Search results for "Catalysis"
showing 10 items of 5944 documents
Anatase nanoparticles boundaries resulting from titanium tetrachloride hydrolysis
2017
An important factor that governs solar energy transformation into electrical or chemical energy, when using nanoparticles-based devices, is the spatial location of traps limiting electron transport. Evidences have been presented indicating that the electron diffusion is strongly influenced by nanoparticle boundaries, whose characteristics depend on the particles preparation. In the present work we have studied the role of hydrated excess proton structures in the formation of anatase nanoparticles boundaries in samples prepared by TiCl4 hydrolysis at low temperature and strong acidic conditions. The samples, constituted by anatase nanocrystals but, mainly, by amorphous titania, are studied b…
The effect of the surface disordered layer on the photoreactivity of titania nanoparticles
2017
It is well known that the surface of metal oxide catalysts presents, usually, non-crystalline species containing impurities and low coordinated cations, which are observed in HRTEM images as a disordered layer of amorphous phase. Despite of being these species more accessible and less stable than the crystalline catalysts components, they have been rarely considered when analysing the catalyst activity. In this work, we have studied the effect of a treatment with HCl solution at pH = 0 on the characteristics of the disordered layer in two commercial anatase TiO2 samples, using techniques such as TGA, 1H MAS-NMR and HRTEM, and by determining these sample photocatalytic activity for the 4-nit…
Preparation characterization and photocatalytic activity of polycrystalline ZnO/TiO2 systems. 2. Surface, bulk characterization, and 4-nitrophenol ph…
2001
Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and monitoring of pyridine (py) and boric acid trimethyl ester (BATE) adsorption for determining surface acidity and basicity, respectively, were used to carry out further characterization of mixed ZnO/TiO2 polycrystalline solids prepared by different methods. Moreover, the powders were tested in a batch photoreactor for a probe reaction, i.e., 4-nitrophenol photodegradation in aqueous medium. ESR results indicated the presence of signals attributable to Zn+ species in ZnO/TiO2 (anatase) solids, while in ZnO/TiO2 (rutile) samples the presence of zinc induced only the formation of signals probably due…
Step-by-Step Growth of HKUST-1 on Functionalized TiO2 Surface: An Efficient Material for CO2 Capture and Solar Photoreduction
2018
The present study reports on a simple preparation strategy of a hybrid catalyst, TiO2/HKUST-1, containing TiO2 anatase nanoparticles (NPs) with tailored morphology and photocatalytic activity coupled with a porous metal-organic framework (MOF), namely HKUST-1, as an advanced material for the CO2 photocatalytic reduction. In detail, TiO2/HKUST-1 catalyst was prepared via an easy slow-diffusion method combined with a step-by-step self-assembly at room temperature. The growth of crystalline HKUST-1 onto titania surface was achieved by functionalizing TiO2 nanocrystals, with phosphoesanoic acid (PHA), namely TiO2-PHA, which provides an intimate contact between MOF and TiO2. The presence of a cr…
Preparation characterization and photocatalytic activity of polycrystalline ZnO/TiO2 systems. 1. Surface and bulk characterization
2001
Polycrystalline ZnO/TiO2 solids have been prepared with four different methods using home prepared TiO2 (anatase) or TiO2 (rutile) as supports and Zn(NO3)2·6H2O or Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O as precursors for ZnO. The bulk and surface properties of the samples were investigated by means of TG-DTA, XRD, TEM, SEM-EDAX, XPS, BET surface area determination, and porosity measurements. XRD and TEM results indicate that no significant defect structures exist in any of the samples. The ZnO crystallinity and its enrichment on the surface of TiO2 particles were dependent on the preparation method. The surface areas generally decrease by increasing the amount of ZnO except when ZnO from Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O was sup…
Mesocrystalline anatase nanoparticles synthesized using a simple hydrothermal approach with enhanced light harvesting for gas-phase reaction
2018
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 …
Preparation and photoactivity of nanostructured anatase, rutile and brookite TiO2 thin films
2006
Photoactive films consisting of pure anatase, brookite or rutile TiO2 were prepared by dip coating from water dispersions obtained by using TiCl4 as the precursor under similar mild experimental conditions
Excess Electrons at Oxide Surfaces
2015
Excess electrons profoundly affect the properties of oxide surfaces. The present review deals with excess charges on rutile and anatase. These much studied titania polymorphs open with strong prospects regarding (photo)catalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells. In the complex landscape of the mechanisms of electron trapping and electron transfer toward adsorbates, excess electrons open with flexible model systems which are the focus of an extensive research effort.
Effect of the addition of different doping agents on visible light activity of porous TiO2 photocatalysts
2018
Abstract The influence of the addition of different doping agents (N, W and Hf) on the macroporous TiO2 photoactivity toward the Rhodamine B degradation and ethanol photo-oxidation was evaluated. The samples were characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption-desorption, UV–vis Diffuse Reflectance and Photoluminescence spectroscopies to study also the changes in the physico-chemical properties due to the presence of dopants. The photonic effect and the high ordered porous structure of the macroporous TiO2 that lead to increase the path length of the light, were the key factors that allow to enhance the catalytic activity towards the dye and VOC degradation under visible and solar light …
Reduced grey brookite for noble metal free photocatalytic H2evolution
2021
Herein we introduce for the first time a reduced “grey” brookite TiO2 photocatalyst, produced by thermal hydrogenation of brookite nanoparticles, that shows a remarkable noble metal free photocatalytic H2 evolution. Its activity is substantially higher than that of other TiO2 polymorphs, i.e. anatase or rutile, comparably sized and activated by hydrogenation under optimized conditions. Along with brookite powders, an oriented brookite single crystal was investigated as a defined surface to confirm the effects of the hydrogenation treatment. By a combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron and X-ray characterization techniques applied to the powders and single crystal, we …