; Yuan, Shuai; Zhao, Yin; Zhang, Meihong; Wang, Zhuyi; Shi, Liyi

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • W 6+ -doped TiO 2 nanocrystal colloids were prepared by hydrothermal methods. • The properties of TiO 2 nanocrystal colloids can be tuned by tungsten doping. • W 6+ -doped TiO 2 nanocrystal colloids show higher stability and dispersity. • W 6+ -doped TiO 2 nanocrystal colloids show higher photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: The effects of tungsten doping on the morphology, stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 nanocrystal colloids were investigated. The nanostructure, chemical state of Ti, W, O, and the properties of tungsten doped TiO 2 samples were investigated carefully by TEM, XRD, XPS, UV–vis, PL and photocatalytic degradation experiments. And the structure–activity relationship was discussed according to the analysis and measurement results. The analysis results reveal that the morphology, zeta potential and photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 nanocrystals can be easily tuned by changing the tungsten doping concentration. The tungsten doped TiO 2 colloid combines the characters of high dispersity and high photocatalytic activity

Visible-light photocatalytic performances of TiO2 nanoparticles modified by trace derivatives of PVA

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Le SHI

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In order to study the visible-light photocatalytic activity and catalysis stability of nanocomposites, a TiO2-based visible-light photocatalyst is prepared by surface-modification of TiO2 nanoparticles using trace conjugated derivatives from polyvinyl alcohol (DPVA via a facile method. The obtained DPVA/TiO2 nanocomposites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, Fourier transform infrared Spectra (FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. With Rhodamine B (RhB as a model pollutant, the visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability of DPVA/TiO2 nanocomposites are investigated by evaluating the RhB decomposition under visible light irradiation. The results reveal that the trace conjugated polymers on the TiO2 surface doesn’t change the crystalline and crystal size of TiO2 nanoparticles, but significantly enhances their visible-light absorbance and visible-light photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposite with the PVA and TiO2 mass ratio of 1∶200 exhibits the highest visible-light photocatalytic activity. The investigated nanocomposites exhibit well visible-light photoctatalytic stability. The photogenerated holes are thought as the main active species for the RhB photodegradation in the presence of the DPVA/TiO2 nanocomposites.

Understanding the effect of surface/bulk defects on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2: anatase versus rutile.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Junqing; Wu, Guangjun; Guan, Naijia; Li, Landong; Li, Zhuoxin; Cao, Xingzhong

2013-07-14

The sole effect of surface/bulk defects of TiO2 samples on their photocatalytic activity was investigated. Nano-sized anatase and rutile TiO2 were prepared by hydrothermal method and their surface/bulk defects were adjusted simply by calcination at different temperatures, i.e. 400-700 °C. High temperature calcinations induced the growth of crystalline sizes and a decrease in the surface areas, while the crystalline phase and the exposed facets were kept unchanged during calcination, as indicated by the characterization results from XRD, Raman, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, TEM and UV-Vis spectra. The existence of surface/bulk defects in calcined TiO2 samples was confirmed by photoluminescence and XPS spectra, and the surface/bulk defect ratio was quantitatively analyzed according to positron annihilation results. The photocatalytic activity of calcined TiO2 samples was evaluated in the photocatalytic reforming of methanol and the photocatalytic oxidation of α-phenethyl alcohol. Based on the characterization and catalytic results, a direct correlation between the surface specific photocatalytic activity and the surface/bulk defect density ratio could be drawn for both anatase TiO2 and rutile TiO2. The surface defects of TiO2, i.e. oxygen vacancy clusters, could promote the separation of electron-hole pairs under irradiation, and therefore, enhance the activity during photocatalytic reaction.

Reduced graphene oxide is not a universal promoter for photocatalytic activities of TiO2

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Hui Ling Tan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Addition of reduced graphene oxide (RGO to P25 TiO2 was made and its impacts on photocatalytic oxidation of various organic substances were studied. Although the presence of RGO in TiO2 can enhance certain TiO2-based photocatalytic reactions, it is not a universal observation that can be expected in all types of organic substances. The factor of photocatalytic activity enhancement is strongly affected by the various functional groups appeared in the organic substances. In this work, it is realised that the length of alkyl chain in alcohols and carboxylic acids have the minimum influence on the overall activity while the number of hydroxyl groups can promote the further activity enhancement in the presence of RGO.

As-grown vertically aligned amorphous TiO2 nanotube arrays as high-rate Li-based micro-battery anodes with improved long-term performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamberti, Andrea; Garino, Nadia; Sacco, Adriano; Bianco, Stefano; Chiodoni, Angelica; Gerbaldi, Claudio

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Amorphous TiO 2 nanotube (NT) arrays are fabricated by fast and facile anodic oxidation. • Near-theoretical initial specific capacity and remarkable rate capability. • Very long-term cycling stability (>2000 cycles) at a very high C-rate. • High surface area and improved interfacial characteristics for fast diffusion kinetics. • NTs show promising prospects in storage devices conceived for high power applications. - Abstract: Vertically oriented arrays of high surface area TiO 2 nanotubes (NTs) are fabricated by the fast and facile anodic oxidation of a titanium foil. The formation of well-defined one-dimensional nanotubular carpets is assessed by means of morphological Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy characterisation, while X-ray diffraction analysis and Transmission Electron Microscopy imaging confirm the amorphous nature of the samples. The electrochemical response evaluated in lab-scale lithium cells is highly satisfying with near-theoretical initial specific capacity and remarkable rate capability, noteworthy in the absence of binders and conductive agents, which would affect the overall energy density. A specific capacity exceeding 200 mAh g −1 is observed at very high 24 C and approx. 80 mAh g −1 are retained even at very high 96 C rate, thus accounting for the promising prospects in storage devices conceived for high power applications. Moreover, the NTs can perform with good cycling stability and capacity retention approaching 50% of the initial value after very long-term operation along with improved durability (> 2000 cycles)

Synthesis of Ag-loaded SrTiO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} heterostructure nanotube arrays for enhanced photocatalytic performances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Zijun; Chen, Da; Zhan, Xiaqiang; Wang, Fang; Qin, Laishun; Huang, Yuexiang [China Jiliang University, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China)

2017-06-15

In this work, the effect of loading Ag nanoparticles on the photocatalytic activity of SrTiO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (TNTAs) was investigated. TNTAs were partially transformed to SrTiO{sub 3} through a hydrothermal treatment, which could preserve the tubular structure of TNTAs, and then, Ag nanoparticles were well deposited on the surface of SrTiO{sub 3}/TNTAs heterostructure by a chemical reduction process. Compared to the TNTAs sample, the Ag-loaded SrTiO{sub 3}/TNTAs sample showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities for photodegradation of rhodamine B. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag-loaded SrTiO{sub 3}/TNTAs could be attributed to the increased optical absorption as well as the efficient charge transfer and separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs induced by the SrTiO{sub 3}/TNTAs heterojunction and the Schottky barrier between metallic Ag and SrTiO{sub 3}/TNTAs. On the basis of the trapping experiments, the possible photocatalytic mechanism was also discussed. (orig.)

Influence of sterilization methods on cell behavior and functionality of osteoblasts cultured on TiO2 nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Seunghan; Brammer, Karla S.; Moon, Kyung-Suk; Bae, Ji-Myung; Jin, Sungho

2011-01-01

We investigated the adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic functionality of osteoblasts cultured on titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanotubes in response to different sterilization methods (dry autoclaving vs. wet autoclaving). We prepared various sizes (30-100 nm diameter) of TiO 2 nanotubes on titanium substrates by anodization, sterilized nanotubes by different conditions, and seeded osteoblast cells onto the nanotube surfaces with two different cell seeding densities (10,000 vs. 50,000 cells/well in 12-culture well). The result of this study indicates that the adhesion, proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of osteoblasts cultured on only the larger 70 and 100 nm TiO 2 nanotube arrays were dramatically changed by the different sterilization conditions at a low cell seeding density. However, with a higher cell seeding density (50,000 cells/well in 12-cell culture well), the results revealed no significant difference among altered nanotube geometry, 30-100 nm diameters, nor sterilization methods. Next, it was revealed that the nanofeatures of proteins adhered on nanotubular TiO 2 morphology are altered by the sterilization method. It was determined that this protein adhesion effect, in combination with the cell density of osteoblasts seeded onto such TiO 2 nanotube surfaces, has profound effects on cell behavior. This study clearly shows that these are some of the important in vitro culture factors that need to be taken into consideration, as well as TiO 2 nanotube diameters which play an important role in the improvement of cell behavior and functionality.

Ag2S/CdS/TiO2 Nanotube Array Films with High Photocurrent Density by Spotting Sample Method

OpenAIRE

Sun, Hong; Zhao, Peini; Zhang, Fanjun; Liu, Yuliang; Hao, Jingcheng

2015-01-01

Ag2S/CdS/TiO2 hybrid nanotube array films (Ag2S/CdS/TNTs) were prepared by selectively depositing a narrow-gap semiconductor—Ag2S (0.9 eV) quantum dots (QDs)—in the local domain of the CdS/TiO2 nanotube array films by spotting sample method (SSM). The improvement of sunlight absorption ability and photocurrent density of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube array films (TNTs) which were obtained by anodic oxidation method was realized because of modifying semiconductor QDs. The CdS/TNTs, Ag2S/TNT...

Three-dimensional assembly structure of anatase TiO2 hollow microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yihao; Zhan, Shuai; Wang, Li; Zhang, Bin; Ding, Minghui

The pure anatase TiO2 hollow microspheres are synthesized by a one-step template-free hydrothermal route. By defining temperature and time limits, we produce TiO2 hollow microspheres with a fluoride-mediated self-transformation. The surface morphology of TiO2 hollow microspheres was studied by SEM. The hollow microspheres have diameters of about 800 nm and are remarkably uniform. The UV-light photocatalytic activity and the stability/multifunction of TiO2 hollow microspheres structure were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The excellent photocatalytic activity is attributed to large specific surface area, more active sites, unique hollow structures, and improved light scattering.

