Structurally Stabilized Organosilane‐Templated Thermostable Mesoporous Titania

Structurally thermostable mesoporous anatase TiO₂ (m‐TiO₂) nanoparticles, uniquely decorated with atomically dispersed SiO₂, is reported for the first time. The inorganic Si portion of the novel organosilane template, used as a mesopores‐directing agent, is found to be incorporated in the pore walls of the titania aggregates, mainly as isolated sites. This is evident by transmission electron microscopy and high‐angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, combined with electron dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. This type of unique structure provides exceptional stability to this new material against thermal collapse of the mesoporous structure, which is reflected in its high surface area (the highest known for anatase titania), even after high‐temperature (550 °C) calcination. Control of crystallite size, pore diameter, and surface area is achieved by varying the molar ratios of the titanium precursor and the template during synthesis. These mesoporous materials retain their porosity and high surface area after template removal and further NaOH/HCl treatment to remove silica. We investigate their performance for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with bilayer TiO₂ electrodes, which are prepared by applying a coating of m‐TiO₂ onto a commercial titania (P25) film. The high surface area of the upper mesoporous layer in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC significantly increases the dye loading ability of the photoanode. The photocurrent and fill factor for the DSSC with the bilayer TiO₂ electrode are greatly improved. The large increase in photocurrent current (ca. 56 %) in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC is believed to play a significant role in achieving a remarkable increase in the photovoltaic efficiency (60 %) of the device, compared to DSSCs with a monolayer of P25 as the electrode.     

Direct Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis of Hemoglobin Based on Nafion‐Room Temperature Ionic Liquids‐Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Composite Film

A robust and effective composite film combined the benefits of Nafion, room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) and multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was prepared. Hemoglobin (Hb) was successfully immobilized on glassy carbon electrode surface by entrapping in the composite film. Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of immobilized Hb were investigated in detail. A pair of well‐defined and quasi‐reversible redox peaks of Hb was obtained in 0.10 mol·L^?1 pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS), indicating that the Nafion‐RTIL‐MWNTs film showed an obvious promotion for the direct electron transfer between Hb and the underlying electrode. The immobilized Hb exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of H₂O₂. The catalysis current was linear to H₂O₂ concentration in the range of 2.0×10^?6 to 2.5×10^?4 mol·L^?1, with a detection limit of 8.0×10^?7 mol·L^?1 (S/N=3). The apparent Michaelis‐Menten constant (K_m^app) was calculated to be 0.34 mmol·L^?1. Moreover, the modified electrode displayed a good stability and reproducibility. Based on the composite film, a third‐generation reagentless biosensor could be constructed for the determination of H₂O₂.     

Voltammetric Studies of Cadmium‐ and Zinc‐Containing Metallothioneins at Nafion‐Coated Mercury Thin Film Electrodes

Voltammetric studies of rabbit liver metallothioneins (MTs, containing both Zn and Cd ions) and Zn₇‐MT were carried out at Nafion‐coated mercury film electrodes (NCMFEs). The accumulation of MT molecules into the NCMFEs enhances the voltammetric signals and the electrostatic interaction between the Nafion membrane and MT facilitates facile electron transfer reactions. Two well‐defined redox waves, with reduction potential (E_pc) values at ?0.740 and ?1.173 V, respectively, were observed. The peak at E_pc =?0.740 V is attributable to the reduction of the Cd‐MT complex, whereas that at E_pc=?1.173 V was assigned to the reduction of the Zn‐MT complex. Zn₇‐MT exhibits only one redox wave with E_pc=?1.198 V. The NCMFE was found to be more advantageous than thin mercury film electrode (MFE), because the pristine metal ions in MTs (e.g., Cd²⁺ and/or Zn²⁺) are not significantly replaced by Hg²⁺. The NCMFE is also complementary to Nafion‐coated bismuth film electrode in that it has a greater hydrogen overpotential, which allows the reduction of the Zn‐MT complex to be clearly observed. Moreover, intermetallic compound formation between Cd and Zn appears to be less serious at NCMFEs. Consequently, the amounts of Cd and Zn deposited into the electrode upon the reduction reactions can be quantified more accurately.     

