Mesocrystalline Cr and Sb-codoped anatase visible-light-driven photocatalyst
Abstract We report on the synthesis, characterization and visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity of mesocrystalline Cr- and Sb-codoped anatase nanoparticles. Discrete and morphologically well-defined assemblies of anatase nanoparticles sized below 100 nm × 50 nm were prepared by hydrothermal aging of aqueous solutions containing titanium alkoxide, chromium acetylacetonate, antimony acetate and triethanolamine (TEOA) as stabilizer. The as-prepared and TEOA-free doped nanoparticles showed similar crystallographic parameters and spectroscopic features. The incorporation of Cr and Sb dopant cations into the anatase nanoparticles was evaluated by Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction pa…
Mesocrystalline anatase nanoparticles synthesized using a simple hydrothermal approach with enhanced light harvesting for gas-phase reaction
Mesocrystalline TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using a hydrothermal approach. A simple two-step procedure at low temperature (<140 °C) allowed the nucleation of primary particles sized 2–4 nm and their subsequent assembly as almost spherical aggregates sized ≈20 nm. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies, and HRTEM studies confirmed anatase as the unique TiO2 crystalline phase. The mesocrystalline structure of the anatase aggregates was clearly evidenced by HRTEM and SAED results. The mesocrystalline nanopowders exhibit a mesoporous structure with a surface area and pore volume of 63.5 m2 g−1 and 0.22 cm3 g−1, respectively. Ultraviolet …