NOx photocatalytic degradation on gypsum plates modified by TiO2-N,C photocatalysts

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Janus Magdalena

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In presented studies the photocatalytic decomposition of NOx on gypsum plates modified by TiO2-N,Cphotocatalysts were presented. The gypsum plates were obtained by addition of 10 or 20 wt.% of different types of titanium dioxide, such as: pure TiO2 and carbon and nitrogen co-modified TiO2 (TiO2-N,C to gypsum. TiO2-N,C photocatalysts were obtained by heating up the starting TiO2 (Grupa Azoty Zakłady Chemiczne Police S.A in the atmosphere of ammonia and carbon at the temperature: 100, 300 i 600ºC. Photocatalyst were characterized by FTIR/DRS, UVVis/DR, BET and XRD methods. Moreover the compressive strength tests of modified gypsum were also done. Photocatalytic activity of gypsum plates was done during NOx decomposition. The highest photocatalytic activity has gypsum with 20 wt.% addition of TiO2-N,C obtained at 300ºC.

Charge separation in branched TiO_2 nanorod array homojunction aroused by quantum effect for enhanced photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous benzene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiaoxia; Ni, Qian; Zeng, Dawen; Liao, Guanglan; Xie, Changsheng

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Charge separation in homojunction based on the broadened band gap by quantum effect. • Absolute charge separation by the passivation effect of TiO_2 nanorod. • Long-distance electron transfer behavior in photocatalysis. • Roughed surface for enhanced light harvesting by light trapping effect. - Abstract: As known, the electron transfer behavior in photocatalysis is short-distance transportation, which leads the photo-induced electrons and holes to be localized. The temporarily separated electrons and holes will recombine with each other in the localized region. In this paper, we successfully achieved electron transfer in a homojunction of branched rutile TiO_2 nanorod @nanoparticle core-shell architecture by quantum confinement effect aroused by the nanoparticle, which is proved by the blue-shifting in UV–vis absorption spectrum of the homojunction. Meanwhile, an absolute charge separation is also achieved by the long-distance electron transfer along the single-crystalline rutile TiO_2 nanorod as uninterrupted high-speed electron transfer channel to FTO substrates. Based on the effective charge separation, the photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous benzene by the homojunction is significantly enhanced, yielding 10 times CO_2 than that of the nanorod array. This homojunction interfacial charge separation, aroused by quantum effect, through long-distance transfer along the single-crystalline nanorod gives us inspiration to achieve efficient charge separation with defect-less interfaces, which might can be utilized for real-time environmental abatement and energy generation simultaneously.

Enhancing the photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline TiO2 by co-doping with fluorine and yttrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Huarong; Miao, Guashuai; Ma, Xingping; Wang, Bei; Zheng, Haiwu

2014-01-01

Highlights: • (F, Y)-codoped TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple sol–gel method. • The highest photocatalytic activity (15 times of that over the pure TiO 2 ) was exhibited in the codoped TiO 2 with 0.05% Y doping level. • The Y doping induced oxygen vancancies played a duel role on the photocatalyic activity of the codoped TiO 2 . • The photocatalytic reactive oxygen species are critical to the photocatalytic degradation processes. - Abstract: Fluorine and yttrium codoped TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared using a simple sol–gel method. The products were characterized with various spectroscopic and analytical techniques to determine their structural, morphological, optical absorption and photocatalytic properties. The results reveal that neither F nor Y doping causes obvious absorption edge shift in TiO 2 . Photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra present that the PL signal is enhanced, suggesting a decrease of photo-generated charge carrier separation efficiency, after the F or Y doping. The synergistic action by the F and Y doping leads to the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue solution in the 0.05% (F, Y)-codoped sample (15 times of that over the pure TiO 2 ). With the increase of Y doping level, the photocatalytic performance in the codoped samples increases firstly and then decreases. The photocatalytic activity variations after the F and Y doping were interpreted by the formation of photocatalytic reactive oxygen species induced by the dopings

Formation of hydroxyl radicals and kinetic study of 2-chlorophenol photocatalytic oxidation using C-doped TiO2, N-doped TiO2, and C,N Co-doped TiO2 under visible light.

Science.gov (United States)

Ananpattarachai, Jirapat; Seraphin, Supapan; Kajitvichyanukul, Puangrat

2016-02-01

This work reports on synthesis, characterization, adsorption ability, formation rate of hydroxyl radicals (OH(•)), photocatalytic oxidation kinetics, and mineralization ability of C-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2), N-doped TiO2, and C,N co-doped TiO2 prepared by the sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible spectroscopy were used to analyze the titania. The rate of formation of OH(•) for each type of titania was determined, and the OH-index was calculated. The kinetics of as-synthesized TiO2 catalysts in photocatalytic oxidation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) under visible light irradiation were evaluated. Results revealed that nitrogen was incorporated into the lattice of titania with the structure of O-Ti-N linkages in N-doped TiO2 and C,N co-doped TiO2. Carbon was joined to the Ti-O-C bond in the C-doped TiO2 and C,N co-doped TiO2. The 2-CP adsorption ability of C,N co-doped TiO2 and C-doped TiO2 originated from a layer composed of a complex carbonaceous mixture at the surface of TiO2. C,N co-doped TiO2 had highest formation rate of OH(•) and photocatalytic activity due to a synergistic effect of carbon and nitrogen co-doping. The order of photocatalytic activity per unit surface area was the same as that of the formation rate of OH(•) unit surface area in the following order: C,N co-doped TiO2 > C-doped TiO2 > N-doped TiO2 > undoped TiO2.

Photocatalytic degradation of an azo-dye on TiO2/activated carbon composite material.

Science.gov (United States)

Andriantsiferana, C; Mohamed, E F; Delmas, H

2014-01-01

A sequential adsorption/photocatalytic regeneration process to remove tartrazine, an azo-dye in aqueous solution, has been investigated. The aim ofthis work was to compare the effectiveness of an adsorbent/photocatalyst composite-TiO2 deposited onto activated carbon (AC) - and a simple mixture of powders of TiO2 and AC in same proportion. The composite was an innovative material as the photocatalyst, TiO2, was deposited on the porous surface ofa microporous-AC using metal-organic chemical vapour deposition in fluidized bed. The sequential process was composed of two-batch step cycles: every cycle alternated a step of adsorption and a step of photocatalytic oxidation under ultra-violet (365 nm), at 25 degreeC and atmospheric pressure. Both steps, adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation, have been investigated during four cycles. For both materials, the cumulated amounts adsorbed during four cycles corresponded to nearly twice the maximum adsorption capacities qmax proving the photocatalytic oxidation to regenerate the adsorbent. Concerning photocatalytic oxidation, the degree of mineralization was higher with the TiO2/AC composite: for each cycle, the value of the total organic carbon removal was 25% higher than that obtained with the mixture powder. These better photocatalytic performances involved better regeneration than higher adsorbed amounts for cycles 2, 3 and 4. Better performances with this promising material - TiO2 deposited onto AC - compared with TiO2 powder could be explained by the vicinity of photocatalytic and AC adsorption sites.

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange with W-doped TiO2 synthesized by a hydrothermal method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Hua; Ma Junfeng; Li Kang; Li Jinjun

2008-01-01

Nanosized W-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, and characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and BET surface area analyzer. The photocatalytic activity of undoped TiO 2 and W-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation degradation of methyl orange in aqueous solution. The results show that the photocatalytic activity of the W-doped TiO 2 photocatalyst is much higher than that of undoped TiO 2 , and the optimum percentage of W doped is 2.0 mol%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the doped photocatalyst may be attributed to the increase in the charge separation efficiency and the presence of surface acidity

Fabrication of a TiO2-P25/(TiO2-P25+TiO2 nanotubes junction for dye sensitized solar cells

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Nguyen Huy Hao

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC, which converts solar light into electric energy, is expected to be a promising renewable energy source for today's world. In this work, dye sensitized solar cells, one containing a single layer and one containing a double layer, were fabricated. In the double layer DSSC structure, the under-layer was TiO2-P25 film, and the top layer consisted of a mixture of TiO2-P25 and TiO2 nanotubes. The results indicated that the efficiency of the DSSC with the double layer structure was a significant improvement in comparison to the DSSC consisting of only a single film layer. The addition of TiO2-P25 in the top layer caused an improvement in the adsorption of dye molecules on the film rather than on the TiO2 nanotubes only. The presence of the TiO2 nanotubes together with TiO2-P25 in the top layer revealed the enhancement in harvesting the incident light and an improvement of electron transport through the film.

TiO2/Bi2(BDC)3/BiOCl nanoparticles decorated ultrathin nanosheets with excellent photocatalytic reaction activity and selectivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Shu-Mei; Ma, De-Kun; Cai, Ping; Chen, Wei; Huang, Shao-Ming

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: TiO 2 /Bi 2 (BDC) 3 /BiOCl nanoparticles decorated ultrathin nanosheets showed excellent photocatalytic reaction activity and selectivity. - Highlights: • TiO 2 /Bi 2 (BDC) 3 /BiOCl nanoparticles decorated ultrathin nanosheets were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal process. • The products showed excellent photocatalytic activities for the degradation of various dyes. • The photocatalytic activities of the composite materials could be easily adjusted through tuning the content of TiO 2 . • TiO 2 /Bi 2 (BDC) 3 /BiOCl displayed obvious photocatalytic selectivity in mixed dyes systems of rhodamine B and eosin Y. - Abstract: Photocatalysts with excellent photocatalytic reaction activity and ideal selectivity are highly desirable for pollutants clearance and purification of targeted organics from a mixture. Continued efforts toward the goal, we here present a facile hydrothermal route to synthesize TiO 2 /Bi-benzenedicarboxylate/BiOCl nanoparticles decorated ultrathin nanosheets with a thickness less than 5 nm on a large scale. The as-synthesized products showed excellent photocatalytic activities for the degradation of various dyes such as rhodamine B, eosin Y and methylene blue in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activities of TiO 2 /Bi-benzenedicarboxylate/BiOCl nanocomposites for the degradation of rhodamine B and eosin Y could be adjusted through tuning the content of TiO 2 . With increasing the amount of TiO 2 , the composites showed declining photocatalytic activities in decomposing of rhodamine B while on the contrary they displayed enhanced photocatalytic activities in decomposing of eosin Y. Interestingly, TiO 2 /Bi-benzenedicarboxylate/BiOCl composite nanosheets showed obvious photocatalytic selectivity in a mixed dyes system. The photocatalytic reaction and selectivity mechanisms of the nanocomposites for the degradation of the dyes were discussed on the basis of experimental results. The

Solar photocatalytic degradation of isoproturon over TiO2/H-MOR composite systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Mangalampalli V. Phanikrishna; Durgakumari, Valluri; Subrahmanyam, Machiraju