Non‐covalent Immobilization of Iron‐triazole (Fe(Htrz)3) Molecular Mediator in Mesoporous Silica Films for the Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

Mesoporous silica thin films encapsulating a molecular iron‐triazole complex, Fe(Htrz)₃ (Htrz=1,2,4,‐1H‐triazole), have been generated by electrochemically assisted self‐assembly (EASA) on indium‐tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The obtained modified electrodes are characterized by well‐defined voltammetric signals corresponding to the Fe^II/III centers of the Fe(Htrz)₃ species immobilized into the films, indicating fast electron transfer processes and stable operational stability. This is due to the presence of a high density of redox probes in the material (1.6×10^?4 mol g^?1 Fe(Htrz)₃ in the mesoporous silica film) enabling efficient charge transport by electron hopping. The mesoporous films are uniformly deposited over the whole electrode surface and they are characterized by a thickness of 110 nm and a wormlike mesostructure directed by the template role played by Fe(Htrz)₃ species in the EASA process. These species are durably immobilized in the material (they are not removed by solvent extraction). The composite mesoporous material (denoted Fe(Htrz)₃@SiO₂) is then used for the electrocatalytic detection of hydrogen peroxide, which can be performed by amperometry at an applied potential of ?0.4 V versus Ag/AgCl and by flow injection analysis. The organic‐inorganic hybrid film electrode displays good sensitivity for H₂O₂ sensing over a dynamic range from 5 to 300 μM, with a detection limit estimated at 2 μM.     

The instructive redox behaviour of 4‐ferrocenylcatechol on nanocrystalline titanium dioxide electrodes

An investigation into the redox behaviour of 4‐ferrocenylcatechol bound to nanocrystalline TiO₂ electrodes identified a limitation to the use of catechol as an electron‐transfer facilitating anchoring group. 4‐Ferrocenylcatechol was adsorbed to transparent nanocrystalline TiO₂ electrodes. UV–visible spectra of the modified electrode were recorded in an acetonitrile‐electrolyte solution. At an applied potential of + 0.45 mV (vs Ag/AgCl/Cl^?) the ferrocenyl group oxidized to the ferrocenium cation and the catecholate group oxidized to the benzoquinone form. Subsequent application of a potential of 0 V reduced the ferrocenium to ferrocene but, owing to the irreversibility of the catechol oxidation in aprotic solvents, benzoquinone is not reduced to catecholate and subsequently desorbs and is lost due into solution. Electrochromic switching of the ferrocenyl electrochromophore on TiO₂ with aprotic electrolyte is, therefore, irreversible. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electrocatalytic and Solar‐Driven CO2 Reduction to CO with a Molecular Manganese Catalyst Immobilized on Mesoporous TiO2

Electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to CO was achieved with a novel Mn complex, fac‐[MnBr(4,4′‐bis(phosphonic acid)‐2,2′‐bipyridine)(CO)₃] ( MnP ), immobilized on a mesoporous TiO₂ electrode. A benchmark turnover number of 112±17 was attained with these TiO₂| MnP electrodes after 2 h electrolysis. Post‐catalysis IR spectroscopy demonstrated that the molecular structure of the MnP catalyst was retained. UV/vis spectroscopy confirmed that an active Mn–Mn dimer was formed during catalysis on the TiO₂ electrode, showing the dynamic formation of a catalytically active dimer on an electrode surface. Finally, we combined the light‐protected TiO₂| MnP cathode with a CdS‐sensitized photoanode to enable solar‐light‐driven CO₂ reduction with the light‐sensitive MnP catalyst.     

