The effects of the nanostructure of mesoporous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on optical band gap energy

Mesoporous TiO₂ is prepared by sol–gel process with a triblock copolymer as an organic template and aqueous TiOCl₂ solution as inorganic precursor. The XRD patterns reveal that only the anatase phase can be observed in mesoporous TiO₂, regardless of the different calcining temperatures, and with increasing calcining temperature the grain size gradually increases. The grain sizes of TiO₂ increased from 4.7 to 11.9 nm with calcining temperature increasing from 300 to 400 °C. The pore size and the surface area evaluated from the Barrett–Joyner–Halenda model and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method indicated that the average pore sizes increased from 87 to 153 Å and specific surface areas decreased from 179.71 to 74.31 m²/g for 300–400 °C calcination. The relationship between the optical band gap (E _g) and microstructure of anatase has been determined and discussed. The quantum confinement effect is observed at grain sizes lower than 10 nm, and the estimated E _g shifts from 3.32 to 3.46 eV. These results suggest that there are potential applications of mesostructured TiO₂ with nanocrystals in the design of optical devices and photocatalysts.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Spindle-Like TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanostructures and Photocatalytic Activity on Methyl Orange and Methyl Blue Dyes Under Sunlight Radiation

Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures was prepared by a simple one pot solvothermal method followed by calcination at 400 °C for 3 h. The sample was characterized using various techniques such as X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. The crystal structure of TiO₂ nanostructure was measured by X-ray diffractometer. According to the XRD result, the peaks in the sample can be indexed to anatase phase of TiO₂. The morphological characterization of TiO₂ sample was examined by transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized sample consisted of spindle-like shape with size in the range of 50–70 nm. The band gap value of Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures is 2.92 eV, which is lower than that of bulk TiO₂ of 3.2 eV. The FTIR bands observed at 493, 443 and 428 cm^?1 confirms the presence of TiO₂. The Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures showed photodegradation ability for methyl orange and methyl blue dye. The reuse evaluation of the Spindle-like TiO₂ nanostructures showed that their photocatalytic activity had good durability.     

Synthesis and thermal decomposition of neodymium(III) peroxotitanate to Nd<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript>

Neodymium(III) peroxotitanate is used as a precursor for obtaining Nd₂TiO₅. The last one possesses numerous valuable electrophysical properties. TiCl₄, Nd(NO₃)₃·6H₂O and H₂O₂ in mol ratio 1:2:10 were used as starting materials. The reaction ambience was alkalized to pH = 9 with a solution of NH₃. The obtained neodymium(III) peroxotitanate and intermediate compounds of the isothermal heating were proved by the help of quantitative analysis and infrared spectroscopy (IRS). It has Nd₄[Ti₂(O₂)₄(OH)₁₂]·7H₂O composition. The absorption band observed in IRS at 831 cm^?1 relates to a triangular bonding of the peroxo group of Ti, at 1062 cm^?1—terminal groups Ti–OH and at 1491 and 1384 cm^?1—the bridging OH^?-groups Ti–O(H)–Ti. Nd₂TiO₅ was obtained by thermal decomposition of neodymium(III) peroxotitanate. The isothermal conditions for decomposition were determined on the base of differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry results in the temperature range of 20–1000 °C. The mechanism of thermal decomposition of Nd₄[Ti₂(O₂)₄(OH)₁₂]·7H₂O to Nd₂TiO₅ was studied. In the temperature range of 20–208 °C, a simultaneous decomposition of the peroxo groups by the separation of oxygen and hydrate water is conducted and Nd₄[Ti₂O₄(OH)₁₂] is obtained. From 208 to 390 °C, the terminal OH^?-groups are separated and Nd₄[Ti₂O₇(OH)₆] is formed. In the range of 390–824 °C, the bridging OH^?-groups are completely decomposed to Nd₂TiO₅. The optimal conditions for obtaining nanocrystalline Nd₂TiO₅ are 900 °C for 6 h and 20–80 nm.     