2008-01-01

The photocatalytic degradation and mineralization of isoproturon herbicide was investigated in aqueous solution containing TiO 2 over H-mordenite (H-MOR) photocatalysts under solar light. The catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS), Fourier transform-infra red spectra (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The effect of TiO 2 , H-MOR support and different wt% of TiO 2 over the support on the photocatalytic degradation and influence of parameters such as TiO 2 loading, catalyst amount, pH and initial concentration of isoproturon on degradation are evaluated. 15 wt% TiO 2 /H-MOR composite is found to be optimum. The degradation reaction follows pseudo-first order kinetics and is discussed in terms of Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model. The extent of isoproturon mineralization studied with chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements and ∼80% mineralization occurred in 5 h. A plausible mechanism is proposed based on the intermediates identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS)

Solar photocatalytic degradation of isoproturon over TiO2/H-MOR composite systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Mangalampalli V Phanikrishna; Durgakumari, Valluri; Subrahmanyam, Machiraju

2008-12-30

The photocatalytic degradation and mineralization of isoproturon herbicide was investigated in aqueous solution containing TiO2 over H-mordenite (H-MOR) photocatalysts under solar light. The catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffused reflectance spectra (UV-Vis DRS), Fourier transform-infra red spectra (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The effect of TiO2, H-MOR support and different wt% of TiO2 over the support on the photocatalytic degradation and influence of parameters such as TiO2 loading, catalyst amount, pH and initial concentration of isoproturon on degradation are evaluated. 15wt% TiO2/H-MOR composite is found to be optimum. The degradation reaction follows pseudo-first order kinetics and is discussed in terms of Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model. The extent of isoproturon mineralization studied with chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements and approximately 80% mineralization occurred in 5h. A plausible mechanism is proposed based on the intermediates identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS).

Electrochemically Obtained TiO2/CuxOy Nanotube Arrays Presenting a Photocatalytic Response in Processes of Pollutants Degradation and Bacteria Inactivation in Aqueous Phase

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Magda Kozak

2018-06-01

Full Text Available TiO2/CuxOy nanotube (NT arrays were synthesized using the anodization method in the presence of ethylene glycol and different parameters applied. The presence, morphology, and chemical character of the obtained structures was characterized using a variety of methods—SEM (scanning electron microscopy, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray crystallography, PL (photoluminescence, and EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A p-n mixed oxide heterojunction of Ti-Cu was created with a proved response to the visible light range and the stable form that were in contact with Ti. TiO2/CuxOy NTs presented the appearance of both Cu2O (mainly and CuO components influencing the dimensions of the NTs (1.1–1.3 µm. Additionally, changes in voltage have been proven to affect the NTs’ length, which reached a value of 3.5 µm for Ti90Cu10_50V. Degradation of phenol in the aqueous phase was observed in 16% of Ti85Cu15_30V after 1 h of visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm. Scavenger tests for phenol degradation process in presence of NT samples exposed the responsibility of superoxide radicals for degradation of organic compounds in Vis light region. Inactivation of bacteria strains Escherichia coli (E. coli, Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis, and Clostridium sp. in presence of obtained TiO2/CuxOy NT photocatalysts, and Vis light has been studied showing a great improvement in inactivation efficiency with a response rate of 97% inactivation for E. coli and 98% for Clostridium sp. in 60 min. Evidently, TEM (transmission electron microscopy images confirmed the bacteria cells’ damage.

Efficient Photocatalytic H2 Evolution: Controlled Dewetting-Dealloying to Fabricate Site-Selective High-Activity Nanoporous Au Particles on Highly Ordered TiO2 Nanotube Arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhat Truong; Altomare, Marco; Yoo, JeongEun; Schmuki, Patrik

2015-05-27

Anodic self-organized TiO2 nanostumps are formed and exploited for self-ordering dewetting of Au-Ag sputtered films. This forms ordered particle configurations at the tube top (crown position) or bottom (ground position). By dealloying from a minimal amount of noble metal, porous Au nanoparticles are then formed, which, when in the crown position, allow for a drastically improved photocatalytic H2 production compared with nanoparticles produced by conventional dewetting processes. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rapid thermal reduced graphene oxide/Pt–TiO2 nanotube arrays for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic reduction of CO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sim, Lan Ching; Leong, Kah Hon; Saravanan, Pichiah; Ibrahim, Shaliza

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Enhanced visible light character of TNTs was imparted by RGO/Pt via facile route. • Pt NPs contribute exemplary visible light harvesting nature through plasmon effect. • Engulfed RGO promoted enhanced charge-carriers separation. • Synergistic effect of RGO, Pt photoreduced CO 2 to CH 4 with max. of 10.96 μmol m −2 . - Abstract: In this study, a complicate natural photosynthesis process was prototyped through a photocatalysis process by reducing CO 2 to light hydrocarbon, CH 4 . The composite photocatalyst employed for this study utilized Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) and rapid thermal reduced graphene oxide (RGO) deposited over the surface of the TiO 2 nanotube arrays (TNTs). The existence and contribution of both Pt NPs and RGO in the composite was confirmed through various analytical techniques including XRD, HRTEM, FESEM, Raman, FTIR, XPS, UV-DRS and photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The TNTs in the composite exhibited pure anatase phase. The absorption bands at around 450 nm obtained from UV-DRS spectrum supported the existence of LSPR phenomenon of Pt NPs. The promising lower work function of RGO promoted the electrons transfer from TNTs to RGO efficiently. The successful depositions of Pt and RGO onto the surface of TNTs contributed for the improved photocatalytic activity (total CH 4 yield of 10.96 μmol m −2 ) in the reduction of CO 2 over TNTs and Pt–TNTs. Both of RGO and Pt NPs are equally important to exert a significant impact on the improvement of CH 4 production rates.

Formation mechanism of TiO2 nanotubes and their applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting and supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bo; Hou, Junbo; Lu, Kathy

2013-05-14

Structural observations of the transition of TiO2 nanopores into nanotubes by increasing the OH(-) concentration in the electrolyte challenge the validity of existing formation mechanisms of anodic TiO2 nanotubes. In this study, dehydration of titanium hydroxide in the cell wall is proposed as the mechanism that leads to the separation of neighboring nanotubes. Based on this understanding, bamboo-type TiO2 nanotubes with large surface area and excellent interconnectivity are achieved by cycling high and low applied potentials. After thermal treatment in a H2 atmosphere, the bamboo-type TiO2 nanotubes show large photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency and supercapacitors performace.

Highly-efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by PoPD-modified TiO 2 nanocomposites due to photosensitization-synergetic effect of TiO2 with PoPD.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chuanxi; Dong, Wenping; Cui, Guanwei; Zhao, Yingqiang; Shi, Xifeng; Xia, Xinyuan; Tang, Bo; Wang, Weiliang

2017-06-21

Poly-o-phenylenediamine modified TiO 2 nanocomposites were successfully synthesized via an 'in situ' oxidative polymerization method. The modified nanocomposites were characterized by BET, XRD, TEM, FT-IR, TGA, XPS, EA and UV-Vis DRS. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was chosen as a model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of TiO 2 and PoPD/TiO 2 . The results indicated that PoPD/TiO 2 nanocomposites exhibited good photocatalytic activity and stability. The photocatalytic activity of PoPD/TiO 2 increased as the initial pH increased because of electrostatic adsorption between the photocatalyst and MB as well as the generation of ·OH, whereas it exhibited an earlier increasing and later decreasing trend as the concentration of the photocatalyst increased owing to the absorption of visible light. The photocatalytic stability of the PoPD/TiO 2 nanocomposite was dependent on the stability of its structure. Based on radical trapping experiments and ESR measurements, the origin of oxidizing ability of PoPD/TiO 2 nanocomposites on photocatalytic degradation of MB was proposed, which taking into account of ·OH and ·O 2 - were the first and second important ROS, respectively. The possible photocatalytic mechanism and photocatalytic activity enhanced mechanism has been proposed, taking into account the photosensitization effect and synergetic effect of TiO 2 with PoPD.

The preparation, surface structure, zeta potential, surface charge density and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanostructures of different shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, Inderpreet Singh; Singh, Satnam; Pal, Bonamali

2013-09-01

Titania based nanocatalysts such as sodium titanates of different morphology having superior surface properties are getting wide importance in photocatalysis research. Despite having sodium (Na) contents and its high temperature synthesis (that generally deteriorate the photoreactivity), these Na-titanates often exhibit better photoactivity than P25-TiO2 catalyst. Hence, this work demonstrated the influence of crystal structure, BET surface area, surface charge, zeta potential (ζ) and metal loading on the photocatalytic activity of as-prepared sodium titanate nanotube (TNT) and titania nanorod (TNR). Straw like hollow orthorhombic-TNT (Na2Ti2O5·H2O) particles (W = 9-12 nm and L = 82-115 nm) and rice like pure anatase-TNR particles (W = 8-13 nm and L = 81-134 nm) are obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of P25-TiO2 with NaOH, which in fact, altered the net surface charge of TNT and TNR particles. The observed ζ = -2.82 (P25-TiO2), -13.5 (TNT) and -22.5 mV (TNR) are significantly altered by the Ag and Cu deposition. It has been found here that TNT displayed best photocatalytic activity for the imidacloprid insecticide (C9H10ClN5O2) degradation to CO2 formation under UV irradiation because of its largest surface area 176 m2 g-1 among the catalysts studied.

Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Mo-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles

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Ji-guo Huang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The undoped and Mo-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, diffuse reflectance UV-visible absorption spectra (UV-vis DRS, X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under irradiation of a 500 W xenon lamp and natural solar light outdoor. Effects of calcination temperatures and Mo doping amounts on crystal phase, crystallite size, lattice distortion, and optical properties were investigated. The results showed that most of Mo6+ took the place of Ti4+ in the crystal lattice of TiO2, which inhibited the growth of crystallite size, suppressed the transformation from anatase to rutile, and led to lattice distortion of TiO2. Mo doping narrowed the band gap (from 3.05 eV of TiO2 to 2.73 eV of TiMo0.02O and efficiently increased the optical absorption in visible region. Mo doping was shown to be an efficient method for degradation of methylene blue under visible light, especially under solar light. When the calcination temperature was 550°C and the Mo doping amount was 2.0%, the Mo-doped TiO2 sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity.