Facile Fabrication of a Graphene‐based Electrochemical Biosensor for Glucose Detection

A simple and effective glucose biosensor based on immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOD) in graphene (GR)/Nafion film was constructed. The results indicated that the immobilized GOD can maintain its native structure and bioactivity, and the GR/Nafion film provides a favorable microenvironment for GOD immobilization and promotes the direct electron transfer between the electrode substrate and the redox center of GOD. The electrode reaction of the immobilized GOD shows a reversible and surface‐controlled process with the large electron transfer rate constant (k_s) of 3.42±0.08 s^?1. Based on the oxygen consumption during the oxidation process of glucose catalyzed by the immobilized GOD, the as‐prepared GOD/GR/Nafion/GCE electrode exhibits a linear range from 0.5 to 14 mmol·L^?1 with a detection limit of 0.03 mmol·L^?1. Moreover, it displays a good reproducibility and long‐term stability.     

Electro‐assembly of a Chromophore–Catalyst Bilayer for Water Oxidation and Photocatalytic Water Splitting

The use of electropolymerization to prepare electrocatalytically and photocatalytically active electrodes for water oxidation is described. Electropolymerization of the catalyst Ru^II(bda)(4‐vinylpyridine)₂ (bda=2,2′‐bipyridine‐6,6′‐dicarboxylate) on planar electrodes results in films containing semirigid polymer networks. In these films there is a change in the water oxidation mechanism compared to the solution analogue from bimolecular to single‐site. Electro‐assembly construction of a chromophore–catalyst structure on mesoporous, nanoparticle TiO₂ films provides the basis for a dye‐sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell (DSPEC) for sustained water splitting in a pH 7 phosphate buffer solution. Photogenerated oxygen was measured in real‐time by use of a two‐electrode cell design.     

Amperometric Ethanol Biosensor Based on Carbon Nanotubes Dispersed in Sol–Gel‐Derived Titania–Nafion Composite Film

Composite solution of sol–gel‐derived titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion) was used as a solubilizing agent for multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT) as well as an encapsulation matrix for alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) for the fabrication of a highly sensitive and stable amperometric ethanol biosensor. ADH was immobilized within a thin film of CNT–titania–Nafion composite film coated on a glassy carbon electrode. Because of the mesoporous nature of the CNT–titania–Nafion composite film, the present biosensor exhibited remarkably fast response time within 2 s. The presence of CNT in the composite film increases not only the sensitivity of the ethanol biosensor but also the long‐term stability of the biosensor. The present biosensor responds linearly to ethanol in the wide concentration ranges from 1.0×10^?5 M to 3.0×10^?3 M with the sensitivity of 51.6 mA M^?1cm^?2. The present biosensor showed good long‐term stability with 75% of its activity retained after 4 weeks of storage in 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.0.     

High Performance Oxide Functionalized Nitrogen‐Doped Mesocellular Carbon Foam for Biosensor Construction

Nitrogen‐doped mesocellular carbon foam (denoted as MCF? CN_x) with high surface area and large pore volume was prepared and characterized in detail. The MCF? CN_x was further functionalized by oxidation with HNO₃ (denoted as MCF? CN_x‐O) in order to effectively improve its hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. Both MCF? CN_x and MCF? CN_x‐O were used for immobilization of Hb and design of electrochemical biosensors. The activity of Hb immobilized on MCF? CN_x‐O is two times higher than that of Hb immobilized on MCF? CN_x. The Hb‐MCF? CN_x‐O‐Nafion modified electrode displays fast response, high sensitivity and low detection limit to the detection of hydrogen peroxide. The sensitivity of Hb‐MCF? CN_x‐O‐Nafion modified electrode (477 μA mM^?1 cm^?2) is twice that of Hb‐MCF? CN_x‐Nafion modified electrode.     

Carbon‐Dot‐Sensitized,Nitrogen‐Doped TiO2 in Mesoporous Silica for Water Decontamination through Nonhydrophobic Enrichment–Degradation Mode