Freeze-drying synthesis and characterisation of Na composites of ZnO,TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and ZnTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> semiconductor oxides

The freeze-drying method of metal oxides synthesis has a number of advantages such as high homogeneity, varying porous structures, morphologies and uniform particle size distribution, etc. Because of these advantages, the binary metal oxides ZnO, TiO₂ and ternary metal oxide ZnTiO₃ were synthesised by the freeze-drying method. The synthesised materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-VIS spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The as-synthesised metal oxides were calcined at different temperatures to study the phase evolution and morphological changes. The crystalline cubic-phase ZnTiO₃ (a = 8.3948 Å) was obtained on calcination of the precursor at 600°C, and decomposed to the cubic phase Zn₂TiO₄ (a = 8.4580 Å) and rutile TiO₂ (a = 4.5955 Å and c = 2.9593 Å) at 1000°C. The band gap of ZnO (3.28?3.10 eV), TiO₂ (3.37?2.97 eV) and ZnTiO₃ (3.92?3.80 eV) calculated using Tauc’s relation was found to vary inversely with calcination temperature and phase transition.     

Microstructure of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> hybrid electrospun nanofibers and their application in dye degradation

SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning and applied for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). The phase structure, specific surface area, and surface morphologies of the SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers were characterized through thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), etc. XRD measurements indicated that doping of silica into TiO₂ nanofibers can delay the phase transition from anatase to rutile and decrease the grain size. SEM and BET characterization proved that silica doping can remarkably enhance the porosity of the SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers. The MB adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity of the SiO₂/TiO₂ hybrid nanofibers were distinguished experimentally. It was found that, although increased silica doping content could enhance the MB adsorption capacity, the intrinsic photocatalytic activity gradually dropped. The SiO₂ (10 %)/TiO₂ composite nanofibers exhibited the highest MB degradation rate, being superior to SiO₂ (20 %)/TiO₂ or pure TiO₂.     

Simple and rapid synthesis of ternary polyaniline/titanium oxide/graphene by simultaneous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> generation and aniline oxidation as hybrid materials for supercapacitor applications

This paper reports a simple methodology for the synthesis of a polyaniline/titanium oxide/graphene hybrid (Pani/TiO₂/GN) using a simple methodology, and their application as a supercapacitor electrode material for energy storage. The Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid was prepared by a simple approach by simultaneous generation of Pani and TiO₂ in situ from aniline and titanium iso-propoxide, respectively, in the presence of GN under ice bath conditions. The incorporation of GN improved the electrical conductivity of Pani and helped to decrease the charge transfer resistance, whereas TiO₂ generation by an in situ method increased the surface area considerably and enhanced the capacitance of the Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid. TEM showed that Pani and TiO₂ were well incorporated and coated on the GN successfully. The shift of the peaks in the FTIR spectrum and XRD pattern of the Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid compared to their pure counterparts suggested that TiO₂ and Pani had been perfectly coated on the GN, and there was a strong interaction among Pani, GN, and TiO₂ particles. The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid electrode showed a high specific capacitance of 403.2 F g^?1 at a current density of 2 A g^?1 and excellent cycling stability for up to 1000 cycles. This suggested that the effective incorporation of GN and TiO₂ into Pani and the high surface area could simultaneously increase the electrochemical capacitance and cyclic stability of the Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid, leading to superior electrochemical performance.

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Graphical abstract The electrochemical performance of as-prepared Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid electrode showed a high specific capacitance of 403.2 F g^?-1 at a current density of 2 A g^?-1 and excellent cycling stability for up to 1000 cycles. This suggested that the effective incorporation of GN and TiO₂ into Pani and the high surface area could simultaneously increase the electrochemical capacitance and cycle stability of the Pani/TiO₂/GN hybrid, leading to superior electrochemical performance.

     

Electrochemical properties of spinel Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript> nanoparticles prepared via a low-temperature solid route

Spinel phase Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (s-LTO) with an average primary particle size of 150 nm was synthesised via a solid state route by calcining a precursor mixture at 600 °C. The precursor was prepared from a stoichiometric mixture of TiO₂ nanoparticles and an ethanolic solution of Li acetate and activated by ball-milling. Effects of the calcination temperature and atmosphere are examined in relation to the coexistence of impurity phases by X-ray diffraction and ⁶Li MAS NMR. The charge capacity of s-LTO, determined from cyclic voltammogram at a scan rate of 0.1 mV/s, was 142 mAh/g. The capacity of our optimised material is superior to that of commercially available spinel (a-LTO), despite the considerably smaller BET-specific surface area of the former. The superior properties of our material were also demonstrated by galvanostatic charging/discharging. From these observations, we conclude that the presented low-temperature solid state synthesis route provides LTO with improved electrochemical performance.     