Photocatalytic decolorization of basic dye by TiO2 nanoparticle in photoreactor

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Jutaporn Chanathaworn1

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Photocatalytic decolorization of rhodamine B (RB and malachite green (MG basic dyes in aqueous solution wasevaluated using TiO2 powder as a semiconductor photocatalyst under UV black light irradiation. A 0.5 L batch photoreactorcontaining dyeing solution was installed in a stainless steel chamber with air cooling under irradiation. The TiO2 powder wascharacterized by XRD observation and it was shown that the nanoparticles could be identified as 73 nm anatase crystals. Theeffects of operational parameters such as light intensity (0-114 W/m2, initial dye concentration (10-30 mg/L, and TiO2 powderloading (0.5-1.5 g/L on the decolorization of dye samples were examined. The photocatalytic decolorization rate depended onthe pollutant’s structure, such that the MG dye could be removed faster than the RB dye. Decolorization efficiency (% of thephotocatalytic system increased with increasing TiO2 loading and light intensity; however, it decreased with increasing initialdye concentration. A loading of 1.5 g TiO2/L, initial dye concentration of 20 mg/L, and light intensity of 114 W/m2 were foundto yield the highest removal efficiency of dye solution based on time requirement. The kinetics are of first order and dependon the TiO2 powder loading and dye structure. The research had a perfect application foreground.

Uniformly dispersed CdS nanoparticles sensitized TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Lingjuan [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009 (China); Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices, Hefei 230009 (China); Lv, Jun, E-mail: lvjun117@126.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009 (China); Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices, Hefei 230009 (China); Xu, Guangqing; Wang, Yan; Xie, Kui [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009 (China); Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices, Hefei 230009 (China); Chen, Zhong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue 639798 (Singapore); Wu, Yucheng, E-mail: ycwu@hfut.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009 (China); Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices, Hefei 230009 (China)

2013-12-15

In this study, TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (TiO{sub 2}-NTs) with various intertube spaces were fabricated in the electrolyte with different water contents and the CdS nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were further deposited onto the TiO{sub 2}-NTs as a sensitizer via a sequential chemical bath deposition (S-CBD) method. The FE-SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS results demonstrated that the CdS NPs were uniformly deposited onto the surface of TiO{sub 2}-NTs. It was found that higher water content in electrolyte was in favor of large intertube space and pore size and the uniform deposition of CdS NPs. The photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange was tested with the as-prepared CdS/TiO{sub 2}-NTs under visible light (λ>400 nm). It was found that the photodegradation rate reached as high as 96.7% under visible irradiation for 180 min. In addition, a reasonable degradation rate of 75.8% was achieved even after 5 cycles, suggesting a good photocatalytic stability of the as-prepared CdS/TiO{sub 2}-NTs. - Graphical abstract: The whole sheet of CdS NPs sensitized TiO{sub 2}-NTs with the Ti subtract was used for degradation of methyl orange under visible light (λ>400 nm) on a XPA-7 photochemical reactor. - Highlights: • Intertube space, pore size were controlled by changing water content in electrolyte. • CdS nanoparticles were uniformly deposited onto the surface of TiO{sub 2} nanotubes. • The catalyst with Ti substrate used as a whole was very convenient for recycling. • Visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability were highly enhanced.

One-step preparation and photocatalytic performance of vanadium doped TiO2 coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilić, R.; Stojadinović, S.; Radić, N.; Stefanov, P.; Dohčević-Mitrović, Z.; Grbić, B.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we have investigated one-step preparation of vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of titanium in electrolyte containing 10 g/L Na 3 PO 4 ·12H 2 O + 0.5 g/L NH 4 VO 3 . The morphology, phase structure, and elemental composition of the formed coatings were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS) was employed to evaluate the band gap energy of obtained coatings. Vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings are partly crystallized and mainly composed of anatase phase TiO 2 , with up to about 2 wt% of vanadium present in the surface layer of the oxide. The valence band photoelectron spectra and UV–Vis DRS showed that vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings exhibit notable red shift with respect to the pure TiO 2 coatings. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl orange under simulated sunlight conditions. Photocatalytic activity of vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings increases with PEO time. Prolonged PEO times result in higher roughness of obtained coatings, thus increasing surface area available for methyl orange degradation. Vanadium doped TiO 2 coatings obtained after 180 s of PEO time exhibit the best photocatalytic activity and about 67% of methyl orange is degraded after 12 h of irradiation under simulated sunlight. - Highlights: • One-step preparation of V-doped TiO 2 coatings in 10 g/L Na 3 PO 4 ·12H 2 O + 0.5 g/L NH 4 VO 3 . • Properties of obtained coatings strongly depend on microdischarge characteristics. • Band gap of V-doped TiO 2 coatings is shifted towards red side of the spectrum. • V-doped TiO 2 coatings have better photocatalytic activity than pure TiO 2 . • After 12 h of simulated sunlight irradiation, 67% of methyl orange was decomposed

Recent Advances in Graphene Based TiO2 Nanocomposites (GTiO2Ns for Photocatalytic Degradation of Synthetic Dyes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Giovannetti

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Synthetic dyes are widely used in textile, paper, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. During industrial processes, some of these dyes are released into the wastewater and their successive release into rivers and lakes produces serious environmental problems. TiO2 is one of the most widely studied and used photocatalysts for environmental remediation. However, it is mainly active under UV-light irradiation due to its band gap of 3.2 eV, while it shows low efficiency under the visible light spectrum. Regarding the exploration of TiO2 activation in the visible light region of the total solar spectrum, the incorporation of carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene, in order to form carbon-TiO2 composites is a promising area. Graphene, in fact, has a large surface area which makes it a good adsorbent for organic pollutants removal through the combination of electrostatic attraction and π-π interaction. Furthermore, it has a high electron mobility and therefore it reduces the electron-hole pair recombination, improving the photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor. In recent years, there was an increasing interest in the preparation of graphene-based TiO2 photocatalysts. The present short review describes the recent advances in TiO2 photocatalyst coupling with graphene materials with the aim of extending the light absorption of TiO2 from UV wavelengths into the visible region, focusing on recent progress in the design and applications in the photocatalytic degradation of synthetic dyes.

Microporous TiO2-WO3/TiO2 films with visible-light photocatalytic activity synthesized by micro arc oxidation and DC magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Kee-Rong; Hung, Chung-Hsuang; Yeh, Chung-Wei; Wu, Jiing-Kae

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A simple MAO is used to prepare porous WO 3 /TiO 2 layer on Ti sheet as a visible-light enabled catalyst. ► The photocatalytic activity of the WO 3 /TiO 2 is enhanced by sputtering over an N,C-TiO 2 layer. ► This is ascribed to the synergetic effect of hybrid sample prepared by two-step method. - Abstract: This study reports the preparation of microporous TiO 2 -WO 3 /TiO 2 films with a high surface area using a two-step approach. A porous WO 3 /TiO 2 template was synthesized by oxidizing a titanium sheet using a micro arc oxidation (MAO) process. This sheet was subsequently overlaid with a visible light (Vis)-enabled TiO 2 (N,C-TiO 2 ) film, which was deposited by codoping nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) ions into a TiO 2 lattice using direct current magnetron sputtering. The resulting microporous TiO 2 -WO 3 /TiO 2 film with a 0.38-μm-thick N,C-TiO 2 top-layer exhibited high photocatalytic activity in methylene blue (MB) degradation among samples under ultraviolet (UV) and Vis irradiation. This is attributable to the synergetic effect of two-step preparation method, which provides a highly porous microstructure and the well-crystallized N,C-TiO 2 top-layer. This is because a higher surface area with high crystallinity favors the adsorption of more MB molecules and more photocatalytic active areas. Thus, the microporous TiO 2 -WO 3 /TiO 2 film has promising applications in the photocatalytic degradation of dye solution under UV and Vis irradiation. These results imply that the microporous WO 3 /TiO 2 can be used as a template of hybrid electrode because it enables rapid fabrication.

Photocatalytic activities of heterostructured TiO2-graphene porous microspheres prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jikai; Zhang, Xintong; Li, Bing; Liu, Hong; Sun, Panpan; Wang, Changhua; Wang, Lingling; Liu, Yichun

2014-01-01

Highlights: • USP method is used to prepare TiO 2 -graphene porous microspheres. • XPS shows GO sheets in the composites has been reduced to graphene. • TiO 2 -graphene microspheres display a red-shifted absorption edge. • PL spectra indicate graphene can accept the photoexcited electrons from TiO 2 . • TiO 2 -graphene shows higher photocatalytic activity than TiO 2 under solar light. -- Abstract: TiO 2 -graphene porous microspheres were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) of aqueous suspension of graphene oxide containing TiO 2 nanoparticles (Degussa P25). The composite microspheres were characterized with SEM, XPS, photoluminescence, Raman and UV–Vis absorption spectra. TiO 2 -graphene porous microspheres displayed higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue solution than pristine TiO 2 microspheres under the irradiation of Xe lamp, and the highest activity was obtained at a weight percentage of graphene around 1%. The effect of graphene on photocatalytic activity of porous microsphere was discussed in terms of the enhanced charge separation by TiO 2 -graphene heterojunction, increased absorption of the visible light, as well as the possible hindrance of mass transportation in microspheres

Synthesis and characterization of high photocatalytic activity and stable Ag3PO4/TiO2 fibers for photocatalytic degradation of black liquor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Li; Long, Qiyi; Yin, Chao

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers were prepared via in situ Ag 3 PO 4 particles onto the surface of TiO 2 fiber. • Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers have stronger catalytic activity and excellent chemical stability. • Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers act as an efficient catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of black liquor. - Abstract: The TiO 2 fiber was prepared by using cotton fiber as a template, and then Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers were synthesized via in situ Ag 3 PO 4 particles onto the surface of TiO 2 fiber. Their structure and physical properties were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), specific surface analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectra (PL). SEM analysis indicated that the well-defined surface morphology of natural cotton fiber was mostly preserved in TiO 2 and Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers. Compared with TiO 2 fiber, the absorbance wavelengths of Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers were apparently red shifted and the PL intensities revealed a significant decrease. By using the photocatalytic degradation of black liquor as a model reaction, the visible light and ultraviolet light catalytic efficiencies of TiO 2 , Ag 3 PO 4 and Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers were evaluated. The reaction results showed that Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers had stronger photocatalytic activity and excellent chemical stability in repeated and long-term applications. Therefore, the prepared Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers could act as an efficient catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of black liquor, which suggested their promising applications. It was proposed that the • OH radicals played the leading role in the photocatalytic degradation of the black liquor by Ag 3 PO 4 /TiO 2 fibers system