Mesoporous silica synthesized from the cocondensation of tetraethoxysilane and silylated carbon dots containing an amide group has been adopted as the carrier for the in situ growth of TiO₂ through an impregnation–hydrothermal crystallization process. Benefitting from initial complexation between the titania precursor and carbon dot, highly dispersed anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles can be formed inside the mesoporous channel. The hybrid material possesses an ordered hexagonal mesostructure with p6mm symmetry, a high specific surface area (446.27 m² g^?1), large pore volume (0.57 cm³ g^?1), uniform pore size (5.11 nm), and a wide absorption band between λ=300 and 550 nm. TiO₂ nanocrystals are anchored to the carbon dot through Ti?O?N and Ti?O?C bonds, as revealed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the nitrogen doping of TiO₂ is also verified by the formation of the Ti?N bond. This composite shows excellent adsorption capabilities for 2,4‐dichlorophenol and acid orange 7, with an electron‐deficient aromatic ring, through electron donor–acceptor interactions between the carbon dot and organic compounds instead of the hydrophobic effect, as analyzed by the contact angle analysis. The composite can be photocatalytically recycled through visible‐light irradiation after adsorption. The narrowed band gap, as a result of nitrogen doping, and the photosensitization effect of carbon dots are revealed to be coresponsible for the visible‐light activity of TiO₂. The adsorption capacity does not suffer any clear losses after being recycled three times.     

Electrochemical Detection of Catechol on Boron‐doped Diamond Electrode Modified with Au/TiO2 Nanorod Composite

Au/TiO₂ nanorod composites with different ratios of [TiO₂]:[Au] have been prepared by chemically reducing AuCl₄^‐ on the positively charged TiO₂ nanorods surface and used to modify boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. The electrochemical behaviors of catechol on the bare and different Au/TiO₂ nanorod composites‐modified BDD electrodes are studied. The cyclic voltammetric results indicate that these different Au/TiO₂ nanorod composites‐modified BDD electrodes can enhance the electrocatalytic activity toward catechol detection, as compared with the bare BDD electrode. Among these different conditions, the Au/TiO₂‐BDD3 electrode (the ratio of [TiO₂]:[Au] is 27:1) is the most choice for catechol detection. The electrochemical response dependences of the Au/TiO₂‐BDD3 electrode on pH of solution and the applied potential are studied. The detection limit of catechol is found to be about 1.4 × 10^‐6 M in a linear range from 5 × 10^‐6 M to 200 × 10^‐6 M on the Au/TiO₂‐BDD3 electrode.     

Fullerol–Titania Charge‐Transfer‐Mediated Photocatalysis Working under Visible Light

The development of visible‐light‐active photocatalysts is being investigated through various approaches. In this study, C₆₀‐based sensitized photocatalysis that works through the charge transfer (CT) mechanism is proposed and tested as a new approach. By employing the water‐soluble fullerol (C₆₀(OH)_x) instead of C₆₀, we demonstrate that the adsorbed fullerol activates TiO₂ under visible‐light irradiation through the “surface–complex CT” mechanism, which is largely absent in the C₆₀/TiO₂ system. Although fullerene and its derivatives have often been utilized in TiO₂‐based photochemical conversion systems as an electron transfer relay, their successful photocatalytic application as a visible‐light sensitizer of TiO₂ is not well established. Fullerol/TiO₂ exhibits marked visible photocatalytic activity not only for the redox conversion of 4‐chlorophenol, I^?, and Cr^VI, but also for H₂ production. The photoelectrode of fullerol/TiO₂ also generates an enhanced anodic photocurrent under visible light as compared with the electrodes of bare TiO₂ and C₆₀/TiO₂, which confirms that the visible‐light‐induced electron transfer from fullerol to TiO₂ is particularly enhanced. The surface complexation of fullerol/TiO₂ induced a visible absorption band around 400–500 nm, which was extinguished when the adsorption of fullerol was inhibited by fluorination of the surface of TiO₂. The transient absorption spectroscopic measurement gave an absorption spectrum ascribed to fullerol radical cations (fullerol^.+) the generation of which should be accompanied by the proposed CT. The theoretical calculation regarding the absorption spectra for the (TiO₂ cluster+fullerol) model also confirmed the proposed CT, which involves excitation from HOMO (fullerol) to LUMO (TiO₂ cluster) as the origin of the visible‐light absorption.     