Extensive enhancement in power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell by using Al-doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photoanode

In this work, we have prepared Al-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles via a hydrothermal method and used it for making photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Material characterizations were done using XRD, AFM, SEM, TEM and EDAX. XPS results reveal that Al is introduced successfully into the structure of TiO₂ creating new impurity energy levels in the forbidden gap. This resulted in tuning of the conduction band of TiO₂ and reduced charge recombination which led to better current conversion efficiency of DSSC. Greater dye loading and enhanced surface area was obtained for Al-doped TiO₂ compared to un-doped TiO₂. I-V analysis, EIS and Bode plots are employed to evaluate photovoltaic performance. The short-circuit current density (J _sc) and efficiency (η) of cell employing Al-doped TiO₂ photoanode were extensively enhanced compared to the cell using un-doped TiO₂. The optical band gap (E _g) for Al-doped and un-doped TiO₂ was obtained as 2.8 and 3.2 eV, respectively. J _sc and η were 13.39 mAcm^?2 and 4.27%, respectively, under illumination of 100 mWcm^?2 light intensity when thin films of 1% Al-doped TiO₂ was employed as photoanode in DSSC using N719 as the sensitizer dye. With the use of un-doped TiO₂ as photoanode under similar conditions, J _sc 5.12 mAcm^?2 and η 1.06% only could be obtained. The maximum IPCE% obtained with Al-doped TiO₂ and un-doped TiO₂ was 67 and 38% respectively at the characteristic wavelength of dye (λ _max = 540 nm). The EIS analyses revealed resistive and capacitive elements that provided an insight into various interfacial processes in terms of the charge transport. It was observed that Al-doping reduced the interfacial resistance leading to better charge transport which has improved both photocurrent density and conversion efficiency. Higher electron mobility and fast diffusion resulting in greater charge collection efficiency was obtained for Al-doped TiO₂ compared to the un-doped TiO₂. Using the Mott–Schottky plot, the donor density was calculated for un-doped and Al-doped TiO₂. The work demonstrated that the Al-doped TiO₂ is potential photoanode material for low-cost and high-efficiency DSSC.     

Preparation and performance of potassium-based sorbent using SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> for post-combustion CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> capture

Potassium-based sorbents using γ-Al₂O₃ or TiO₂ as a support or an additive material have disadvantages in terms of their thermal stability and cyclic CO₂ capture. To overcome the shortcomings of these sorbents, a novel potassium-based sorbent (KSnI30) using SnO₂ was developed in this study. The KSnI30 sorbent formed only K₂CO₃ and SnO₂ phases without any inactive alloy species even after calcination at high temperatures (500–700 °C), indicating the good thermal stability of the KSnI30 sorbent regardless of the calcination temperature. Furthermore, the KSnI30 sorbent has an excellent regeneration property (above 98 %), as well as high CO₂ capture capacities (89–94 mg CO₂/g sorbent). Its excellent regeneration property is due to the formation of a KHCO₃ phase without by-products during CO₂ sorption. These results of the present study demonstrate that the SnO₂ shows promise as a new support or an additive material to replace TiO₂ and γ-Al₂O₃ in the preparation of a regenerable potassium-based sorbent for post-combustion CO₂ capture with good thermal stability and excellent regeneration property.     

Diagnostics of Plasma Behavior and TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Properties Based on DBD/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Hybrid System

Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest in environmental and energy applications, such as the destruction of gas pollutants and hydrocarbon conversion. In order to further improve the application of plasma catalysis, it is crucial to understand the fundamental mechanisms, especially the mutual interaction between plasma and catalyst. In this paper, a parallel-plate dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor is developed to investigate the plasma behavior and TiO₂ properties in the plasma/catalytic hybrid system. The introduction of TiO₂ thin film coated on the dielectric improves the discharge intensity, which significantly contributes to the enhancement of reactive species and charges. The energy efficiency of generating ozone in DBD/TiO₂ system has been approximately raised by 38% compared to pure DBD when the applied voltage reaches 13 kV. It is fortunately found that the discharge does not change the crystal structure of the TiO₂, but the band gap increases from 3.13 to 3.39 eV, which has been proved to enhance the oxidizability of TiO₂ in the degradation of methyl orange experiment under UV light. The FTIR and XPS spectra also demonstrate that N element is doped into the structure of TiO₂. These results successfully illustrate the plasma behavior and catalyst properties in plasma/catalysis hybrid system and provide reference for the optimization of the plasma catalysis process.     

