Search results for "Note"

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…

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 …

2018

We report a novel multi-step method for the preparation of ordered mesoporous titania scaffolds and show an illustrative example of their application to solar cells. The method is based on (monolayer) colloidal nanosphere lithography that makes use of polystyrene nanoparticles organised at a water–air interface and subsequently transferred onto a solid substrate. A titania precursor solution (titanium(IV) isopropoxide in ethanol) is then drop-cast onto the monolayer and left to “incubate” overnight. Surprisingly, instead of the expected inverse monolayer-structure, a subsequent calcination step of the precursor yields an ordered monolayer of hollow titania nanospheres with a wall thickness …

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 …

Polyacrylonitrile block copolymers for the preparation of a thin carbon coating around TiO2 nanorods for advanced lithium-ion batteries.

2013

Herein, a new method for the realization of a thin and homogenous carbonaceous particle coating, made by carbonizing RAFT polymerization derived block copolymers anchored on anatase TiO2 nanorods, is presented. These block copolymers consist of a short anchor block (based on dopamine) and a long, easily graphitizable block of polyacrylonitrile. The grafting of such block copolymers to TiO2 nanorods creates a polymer shell, which can be visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Thermal treatment at 700 °C converts the polyacrylonitrile block to partially graphitic structures (as determined by Raman spectroscopy), establishing a thin carbon coating (as determined by transmission electron m…

Hydrothermal-mediated synthesis of orange Cr, Sb-containing TiO 2 nano-pigments with improved microstructure

2017

Abstract A hydrothermal-mediated via was developed to prepare discrete, non-aggregated Cr,Sb-doped rutile nano-pigments. After annealing the Cr- and Sb-containing TiO2 anatase nanocrystals obtained by hydrothermal aging the nano-pigments Cr,Sb-TiO2 were characterized with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) including lattice parameter and crystallite size determination, Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning and transmission electron microscopies (FESEM and TEM, respectively) including energy-dispersive X-ray (FESEM/EDX) spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) including selected area electron diffraction (SAED), ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance (UV–…

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 …

Photoelectrochemical characterization of anatase-rutile mixed TiO2 nanosponges

2016

This work studies the influence of using hydrodynamic conditions during anodization on the morphology and electrochemical properties of anatase/rutile mixed TiO2 nanotubes (Reynolds number, Re = 0) and nanosponges (Re > 0). To this purpose different techniques were used, such as: microscopy techniques (Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, FE-SEM, and Confocal Laser-Raman Spectroscopy), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Mott Schottky (MS) analysis and photoelectrochemical water splitting tests. This investigation demonstrates that the morphology of TiO2 nanostructures may be greatly affected due to the hydrodynamic conditions and it can be adjusted in order to increase th…

BN/GdxTi(1-x)O(4-x)/2 nanofibers for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light

2019

Abstract BN/GdxTi(1-x)O(4-x)/2 nanofibers were elaborated via electrospinning technique. The properties of the prepared nanofibers were controlled using different ratios of gadolinium. All the prepared nanofibers exhibit the tetragonal structure of anatase TiO2 phase. An increase in the unit cell volume and a decrease in the crystallite size were observed with increasing the doping amount of Gd3+ as revealed by Rietveld refinement analysis. The defect in TiO2 lattice was observed by Raman. The Gd3+ incorporation inside TiO2 lattice, which is accompanied by the creation of Ti-O-Gd bond, was characterized by the X-ray photoelectron spectra. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrates that the a…

TiO2 anatase films obtained by direct liquid injection atomic layer deposition at low temperature

2014

International audience; TiO2 thin films were grown by direct liquid injection atomic layer deposition (DLI-ALD) with infrared rapid thermal heating using titanium tetraisopropoxide and water as precursors. This titanium tetraisopropoxide/water process exhibited a growth rate of 0.018 nm/cycle in a self-limited ALD growth mode at 280 degrees C. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses have shown a smooth surface with a low roughness. XPS results demonstrated that the films were pure and close to the TiO2 stoichiometric composition in depth. Raman spectroscopy revealed that the films were crystallized to the anatase structure in the as-deposited state at low temperatu…