Photoelectrochemical oxidation of ibuprofen via Cu{sub 2}O-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Qiannan [College of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou (China); Peng, Yen-Ping, E-mail: yppeng@thu.edu.tw [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Hanlin [College of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou (China); Chang, Ken-Lin [School of Environmental Science and Engineering and Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 51006 China (China); Qiu, Yang-Neng; Lai, Shiau-Wu [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan (China)

2016-12-05

Highlights: • A p–n junction material was synthesized to enhance photocatalytic ability. • Cu{sub 2}O-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays works as a photoanode in a PEC system. • Recombination of photo-generated holes and electrons were greatly reduced. • Synergetic effect was quantified in PEC degradation. • Recombination of photogenerated holes and electrons was greatly enhanced. - Abstract: A p–n junction based Cu{sub 2}O-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays (Cu{sub 2}O-TNAs) were synthesized and used as a working anode in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system. The results revealed that the Cu{sub 2}O-TNAs were dominated by the anatase phase and responded significantly to visible light. XPS analyses indicated that with an amount of 24.79% Cu doping into the structure, the band gap of Cu{sub 2}O-TNAs was greatly reduced. SEM images revealed that the supported TiO{sub 2} nanotubes had diameters of approximately 80 nm and lengths of about 2.63 μm. Upon doping with Cu{sub 2}O, the TiO{sub 2} nanotubes maintained their structural integrity, exhibiting no significant morphological change, favoring PEC applications. Under illumination, the photocurrent from Cu{sub 2}O/TNAs was 2.4 times larger than that from TNAs, implying that doping with Cu{sub 2}O significantly improved electron mobility by reducing the rate of recombination of electron-hole pairs. The EIS and Bode plot revealed that the estimated electron lifetimes, τ{sub el}, of TNAs and Cu{sub 2}O/TNAs were 6.91 and 26.26 ms, respectively. The efficiencies of degradation of Ibuprofen by photoelectrochemical, photocatalytic (PC), electrochemical (EC) and photolytic (P) methods were measured.

Unconventionally prepared TiO2/g-C3N4 photocatalysts for photocatalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Troppová, Ivana; Šihor, Marcel; Reli, Martin; Ritz, Michal; Praus, Petr; Kočí, Kamila

2018-02-01

The TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with the various TiO2:g-C3N4 weight ratios from 1:1 to 1:3 were prepared unconventionally by pressurized hot water processing in a flow regime. The parent TiO2 and g-C3N4 was prepared by thermal hydrolysis and thermal annealing, respectively. The nanocomposites as well as parent TiO2 and g-C3N4 were characterized using several complementary characterization methods and investigated in the photocatalytic decomposition of N2O under UVA (λ = 365 nm) irradiation. All the prepared TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites showed higher photocatalytic activity in comparison with the pure g-C3N4 and chiefly pure TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites was decreasing in the following sequence: TiO2/g-C3N4 (1:3) > TiO2/g-C3N4 (1:2) > TiO2/g-C3N4 (1:1). In comparison with the parent TiO2 or g-C3N4, the TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites' photocatalytic capability was significantly enhanced by coupling TiO2 with g-C3N4. The generation of TiO2/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst mainly benefited from the effective separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs and the extended optical absorption range. The TiO2/g-C3N4 (1:3) nanocomposite showed the best photocatalytic behavior in a consequence of the optimal weight ratio of TiO2:g-C3N4 and the lowest band gap energy from all nanocomposites. The N2O conversion in its presence was 70.6% after 20 h of UVA irradiation.

Composite TiO2/clays materials for photocatalytic NOx oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Todorova, N.; Giannakopoulou, T.; Karapati, S.; Petridis, D.; Vaimakis, T.; Trapalis, C.

2014-11-01

TiO2 photocatalyst received much attention for air purification applications especially for removal of air pollutants like NOx, VOCs etc. It has been established that the activity of the photocatalyst can be significantly enhanced by its immobilization onto suitable substrates like inorganic minerals, porous silica, hydroxyapatite, adsorbent materials like activated carbon, various co-catalysts such as semiconductors, graphene, reduced graphite oxide, etc. In the present work, photocatalytic composite materials consisted of mineral substrate and TiO2 in weight ratio 1:1 were manufactured and examined for oxidation and removal of nitric oxides NOx (NO and NO2). Commercial titania P25 (Evonik-Degussa) and urea-modified P25 were used as photocatalytically active components. Inorganic minerals, namely kunipia, talk and hydrotalcite were selected as supporting materials due to their layered structure and expected high NOx adsorption capability. Al3+ and Ca2+ intercalation was applied in order to improve the dispersion of TiO2 and its loading into the supporting matrix. The X-ray diffraction analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed the binary structure of the composites and homogeneous dispersion of the photocatalyst into the substrates. The photocatalytic behavior of the materials in NOx oxidation and removal was investigated under UV and visible light irradiation. The composite materials exhibited superior photocatalytic activity than the bare titania under both types of irradiation. Significant visible light activity was recorded for the composites containing urea-modified titania that was accredited to the N-doping of the semiconductor. Among the different substrates, the hydrotalcite caused highest increase in the NOx removal, while among the intercalation ions the Ca2+ was more efficient. The results were related to the improved dispersion of the TiO2 and the synergetic activity of the substrates as NOx adsorbers.

TiO2 film/Cu2O microgrid heterojunction with photocatalytic activity under solar light irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Junying; Zhu, Hailing; Zheng, Shukai; Pan, Feng; Wang, Tianmin

2009-10-01

Coupling a narrow-band-gap semiconductor with TiO(2) is an effective method to produce photocatalysts that work under UV-vis light irradiation. Usually photocatalytic coupled-semiconductors exist mainly as powders, and photocatalytic activity is only favored when a small loading amount of narrow-band-gap semiconductor is used. Here we propose a heavy-loading photocatalyst configuration in which 51% of the surface of the TiO(2) film is covered by a Cu(2)O microgrid. The coupled system shows higher photocatalytic activity under solar light irradiation than TiO(2) and Cu(2)O films. This improved performance is due to the efficient charge transfer between the two phases and the similar opportunity each has to be exposed to irradiation and adsorbates.

Effect of sunlight irradiation on photocatalytic pyrene degradation in contaminated soils by micro-nano size TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Chien, S.W.; Chang, C.H.; Chen, S.H.; Wang, M.C.; Madhava Rao, M.; Satya Veni, S.

2011-01-01

The enhanced catalytic pyrene degradation in quartz sand and alluvial and red soils by micro-nano size TiO 2 in the presence and absence of sunlight was investigated. The results showed that the synergistic effect of sunlight irradiation and TiO 2 was more efficient on pyrene degradation in quartz sand and red and alluvial soils than the corresponding reaction system without sunlight irradiation. In the presence of sunlight irradiation, the photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) of pyrene was very pronounced in alluvial and red soils and especially in quartz sand. However, in the absence of sunlight irradiation, the catalytic pyrene degradation by TiO 2 and the photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) of pyrene were almost nil. This implicates that ultra-violet (UV) wavelength range of sunlight plays an important role in TiO 2 -enhanced photocatalytic pyrene degradation and in photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) of pyrene. The percentages of photocatalytic pyrene degradation by TiO 2 in quartz sand, alluvial and red soils under sunlight irradiation were 78.3, 23.4, and 31.8%, respectively, at 5 h reaction period with a 5% (w/w) dose of the amended catalyst. The sequence of TiO 2 -enhanced catalytic pyrene degradation in quartz sand and alluvial and red soils was quartz sand > red soil > alluvial soil, due to different texture and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the quartz sand and other two soils. The differential Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of degraded pyrene in alluvial soil corroborate that TiO 2 -enhanced photocatalytic degradation rate of degraded pyrene was much greater than photooxidation (without TiO 2 ) rate of degraded pyrene. Based on the data obtained, the importance for the application of TiO 2 -enhanced photocatalytic pyrene degradation and associated organic contaminants in contaminated soils was elucidated. - Highlights: → Synergistic effect of sunlight irradiation and TiO 2 promoted degradation of pyrene. → Micro-nano size TiO 2 enhanced

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on Cr-doped TiO2 nanotube photoanodes

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

M.M.Momeni

2017-01-01

The effect of chromium doping on the photovoltaic efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with anodized TiO2 nanotubes followed by an annealing process was investigated.Cr-doped TiO2 nanotubes (CrTNs) with different amounts of chromium were obtained by anodizing of titanium foils in a single-step process using potassium chromate as the chromium source.Film features were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM),X-ray diffraction (XRD),energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX),and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy.It is clearly seen that highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes are formed in an anodizing solution free of potassium chromate,and with a gradual increase in the potassium chromate concentration,these nanotube structures change to nanoporous and compact films without porosity.The photovoltaic efficiencies of fabricated DSSCs were characterized by a solar cell measurement system via the photocurrent-voltage (Ⅰ-Ⅴ) curves.It is found that the photovoltaic efficiency of DSSCs with CrTNsl sample is improved by more than three times compared to that of DSSCs with undoped TNs.The energy conversion efficiency increases from 1.05 ％ to 3.89 ％ by doping of chromium.

Nanostructured Photocatalytic TiO2 Coating Deposited by Suspension Plasma Spraying with Different Injection Positions

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xuezhang; Wen, Kui; Deng, Chunming; Yang, Kun; Deng, Changguang; Liu, Min; Zhou, Kesong

2018-02-01

High plasma power is beneficial for the deposition efficiency and adhesive strength of suspension-sprayed photocatalytic TiO2 coatings, but it confronts two challenges: one is the reduced activity due to the critical phase transformation of anatase into rutile, and the other is fragmented droplets which cannot be easily injected into the plasma core. Here, TiO2 coatings were deposited at high plasma power and the position of suspension injection was varied with the guidance of numerical simulation. The simulation was based on a realistic three-dimensional time-dependent numerical model that included the inside and outside of torch regions. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to study the microstructure of the TiO2 coatings, whereas x-ray diffraction was adopted to analyze phase composition. Meanwhile, photocatalytic activities of the manufactured TiO2 coatings were evaluated by the degradation of an aqueous solution of methylene blue dye. Fragmented droplets were uniformly injected into the plasma jet, and the solidification pathway of melting particles was modified by varying the position of suspension injection. A nanostructured TiO2 coating with 93.9% anatase content was obtained at high plasma power (48.1 kW), and the adhesive coating bonding to stainless steel exhibited the desired photocatalytic activity.