Sr,Zn co-doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> xerogel film made of uniform spheres for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells

This study comes up with the facile preparation of Sr,Zn co-doped TiO₂ xerogel film for boosting the short circuit current density of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The film contains 2.5-μm-diameter spheres assembled from 60 nm nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that Sr²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions to be well incorporated into the TiO₂ crystal lattice without forming specific strontium and zinc compositions. The crystallite size, phase composition, and band structure of the spheres depend on the dopants concentration. Isolated energy levels near valence band as a result of the foreign ions introduction improve the photocatalytic activity of the prepared TiO₂ spheres, enhancing the short circuit current density of the cells. The DSC co-doped with 0.075 at.% Sr and 0.4 at.% Zn showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 7.87 % and short circuit current density of 18.75 mA cm^?2 thanks to lower charge transfer resistance (2.16 Ω cm²), lower electron transit time (1.19 ms), and higher electron diffusion coefficient (18.1 × 10⁴ cm² S^?1) compared to the other cells, demonstrated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The concept of the simultaneous introduction of alkaline earth ions and transition ions into TiO₂ xerogel films will open up a new insight into the fabrication of high performance DSCs.     

TiO2 Synthesis by the Pechini’s Method and Application for Diclofenac Photodegradation†

In this work, the effect of the calcination temperature on the TiO₂ synthesis using Pechini’s method was reported. The adopted calcination temperatures were 500, 600, and 700°C. XRD measurements indicated the composition of crystalline phases, and from there, the conversion of the anatase phase to rutile. TiO₂ Evonik^® was used as a reference standard and sodium diclofenac as a standard for photodegradation assessment. The average crystalline size increased. In both cases, this trend accompanied the increase in calcination temperature. The optical properties were performed using diffuse UV‐Vis reflectance. Results obtained indicated maximum absorption wavelength values more intense and displaced to the visible region. Also, the estimated band gap energy values decreased. The photocatalytic performance of TiO₂ samples was superior to the reference catalyst (TiO₂ Evonik^®). Especially in the first 10 minutes, the comparative photodegradation was up to approximately 58% higher. The photodegradation kinetic constants were also higher, and by comparison, up to approximately 73% higher. Toxicity measurements, using Artemias salina, also indicated similar decay behavior in the first 10 minutes, with a performance of up to approximately 60%.     

Sonication-polished anodic TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube array-based photoanode for efficient solar energy conversion

In this work, the capping layer atop anodic TiO₂ nanotube arrays (NTAs), which hinders filling of other guest materials and transport of charge carriers, is discerned to be TiO₂ nanotapes. Then, it is completely removed by a novel sonication-polishing (SP) treatment, after which Sb₂S₃ is subsequently introduced to fill the nanotubes by chemical bath deposition. The morphological, structural, and optical properties of the SP-treated TiO₂ NTAs and TiO₂ NTAs/Sb₂S₃ heterogeneous structures are characterized systematically. The results indicate that SP treatment opens the tops of nanotubes with diameters of ～120 nm, which endure a phase conversion from amorphous to anatase after calcination at 450 °C; besides, stibnite Sb₂S₃ with a band gap of ～1.75 eV inside the TiO₂ networks is formed upon heat treatment at 330 °C in Ar, which enhances the absorption in visible light range. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photovoltaic properties for the SP-treated TiO₂ NTAs are investigated. Results shows that the photoresponse of TiO₂ NTAs is improved by the SP treatment, and the photocurrent for the TiO₂ NTAs/Sb₂S₃ electrode is substantially enhanced as compared to the bare TiO₂ one. A high efficiency of 6.28 % is achieved in a TiO₂ NTAs/Sb₂S₃ PEC cell. In addition, charge recombination in the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is observed to be greatly retarded by using the SP-treated TiO₂ NTAs as compared to TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs). Thus, the SP anodic TiO₂ NTAs are promising in applications in various PEC areas such as photocatalysis and sensitized solar cells.     