Silica‐modified Electrodes for Electrochemical Detection of Malachite Green

New silica‐modified glassy carbon electrodes prepared with three different sorts of ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) were characterized and tested for the electrochemical detection of Malachite Green (MG). The electrodes were prepared by drop casting using silica suspensions and, for stability sake, a Nafion coating was deposited on the electrode top by the same technique. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry was used to investigate the effect of various experimental parameters (deposition time, solution pH, silica type and concentration) on the performance of the modified electrodes. The best electrode (GC/MCM‐41‐NH₂/Nafion) with detection limit 0.36 μM, sensitivity 0.164±0.003 A/M; linear domain 1–6 μM was applied to detect MG in a commercial product commonly used as biocide in aquaria for ornamental fish.     

Photoinduced Triplet–Triplet Energy Transfer in a 2‐Ureido‐4(1H)‐Pyrimidinone‐Bridged,Quadruply Hydrogen‐Bonded Ferrocene–Fullerene Assembly

2‐Ureido‐4(1H)‐pyrimidinone‐bridged ferrocene–fullerene assembly I is designed and synthesized for elaborating the photoinduced electron‐transfer processes in self‐complementary quadruply hydrogen‐bonded modules. Unexpectedly, steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopy reveal an inefficient electron‐transfer process from the ferrocene to the singlet or triplet excited state of the fullerene, although the electron‐transfer reactions are thermodynamically feasible. Instead, an effective intra‐assembly triplet–triplet energy‐transfer process is found to be operative in assembly I with a rate constant of 9.2×10⁵ s^?1 and an efficiency of 73 % in CH₂Cl₂ at room temperature.     

Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence of TiO2 Nanoparticles Modified Electrode by Nafion Film and Its Application in Selective Detection of Dopamine

In this work, a simple and effective approach to obtain stable, nontoxic and strong electrochemiluminescence (ECL) interfaces is provided by coating TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surfaces with Nafion. Unlike a decrease of the current resulting from the blocked diffusion usually displayed in electrochemical processes by Nafion coating, a Nafion/TiO₂ NPs modified electrode not only shows a highly stable ECL, but also shows an 8‐fold increase of ECL intensity and a reduction of the overpotential of ca. 300 mV in the presence of K₂S₂O₈ as co‐reactant, compared with those of bare TiO₂ NPs modified electrodes. The roles of Nafion coating on TiO₂ NPs in the ECL process are proposed to be twofold: to provide refuge for the free radicals and to enhance the electron‐hole recombination. Benefiting from its excellent ECL performance, the cationic exchange function of Nafion and the susceptible to being oxidized performance of dopamine (DA) by holes, the Nafion/TiO₂ composite electrode could be used to sensitively and selectively detect DA with a detection limit of 1.0×10^?11 M and a linear range of 1.0×10^?11–6.0×10^?7 M. The coexisting anionic species such as excess ascorbic acid show little interference on DA detection.     

Electrochemical preparation of PMeT/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocomposite electrochromic electrodes with enhanced long-term stability

In this work, 3-methylthiophene (MeT) was electrochemically incorporated with nano- and mesoporous TiO₂ films to form poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMeT)/TiO₂ nanocomposite electrochromic electrodes. TiO₂ films, which were previously coated on the ITO glass sheets through a well-established technique, were introduced to enhance the adhesion of the polymers to the substrates and thus increase the long-term stability of the devices. With this effort, the nanocomposite electrodes were found to retain up to 60% of their optical response after 3,500 deep and double potential steps and retain up to 50% of their electroactivity after 10⁴ same steps, exhibiting enhanced long-term stability. Switching time and the maximum optical contrast (ΔT%) of the nanocomposite electrodes were found to be 0.6 s and 45%, respectively. Moreover, our work showed that electrochemically incorporating conductive polymers (CPs) with TiO₂ mesoporous films was an effective method to form high-quality CP/TiO₂ nanocomposite electrodes, which can be used widely in battery cathodes, photovoltaic cells, photocatalytic reaction, and photoelectrochromic cells and were supposed to enhance their performances.     