Photocatalytic performance of Cu-doped TiO2 nanofibers treated by the hydrothermal synthesis and air-thermal treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Chung; Wu, Po-Yeh; Lin, Ting-Han; Lin, Tz-Feng

2018-02-01

Series of transition metal-doped TiO2 (metal/TiO2) is prepared by combining the hydrothermal synthesis and air-thermal treatment without any reduction process. The selected transition metal precursors, including Ag, Au, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pd, Pt, Y, and Zn, were individually doped into TiO2 nanofibers to evaluate the photocatalytic degradation activity and photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Consider the photocatalytic performance of these synthesized metal/TiO2 under UV-A irradiation, copper doped TiO2 nanofibers (Cu/TiO2 NFs) was chosen for further study due to its extraordinary reactivity. Systematical studies were spread to optimize the doping concentration and the calcination condition for much higher photocatalytic activity Cu/TiO2 NFs. In the photocatalytic degradation test, 0.5 mol%-Cu/TiO2 NFs calcined at 650 °C exhibits the highest activity, which is even higher than commercial TiO2-AEROXIDE® TiO2 P25 under UV-A irradiation. The synthesized 0.5 mol%-Cu/TiO2-650 NFs also have the capability in the photocatalytic hydrogen production. The hydrogen evolution rates are 200 μmol/g·h under UV-A irradiation and 280 μmol/g·h under UV-B irradiation. The density of state calculated by CASTEP for Cu/TiO2 indicates that Cu doping contributes to the states near valence band edge and narrows the band gap. The disclosed process in this study is industrial safe, convenient and cost-effective. We further produce a significant amount of TiO2-based catalysts without any hydrogen reduction treatment.

Engineering the TiO2 -graphene interface to enhance photocatalytic H2 production.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lichen; Liu, Zhe; Liu, Annai; Gu, Xianrui; Ge, Chengyan; Gao, Fei; Dong, Lin

2014-02-01

In this work, TiO2 -graphene nanocomposites are synthesized with tunable TiO2 crystal facets ({100}, {101}, and {001} facets) through an anion-assisted method. These three TiO2 -graphene nanocomposites have similar particle sizes and surface areas; the only difference between them is the crystal facet exposed in TiO2 nanocrystals. UV/Vis spectra show that band structures of TiO2 nanocrystals and TiO2 -graphene nanocomposites are dependent on the crystal facets. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra suggest that the charge-transfer rate between {100} facets and graphene is approximately 1.4 times of that between {001} facets and graphene. Photoelectrochemical measurements also confirm that the charge-separation efficiency between TiO2 and graphene is greatly dependent on the crystal facets. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that Ti-C bonds are formed between {100} facets and graphene, while {101} facets and {001} facets are connected with graphene mainly through Ti-O-C bonds. With Ti-C bonds between TiO2 and graphene, TiO2 -100-G shows the fastest charge-transfer rate, leading to higher activity in photocatalytic H2 production from methanol solution. TiO2 -101-G with more reductive electrons and medium interfacial charge-transfer rate also shows good H2 evolution rate. As a result of its disadvantageous electronic structure and interfacial connections, TiO2 -001-G shows the lowest H2 evolution rate. These results suggest that engineering the structures of the TiO2 -graphene interface can be an effective strategy to achieve excellent photocatalytic performances. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles by surface-capping DBS groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Baiqi; Jing Liqiang; Qu Yichun; Li Shudan; Jiang Baojiang; Yang Libin; Xin Baifu; Fu Honggang

2006-01-01

TiO 2 nanoparticles capped with sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS) are synthesized by a sol-hydrothermal process using tetrabutyl titanate and DBS as raw materials. The effects of surface-capping DBS on the surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS), photoluminescence (PL) and photocatalytic performance of TiO 2 nanoparticles are principally investigated together with their relationships. The results show that the surface of TiO 2 nanoparticles can be well capped by DBS groups while the pH value and added DBS amount are controlled at 5.0 and 2% of TiO 2 mass weight, respectively, and the linkage between DBS groups and TiO 2 surfaces is mainly by means of quasi-sulphonate bond. The intensities of SPS and PL spectra of TiO 2 obviously decrease after DBS-capping, while the activity can greatly increase during the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution, which are mainly attributed to the electron-withdrawing character of the DBS groups. Moreover, the enhancement of photocatalytic activity of DBS-capped TiO 2 is also related to the increase in the capability for adsorbing RhB

Ni-Nanocluster Modified Black TiO2 with Dual Active Sites for Selective Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Billo, Tadesse; Fu, Fang-Yu; Raghunath, Putikam; Shown, Indrajit; Chen, Wei-Fu; Lien, Hsiang-Ting; Shen, Tzu-Hsien; Lee, Jyh-Fu; Chan, Ting-Shan; Huang, Kuo-You; Wu, Chih-I; Lin, M C; Hwang, Jih-Shang; Lee, Chih-Hao; Chen, Li-Chyong; Chen, Kuei-Hsien

2018-01-01

One of the key challenges in artificial photosynthesis is to design a photocatalyst that can bind and activate the CO 2 molecule with the smallest possible activation energy and produce selective hydrocarbon products. In this contribution, a combined experimental and computational study on Ni-nanocluster loaded black TiO 2 (Ni/TiO 2[Vo] ) with built-in dual active sites for selective photocatalytic CO 2 conversion is reported. The findings reveal that the synergistic effects of deliberately induced Ni nanoclusters and oxygen vacancies provide (1) energetically stable CO 2 binding sites with the lowest activation energy (0.08 eV), (2) highly reactive sites, (3) a fast electron transfer pathway, and (4) enhanced light harvesting by lowering the bandgap. The Ni/TiO 2[Vo] photocatalyst has demonstrated highly selective and enhanced photocatalytic activity of more than 18 times higher solar fuel production than the commercial TiO 2 (P-25). An insight into the mechanisms of interfacial charge transfer and product formation is explored. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene catalyzed by amorphous TiO2 in ionic liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Wenshuai; Xu, Yehai; Li, Huaming; Dai, Bilian; Xu, Hui; Wang, Chao; Chao, Yanhong; Liu, Hui

2014-01-01

Three types of TiO 2 were synthesized by a hydrolysis and calcination method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), Raman spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD and Raman spectra indicated that amorphous TiO 2 was successfully obtained at 100 .deg. C. The results indicated that amorphous TiO 2 achieved the highest efficiency of desulfurization. The photocatalytic oxidation of dibenzothiophene (DBT), benzothiophene (BT), 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) and dodecanethiol (RSH) in model oil was studied at room temperature (30 .deg. C) with three catalysts. The system contained amorphous TiO 2 , H 2 O 2 , and [Bmim]BF 4 ionic liquid, ultraviolet (UV), which played vitally important roles in the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization. Especially, the molar ratio of H 2 O 2 and sulfur (O/S) was only 2 : 1, which corresponded to the stoichiometric reaction. The sulfur removal of DBT-containing model oil with amorphous TiO 2 could reach 96.6%, which was apparently superior to a system with anatase TiO 2 (23.6%) or with anatase - rutile TiO 2 (18.2%). The system could be recycled seven times without a signicant decrease in photocatalytic activity

Photocatalytic properties of nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film with Ag additions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C.-C.; Lin, C.-K.; Chan, C.-C.; Hsu, C.-S.; Chen, C.-Y.

2006-01-01

In the present study, nanocrystalline TiO 2 /Ag composite thin films were prepared by a sol-gel spin coating technique. While, by introducing polystyrene (PS) microspheres, porous TiO 2 /Ag films were obtained after calcining at a temperature of 500 o C. The as-prepared TiO 2 and TiO 2 /Ag thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy to reveal the structural and morphological differences. In addition, the photocatalytic properties of these films were investigated by degrading methylene blue under UV irradiation. After 500 o C calcination, the microstructure of PS-TiO 2 film without Ag addition exhibited a sponge-like microstructure while significant sintering effect was noticed with Ag additions and the films exhibited a porous microstructure. Meanwhile, coalescence of nanocrystalline anatase-phase TiO 2 can be observed with respect to the sharpening of XRD diffraction peaks. The photodegradation of porous TiO 2 doped with 1 mol% Ag exhibited the best photocatalytic efficiency where 72% methylene blue can be decomposed after UV exposure for 12 h

Titania nanotube arrays surface-modified with ZnO for enhanced photocatalytic applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nageri, Manoj; Kalarivalappil, Vijila; Vijayan, Baiju K.; Kumar, Viswanathan, E-mail: vkumar10@yahoo.co.in

2016-05-15

Highlights: • Heterostructures of TNA/ZnO synthesised through potentiostatic anodisation followed by hydrothermal method. • Evaluation of morphological features of the heterostructure with hydrothermal processing time. • Correlation of photocatalytic activity of the hetrostructure with its morphology and surface texture. - Abstract: Well ordered titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TNA) of average diameter 129 nm and wall thickness of 25 nm were fabricated through potentiostatic anodisation of titanium (Ti) metal substrates. Such TNA were subsequently surface-modified with various amounts of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanopowders using hydrothermal technique to obtain heterogeneous TNA/ZnO nanostructures. The crystalline phase and surface microstructure of the heterostructures were determined by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy respectively. The morphology of the heterostructures strongly depended on the hydrothermal conditions employed. The photocatalytic activity of the heterostructures have also been investigated and correlated with their surface morphology and texture.

Ag-loaded TiO2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasilaki, E.; Georgaki, I.; Vernardou, D.; Vamvakaki, M.; Katsarakis, N.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ag nanoparticles were loaded on TiO 2 by chemical reduction. • TiO 2 /Ag and TiO 2 samples were deposited on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). • Their performance was evaluated via methylene blue removal under visible-light. • TiO 2 /Ag/rGO presented superior activity compared to TiO 2 , TiO 2 /Ag and TiO 2 /rGO. - Abstract: In this work, Ag nanoparticles were loaded by chemical reduction onto TiO 2 P25 under different loadings ranging from 1 up to 4 wt% and hydrothermally deposited on reduced graphene oxide sheets. Chemical reduction was determined to be an effective preparation approach for Ag attachment to titania, leading to the formation of small silver nanoparticles with an average diameter of 4.2 nm. The photocatalytic performance of the hybrid nanocomposite materials was evaluated via methylene blue (MB) dye removal under visible-light irradiation. The rate of dye decolorization was found to depend on the metal loading, showing an increase till a threshold value of 3 wt%, above which the rate drops. Next, the as prepared sample of TiO 2 /Ag of better photocatalytic response, i.e., at a 3 wt% loading value, was hydrothermally deposited on a platform of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) of tunable content (mass ratio). TiO 2 /Ag/rGO coupled nanocomposite presented significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the TiO 2 /Ag, TiO 2 /rGO composites and bare P25 titania semiconductor photocatalysts. In particular, after 45 min of irradiation almost complete decolorization of the dye was observed for the TiO 2 /Ag/rGO nanocatalyst, while the respective removal efficiency was 92% for TiO 2 /Ag, 93% for TiO 2 /rGO and only 80% for the bare TiO 2 nanoparticles. This simple step by step preparation strategy allows for optimum exploitation of the advanced properties of metal plasmonic effect and reduced graphene oxide as the critical host for boosting the overall photocatalytic activity towards visible-light.