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan coating of NiFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Nickel ferrite nanoparticle is a soft magnetic material whose appealing properties as well as various technical applications have rendered it as one of the most attractive class of materials; its technical applications range from its utility as a sensor and catalyst to its utility in biomedical processes. The present paper focuses first on the synthesis of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles through co-precipitation method resulting in calcined nanoparticles that were achieved at different times and at a constant temperature (773 k). Afterward, they were dispersed in water that was mixed by chitosan. Chitosan was bonded on the surface of nanoparticles by controlling the pH of media. In order to assess the structural and magnetic properties of nanoparticles, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analyses were conducted at room temperature. As per the results of XRD analysis, the pure NiFe₂O₄ was synthesized. Additionally, nanoparticles grew in size by extending the calcination process duration. TEM micrographs were used to determine the size and shape of particle; the obtained results indicate that the particle size was in a range of 17–30 nm and of a circular shape. The proper chitosan covering was also indicated by FTIR results. The VSM analysis also revealed that the saturated magnetization of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles stood in a range of 29 emu/g and 45 Q_e. A stable maximum temperature ranging from 30 to 42 was successfully achieved within 10 min. Also, a specific absorption rate of up to 8.4 W/g was achieved. The study results revealed that the SAR parameter of the coated nickel ferrite nanoparticle is more than that of pure nickel ferrite or cobalt ferrite nanoparticles.     

Electrospun Li<Subscript>4</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>12</Subscript>/Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> composite nanofibers for enhanced high-rate lithium ion batteries

Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/Li₂TiO₃ composite nanofibers with the mean diameter of ca. 60 nm have been synthesized via facile electrospinning. When the molar ratio of Li to Ti is 4.8:5, the Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/Li₂TiO₃ composite nanofibers exhibit initial discharge capacity of 216.07 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 C, rate capability of 151 mAh g^?1 after being cycled at 20 C, and cycling stability of 122.93 mAh g^?1 after 1000 cycles at 20 C. Compared with pure Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ nanofibers and Li₂TiO₃ nanofibers, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/Li₂TiO₃ composite nanofibers show better performance when used as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The enhanced electrochemical performances are explained by the incorporation of appropriate Li₂TiO₃ which could strengthen the structure stability of the hosted materials and has fast Li⁺-conductor characteristics, and the nanostructure of nanofibers which could offer high specific area between the active materials and electrolyte and shorten diffusion paths for ionic transport and electronic conduction. Our new findings provide an effective synthetic way to produce high-performance Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anodes for lithium rechargeable batteries.     

Cooperation among N,F and Fe in tri-doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photocatalyst

TiO₂ photocatalysts tri-doped with N, F and Fe were synthesized by a sol–gel method. The cooperation of N, F and Fe in tri-doped TiO₂ was verified by monitoring NH₃ decomposition, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectroscopy, and by the simulation based on the density functional theory (DFT). The results from NH₃ decomposition revealed that the cooperation of N, F and Fe broadened the optical response of TiO₂ to the visible light range and also enhanced the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ under UV light. The reusability of the tri-doped TiO₂ sample after three cycles under UV and visible light irradiation was very good. XRD patterns and SEM and HRTEM images indicated that the tri-doped sample was nanometric anatase with a small amount of rutile with an average particle size of 18 nm. Tri-doping with N, F and Fe suppressed the phase transition from anatase to rutile and also resulted in some more lattice defects. XPS analysis showed that the N, F and Fe atoms were doped into the TiO₂ lattice. UV–Vis absorption spectra of the tri-doped TiO₂ showed that its optical absorption edge was moved up to 640 nm and its UV absorption was also enhanced. The DFT results confirmed that the cooperation of Fe 3d and N 2p orbits narrowed the band gap of TiO₂ and the F 2p orbit broadened the upper valence bands. The synergistic electron density around N, F and Fe in tri-doped TiO₂ was capable of enhancing the photochemical stability and reusability of TiO₂.     