A Photoelectrochemical Biosensor Fabricated using Hierarchically Structured Gold Nanoparticle and MoS2 on Tannic Acid Templated Mesoporous TiO2

In a tannic acid assisted synthesis of mesoporous TiO₂, tannic acid was used as a cost effective and non‐toxic template for pore formation. Meanwhile, a gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) deposited TiO₂ nanocomposite was coated on an indium tin oxide electrode for the fabrication of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing system. Upon the formation of anatase structure, the electrode was coated with MoS₂ for effective visible light absorption. The mesoporous structure led to an enhanced surface area by improving Au NPs and glucose oxidase adsorption. Incorporation of Au NPs led to an enhanced photonic efficiency due to the generation of Schottky barriers. The obtained nanocomposite was used for the light‐driven, real‐time, and selective PEC glucose sensing. Under visible light irradiation, the enzyme immobilized electrodes yielded significant photocurrent improvement owing to the releasing electron donor H₂O₂. The obtained PEC biosensor demonstrated acceptable reproducibility and stability with a sensitivity of 4.42 μA mM^?1 cm^?2 and a low detection limit of 1.2 μM glucose. Also, the linear measurement range was found to be 0.004–1.75 mM glucose. The results indicated that the proposed production method of mesoporous TiO₂ will pave the way for a green chemistry based porous material production, along with the extension of the implementation of semiconductors in PEC biosensing systems.     

Amperometric Tyrosinase Biosensor Based on Carbon Nanotube–Titania–Nafion Composite Film

A highly sensitive and stable amperometric tyrosinase biosensor has been developed based on multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) dispersed in mesoporous composite films of sol–gel‐derived titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion). Tyrosinase was immobilized within a thin film of MWCNT–titania–Nafion composite film coated on a glassy carbon electrode. Phenolic compounds were determined by the direct reduction of biocatalytically‐liberated quinone species at ?100 mV versus Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCl) without a mediator. The present tyrosinase biosensor showed good analytical performances in terms of response time, sensitivity, and stability compared to those obtained with other biosensors based on different sol–gel matrices. Due to the large pore size of the MWCNT–titania–Nafion composite, the present biosensor showed remarkably fast response time with less than 3 s. The present biosensor responds linearly to phenol from 1.0×10^?7 M to 5.0×10^?5 M with an excellent sensitivity of 417 mA/M and a detection limit of 9.5×10^?8 M (S/N=3). The enzyme electrode retained 89% of its initial activity after 2 weeks of storage in 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.0.     

Electron Transfer in Dye‐Sensitised Semiconductors Modified with Molecular Cobalt Catalysts: Photoreduction of Aqueous Protons

A visible‐light driven H₂ evolution system comprising of a Ru^II dye ( RuP ) and Co^III proton reduction catalysts ( CoP ) immobilised on TiO₂ nanoparticles and mesoporous films is presented. The heterogeneous system evolves H₂ efficiently during visible‐light irradiation in a pH‐neutral aqueous solution at 25 °C in the presence of a hole scavenger. Photodegradation of the self‐assembled system occurs at the ligand framework of CoP , which can be readily repaired by addition of fresh ligand, resulting in turnover numbers above 300 mol H₂ (mol CoP )^?1 and above 200,000 mol H₂ (mol TiO₂ nanoparticles)^?1 in water. Our studies support that a molecular Co species, rather than metallic Co or a Co‐oxide precipitate, is responsible for H₂ formation on TiO₂. Electron transfer in this system was studied by transient absorption spectroscopy and time‐correlated single photon counting techniques. Essentially quantitative electron injection takes place from RuP into TiO₂ in approximately 180 ps. Thereby, upon dye regeneration by the sacrificial electron donor, a long‐lived TiO₂ conduction band electron is formed with a half‐lifetime of approximately 0.8 s. Electron transfer from the TiO₂ conduction band to the CoP catalysts occurs quantitatively on a 10 μs timescale and is about a hundred times faster than charge‐recombination with the oxidised RuP . This study provides a benchmark for future investigations in photocatalytic fuel generation with molecular catalysts integrated in semiconductors.