Photocatalytic degradation of p-phenylenediamine with TiO2-coated magnetic PMMA microspheres in an aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Y.-H.; Liu, Y.-Y.; Lin, R.-H.; Yen, F.-S.

2009-01-01

This study investigates the photocatalytic degradation of p-phenylenediamine (PPD) with titanium dioxide-coated magnetic poly(methyl methacrylate) (TiO 2 /mPMMA) microspheres. The TiO 2 /mPMMA microspheres are employed as novel photocatalysts with the advantages of high photocatalytic activity, magnetic separability, and good durability. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the TiO 2 /mPMMA microspheres are used to characterize the morphology, element content, and distribution patterns of magnetite and TiO 2 nanoparticles. The BET-specific surface area and saturation magnetization of the TiO 2 /mPMMA microspheres are observed as 2.21 m 2 /g and 4.81 emu/g, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of PPD are performed under various experimental conditions to examine the effects of initial PPD concentration, TiO 2 /mPMMA microsphere dosage, and illumination condition on the eliminations of PPD and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations. Good repeatability of photocatalytic performance with the use of the TiO 2 /mPMMA microspheres has been demonstrated in the multi-run experiments. The photocatalytic kinetics for the reductions of PPD and COD associated with the initial PPD concentration, UV radiation intensity, and TiO 2 /mPMMA microsphere dosage are proposed. The relationships between the reduction percentages of COD and PPD are clearly presented

The preparation, surface structure, zeta potential, surface charge density and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanostructures of different shapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grover, Inderpreet Singh; Singh, Satnam; Pal, Bonamali

2013-01-01

Titania based nanocatalysts such as sodium titanates of different morphology having superior surface properties are getting wide importance in photocatalysis research. Despite having sodium (Na) contents and its high temperature synthesis (that generally deteriorate the photoreactivity), these Na-titanates often exhibit better photoactivity than P25-TiO 2 catalyst. Hence, this work demonstrated the influence of crystal structure, BET surface area, surface charge, zeta potential (ζ) and metal loading on the photocatalytic activity of as-prepared sodium titanate nanotube (TNT) and titania nanorod (TNR). Straw like hollow orthorhombic-TNT (Na 2 Ti 2 O 5 ·H 2 O) particles (W = 9–12 nm and L = 82–115 nm) and rice like pure anatase-TNR particles (W = 8–13 nm and L = 81–134 nm) are obtained by the hydrothermal treatment of P25-TiO 2 with NaOH, which in fact, altered the net surface charge of TNT and TNR particles. The observed ζ = −2.82 (P25-TiO 2 ), −13.5 (TNT) and −22.5 mV (TNR) are significantly altered by the Ag and Cu deposition. It has been found here that TNT displayed best photocatalytic activity for the imidacloprid insecticide (C 9 H 10 ClN 5 O 2 ) degradation to CO 2 formation under UV irradiation because of its largest surface area 176 m 2 g −1 among the catalysts studied.

Nanoscale Optimization and Statistical Modeling of Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Efficiency of N-Doped TiO2 Nanotubes

KAUST Repository

Isimjan, Tayirjan T.; Trifkovic, Milana; Abdullahi, Inusa; Rohani, Sohrab M F; Ray, Ajay

2014-01-01

Highly ordered nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-doped TiO2) nanotube array films with enhanced photo-electrochemical water splitting efficiency (PCE) for hydrogen generation were fabricated by electrochemical anodization, followed by annealing

Three-dimensional hot electron photovoltaic device with vertically aligned TiO2 nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Goddeti, Kalyan C; Lee, Changhwan; Lee, Young Keun; Park, Jeong Young

2018-05-09

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanotubes with vertically aligned array structures show substantial advantages in solar cells as an electron transport material that offers a large surface area where charges travel linearly along the nanotubes. Integrating this one-dimensional semiconductor material with plasmonic metals to create a three-dimensional plasmonic nanodiode can influence solar energy conversion by utilizing the generated hot electrons. Here, we devised plasmonic Au/TiO 2 and Ag/TiO 2 nanodiode architectures composed of TiO 2 nanotube arrays for enhanced photon absorption, and for the subsequent generation and capture of hot carriers. The photocurrents and incident photon to current conversion efficiencies (IPCE) were obtained as a function of photon energy for hot electron detection. We observed enhanced photocurrents and IPCE using the Ag/TiO 2 nanodiode. The strong plasmonic peaks of the Au and Ag from the IPCE clearly indicate an enhancement of the hot electron flux resulting from the presence of surface plasmons. The calculated electric fields and the corresponding absorbances of the nanodiode using finite-difference time-domain simulation methods are also in good agreement with the experimental results. These results show a unique strategy of combining a hot electron photovoltaic device with a three-dimensional architecture, which has the clear advantages of maximizing light absorption and a metal-semiconductor interface area.

High-efficiency perovskite solar cells based on anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Yan, E-mail: huangyan@ecust.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Wu, Jiamin; Gao, Di [Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States)

2016-01-01

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on one-dimensional anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays were prepared by using a two-step deposition method to fill the arrays of TiO{sub 2} nanotubes in different lengths with perovskite. The photovoltaic performance of PSCs was found to be significantly dependent on the length of the TiO{sub 2} nanotubes, and the power conversion efficiency decreased as the length of the TiO{sub 2} nanotubes increased from ~ 0.40 μm to ~ 0.65 and then to ~ 0.93 μm. The PSC fabricated with ~ 0.40 μm-long anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays yielded a power conversion efficiency of 11.3% and a fill factor of 0.68 under illumination of 100 mW/cm{sup 2} AM 1.5G simulated sunlight, which is significantly higher than previously reported solar cells based on 1-D TiO{sub 2} nanostructures. Incident photon-to-current efficiency and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated that longer TiO{sub 2} nanotubes led to higher recombination losses of charge carriers, possibly due to poor filling of the nanotube arrays with perovskite. - Highlights: • 1D anatase TiO{sub 2} nanotubes were used to fabricate perovskite solar cells. • The best efficiency of 11.3% was achieved with ~ 0.40 μm-long TiO{sub 2} nanotubes. • The efficiency of the devices decreased with increasing TiO{sub 2} nanotube lengths.

Core–shell TiO2 microsphere with enhanced photocatalytic activity and improved lithium storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Hong; Tian, Dongxue; Liu, Lixiang; Wang, Yapeng; Guo, Yuan; Yang, Xiangjun

2013-01-01

Inorganic hollow core–shell spheres have attracted considerable interest due to their singular properties and wide range of potential applications. Herein a novel facile generic strategy of combining template assisted and solvothermal alcoholysis is employed to prepare core–void–shell anatase TiO 2 nanoparticle aggregates with an excellent photocatalytic activity, and enhanced lithium storage in large quantities. Amorphous carbon can be loaded on the TiO 2 nanoparticles uniformly under a suitably formulated ethanol/water system in the solvothermal alcoholysis process, and the subsequent calcination results of the formation of core–shell–shell anatase TiO 2 nanoparticle aggregates. The intrinsic core–void–shell nature as well as high porosity of the unique nanostructures contributes greatly to the superior photocatalytic activity and improved performance as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. - Graphical abstract: A novel strategy of combining template assisted and solvothermal alcoholysis is employed to prepare unique core–void–shell anatase TiO 2 nanoparticle aggregates with the superior photocatalytic activity and improved lithium storage. Highlights: ► TiO 2 mesospheres are synthesized by solvothermal alcoholysis. ► It is core–void–shell structure and the thickness of shell is estimated to 80 nm. ► It exhibits a remarkable photocatalytic activity and improved lithium storage

Interface actions between TiO2 and porous diatomite on the structure and photocatalytic activity of TiO2-diatomite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Yue; Li, Fangfei; Jiang, Yinshan; Xia, Maosheng; Xue, Bing; Li, Yanjuan

2014-01-01

TiO 2 -diatomite photocatalysts were prepared by sol–gel process with various pre-modified diatomite. In order to obtain diatomite with different surface characteristics, two modification approaches including calcination and phosphoric acid treatment on the micro-structure of diatomite are introduced. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms and micromorphology analysis. The results indicate that, compared with pure TiO 2 , the anatase-to-rutile phase transition temperature of TiO 2 loaded on diatomite carrier is significantly increased to nearly 900 °C, depending on the different pretreatment method of diatomite. The photocatalytic activities of different samples were evaluated by their degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) dye under UV and visible-light irradiation. The samples prepared by phosphoric acid pretreatment method exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity. After 90 min of UV irradiation, about 90% of MO is decomposed by the best effective photocatalyst. And after 8 h visible-light irradiation, nearly 60% of MO is decomposed by the same sample. Further mechanism investigation reveals that the H 3 PO 4 pretreatment process can obviously change the surface features of diatomite carrier, cause the formation of Si–O–Ti bond, increase the binding strength between TiO 2 and diatomite, restrain crystal growth of loaded TiO 2 , and thus form thermal-stable mesoporous structure at the granular spaces. It helps to build micro-, meso- and macro-porous hierarchical porous structure in TiO 2 -diatomite, and improves the charge and mass transfer efficiency during catalyzing process, resulting in the significantly increased photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 -diatomite pretreated by phosphoric acid.