Improvement of the electrochemical properties of a LiNi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> cathode material formed by a new solid-state synthesis method

In order to avoid the shortcomings of large particle size and poor uniformity of material synthesized by the traditional solid-state method, this paper utilizes a simple improvement of calcination process (i.e., calcination–milling–recalcination) based on the traditional solid-state synthesis to successfully prepare a large number of well-distributed, micrometer-sized, spherical secondary LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ particles. Each particle is composed of nano- and/or sub-micrometer-sized grains. Results of the electrochemical performance tests show that the material exhibits a remarkable cycle performance and rate capability compared with that obtained from traditional synthesis method; the spherical LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ particles can deliver a large capacity of 135.8 mAh g^?1 at a 1 C discharge rate with a high retention of 77 % after 741 cycles and a good capacity of 105.9 mAh g^?1 at 10 C. Cyclic voltammetry measurements confirm that the significantly improved electrochemical properties are due to enhanced electronic conductivity and lithium-ion diffusion coefficient resulting from the optimized morphology and particle size. This improved method is more suitable for mass production.     

Green fabrication of sandwich-like and dodecahedral C@Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@C as high-performance anode for lithium-ion batteries

Sandwich-structured C@Fe₃O₄@C hybrids with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles sandwiched between two conductive carbon layers have attracted more and more attention owing to enhanced synergistic effects for lithium-ion storage. In this work, an environment-friendly procedure is developed for the fabrication of sandwich-like C@Fe₃O₄@C dodecahedrons. Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8)-derived carbon dodecahedrons (ZIF-C) are used as the carbon matrix, on which iron precursors are homogeneously grown with the assistance of a polyelectrolyte layer. The subsequent polydopamine (PDA) coating and calcination give rise to the formation of sandwiched ZIF-C@Fe₃O₄@C. When being evaluated as the anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the obtained hybrid manifests a high reversible capacity (1194 mAh g^?1 at 0.05 A g^?1), good high-rate behavior (796 mAh g^?1 at 10 A g^?1), and negligible capacity loss after 120 cycles.     

Effect of Ag Loading on the Microstructure of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Electrospun Nanofibers

In this research work, crystalline structure, phase transformation, morphology and mean size of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) electrospun nanofibers have been tailored by loading with 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 wt.% of silver (Ag) which was followed by calcination. The as prepared non woven mats of nanofibers were calcinated at 500 °C to allow the reaction moieties to leave the TiO₂ matrix and subsequently formation of Ag clusters. The effect of Ag loading and calcination on the transformation of microstructure of these electrospun nanofibers have been characterized by XRD, FESEM, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy (RS). The mean diameter of Ag loaded nanofibers has been found to decrease upon calcination which was estimated to 70 nm whereas length was in the order of mm range. XRD and RS results have strongly supported the transformation of crystalline phase from rutile (A) to anatase (R) above 2.5 wt.% of Ag loading in TiO₂ after calcination. The roughness on the outer surfaces of these nanofibers has been observed to increase with the Ag loading consequent to calcination, which has been attributed to the formation Ag nanoparticles that were found adsorbed at the surfaces. An interesting finding of this study is the existence of 1D nanofibers’ structure even at higher (7.5 wt.%) Ag loading, as observed by the SEM micrographs.     

Structural and optical characterization of Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by a sol–gel method

Undoped and silver-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles (Ti_1?x Ag _x O₂, where x?=?0.00?C0.10) were synthesized by a sol?Cgel method. The synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analyzer (PSA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV?CVisible spectrophotometer. XRD pattern confirmed the tetragonal structure of synthesized samples. Average crystallite size of synthesized nanoparticles was determined from X-ray line broadening using the Debye?CScherrer formula. The crystallite size was varied from 8 to 33?nm as the calcination temperature was increased from 300 to 800?°C. The incorporation of 3 to 5% Ag⁺ in place of Ti⁴⁺ provoked a decrease in the size of nanocrystals as compared to undoped TiO₂. The SEM micrographs revealed the agglomerated spherical-like morphology of particles. SEM, PSA, and XRD measurements show that the particles size of the powder is in nanoscale. Optical absorption measurements indicated a red shift in the absorption band edge upon silver doping. Direct allowed band gap of undoped and Ag-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles measured by UV?CVis spectrometer were 3.00 and 2.80?eV, respectively, at 500?°C.