Interface actions between TiO2 and porous diatomite on the structure and photocatalytic activity of TiO2-diatomite

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Yue; Li, Fangfei; Jiang, Yinshan; Xia, Maosheng; Xue, Bing; Li, Yanjuan

2014-06-01

TiO2-diatomite photocatalysts were prepared by sol-gel process with various pre-modified diatomite. In order to obtain diatomite with different surface characteristics, two modification approaches including calcination and phosphoric acid treatment on the micro-structure of diatomite are introduced. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and micromorphology analysis. The results indicate that, compared with pure TiO2, the anatase-to-rutile phase transition temperature of TiO2 loaded on diatomite carrier is significantly increased to nearly 900 °C, depending on the different pretreatment method of diatomite. The photocatalytic activities of different samples were evaluated by their degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) dye under UV and visible-light irradiation. The samples prepared by phosphoric acid pretreatment method exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity. After 90 min of UV irradiation, about 90% of MO is decomposed by the best effective photocatalyst. And after 8 h visible-light irradiation, nearly 60% of MO is decomposed by the same sample. Further mechanism investigation reveals that the H3PO4 pretreatment process can obviously change the surface features of diatomite carrier, cause the formation of Si-O-Ti bond, increase the binding strength between TiO2 and diatomite, restrain crystal growth of loaded TiO2, and thus form thermal-stable mesoporous structure at the granular spaces. It helps to build micro-, meso- and macro-porous hierarchical porous structure in TiO2-diatomite, and improves the charge and mass transfer efficiency during catalyzing process, resulting in the significantly increased photocatalytic activity of TiO2-diatomite pretreated by phosphoric acid.

The effects of solvent on photocatalytic properties of Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction under visible light irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qiyao; Huang, Yunfang; Xu, Hui; Luo, Dan; Huang, Feiyue; Gu, Lin; Wei, Yuelin; Zhao, Huang; Fan, Leqing; Wu, Jihuai

2018-04-01

Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction photocatalysts with two different microstructures were controllably fabricated via a facile two-step synthetic route. XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, BET-surface, DRS, PL spectra, photoelectrochemical measurement (Mott-Schottky), and zeta-potential analyzer were employed to clarify structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained products. The results showed that Bi2WO6 nanoparticles/nanosheets grew on the primary TiO2 nanorods. The TiO2 nanorods used as a synthetic template inhibit the growth of Bi2WO6 crystals along the c-axis, resulting in Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterostructure with one-dimensional (1D) morphology. The photocatalytic properties of Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction photocatalysts were strongly dependent on their shapes and structures. Compared with bare Bi2WO6 and TiO2, Bi2WO6/TiO2 composite have stronger adsorption ability and better visible light photocatalytic activities towards organic dyes. The Bi2WO6/TiO2 composite prepared in EG solvent with optimal Bi:Ti ratio of 2:12 (S-TB2) showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which could totally decompose Rhodamine B within 10 min upon irradiation with visible light (λ > 422 nm), and retained the high photocatalytic performance after five recycles, confirming its stability and practical usability. The results of PL indicated that Bi2WO6 and TiO2 could combine well to form a heterojunction structure which facilitated electron-hole separation, and lead to the increasing photocatalytic activity.

Incorporation of TiO2 nanotubes in a polycrystalline zirconia: Synthesis of nanotubes, surface characterization, and bond strength.

Science.gov (United States)

Dos Santos, Angélica Feltrin; Sandes de Lucena, Fernanda; Sanches Borges, Ana Flávia; Lisboa-Filho, Paulo Noronha; Furuse, Adilson Yoshio

2018-04-05

Despite numerous advantages such as high strength, the bond of yttria-stabilized zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) to tooth structure requires improvement. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the incorporation of TiO 2 nanotubes into zirconia surfaces and the bond strength of resin cement to the modified ceramic. TiO 2 nanotubes were produced by alkaline synthesis, mixed with isopropyl alcohol (50 wt%) and applied on presintered zirconia disks. The ceramics were sintered, and the surfaces were characterized by confocal laser microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. For bond strength, the following 6 groups (n=16) were evaluated: without TiO 2 and Single Bond Universal; with TiO 2 nanotubes and Single Bond Universal; without TiO 2 nanotubes and Z-prime; with TiO 2 nanotubes and Z-prime; without TiO 2 and Signum Zirconia Bond; with TiO 2 and Signum Zirconia Bond. After sintering, resin cement cylinders, diameter of 1.40 mm and 1 mm in height, were prepared and polymerized for 20 seconds. Specimens were stored in water at 37°C for 30 days and submitted to a shear test. Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and Tukey honest significant difference (α=.05) tests. EDS analysis confirmed that nanoagglomerates were composed of TiO 2 . The shear bond strength showed statistically significant differences among bonding agents (P<.001). No significant differences were found with the application of nanotubes, regardless of the group analyzed (P=.682). The interaction among the bonding agent factors and addition of nanotubes was significant (P=.025). Nanotubes can be incorporated into zirconia surfaces. However, this incorporation did not improve bond strength. Copyright © 2017 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A photoelectrochemical study of CdS modified TiO2 nanotube arrays as photoanodes for cathodic protection of stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

L, Jing; Lin Changjian; Li Juntao; Lin Zequan

2011-01-01

An electrodeposited CdS nanoparticles-modified highly-ordered TiO 2 nanotube arrays (CdS-TNs) photoelectrode and its performance of photocathodic protection are reported. The self-organized TiO 2 nanotube arrays are fabricated by electrochemical anodization in an organic-inorganic mixed electrolyte and sensitized with CdS nanoparticles by electrodeposition via a single-step direct current. The morphology, crystalline phase, and composition of the CdS-TNs films were characterized systematically by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, respectively. The photoelectrochemical performances of the CdS-TNs film under illumination and dark conditions in 0.5 M NaCl solution were evaluated through the electrochemical measurements. It is indicated that the TNs incorporated by CdS effectively harvest solar light in the UV as well as the visible light (up to 480 nm) region. It is supposed that the high photoelectro-response activity of the CdS-TNs is attributed to the increased efficiency of charge separation and transport of electrons. The electrode potentials of 304 stainless steel coupled with the CdS-TNs is found to be negatively shifted for about 246 mV and 215 mV under UV and white light irradiation, respectively, which can be remained for 24 h even in darkness. It is implied that the CdS-TNs are able to effectively function a photogenerated cathodic protection for metals both under the UV and visible light illumination.

Immobilization of TiO2 nanoparticles on Fe-filled carbon nanocapsules for photocatalytic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, H.-C.; Huang, G.-L.; Chen, H.-L.; Lee, Y.-D.

2006-01-01

Using a simple sol-gel method, a novel magnetic photocatalyst was produced by immobilization of TiO 2 nano-crystal on Fe-filled carbon nanocapsules (Fe-CNC). High resolution TEM images indicated that the immobilization of TiO 2 on Fe-CNC was driven primarily by heterogeneous coagulation, whereas surface nucleation and growth was the dominant mechanism for immobilizing TiO 2 on acid-functionalized hollow CNC. The TiO 2 immobilized on Fe-CNC exhibited the anatase phase as revealed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. In comparison with free TiO 2 and TiO 2 -coated CNC, TiO 2 -coated Fe-CNC displayed good performance in the removal of NO gas under UV exposure. Due to the advantages of easy recycling and good photocatalytic efficiency, the novel magnetic photocatalyst developed here has potential use in photocatalytic applications for pollution prevention

Efficient one-pot synthesis of Ag nanoparticles loaded on N-doped multiphase TiO2 hollow nanorod arrays with enhanced photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Min; Yang Beifang; Lv Yan; Fu Zhengping; Xu Jiao; Guo Ting; Zhao Yongxun

2010-01-01

The simultaneous Ag loaded and N-doped TiO 2 hollow nanorod arrays with various contents of silver (Ag/N-THNAs) were successfully synthesized on glass substrates by one-pot liquid phase deposition (LPD) method using ZnO nanorod arrays as template. The catalysts were characterized by Raman spectrum, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), ultraviolet-vis (UV-vis) absorption spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results suggest that AgNO 3 additive in the precursor solutions not only can promote the anatase-to-rutile phase transition, but also influence the amount of N doping in the samples. The photocatalytic activity of all the samples was evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity under UV light illumination when the AgNO 3 concentration in the precursor solution was 0.03 M, due to Ag nanoparticles acting as electron sinks; When the AgNO 3 concentration was 0.07 M, the sample performed best under visible light illumination, attributed to the synergetic effects of Ag loading, N doping, and the multiphase structure (anatase/rutile).

Enhancement of photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene plastic with CuPc modified TiO2 photocatalyst under solar light irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xu; Li Zongwei; Chen Yi; Shi Liyi; Zhu Yongfa

2008-01-01

Solid-phase photocatalytic degradation of polyethylene (PE) plastic, one of the most common commercial plastic, over copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) modified TiO 2 (TiO 2 /CuPc) photocatalyst was investigated in the ambient air under solar light irradiation. Higher PE weight loss rate, greater texture change; more amount of generated CO 2 , which is the main product of the photocatalytic degradation of the composite PEC plastic can be achieved in the system of PE-(TiO 2 /CuPc) in comparison with PE-TiO 2 system. The CuPc promoted charge separation of TiO 2 and enhanced the photocatalytic degradation of PE based on the analysis of surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). During the photodegradation of PE plastic, the reactive oxygen species generated on TiO 2 or TiO 2 /CuPc particle surfaces play important roles. The present study demonstrates that the combination of polymer plastic with TiO 2 /CuPc composite photocatalyst in the form of thin film is a practical and useful way to photodegrade plastic contaminants under solar light irradiation

Synthesis of TiO2/Bi2S3 heterojunction with a nuclear-shell structure and its high photocatalytic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Juan; Han, Qiaofeng; Wang, Zuoshan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Bi 2 S 3 was doped into TiO 2 and it was clearly proved by the expander of the crystalline lattice in XRD result. ► As-prepared TiO 2 /Bi 2 S 3 heterojunctions have a nuclear-shell structure which has not been reported. ► As-prepared TiO 2 /Bi 2 S 3 heterojunctions have the excellent photocatalytic activity. -- Abstract: TiO 2 /Bi 2 S 3 heterojunctions with a nuclear-shell structure were prepared by the coprecipitation method. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectra, transmission electron microscope images and energy dispersion X-ray spectra. Results showed that as-prepared Bi 2 S 3 was urchin-like, made from many nanorods, and TiO 2 /Bi 2 S 3 heterojunctions have a similar nuclear-shell structure, with Bi 2 S 3 as the shell and TiO 2 as the nuclear. The photocatalytic experiments performed under UV irradiation using methyl orange as the pollutant revealed that the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 could be improved by introduction of an appropriate amount of Bi 2 S 3 . However, excessive amount of Bi 2 S 3 would result in the decrease of photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 . The relative mechanism was proposed.