Role of oxygen on the optical properties of borate glass doped with ZnO

Lithium tungsten borate glass (0.56−x)B₂O₃–0.4Li₂O–xZnO–0.04WO₃ (0≤x≤0.1 mol%) is prepared by the melt quenching technique for photonic applications. Small relative values of ZnO are used to improve the glass optical dispersion and to probe as well the role of oxygen electronic polarizability on its optical characteristics. The spectroscopic properties of the glass are determined in a wide spectrum range (200–2500 nm) using a Fresnel-based spectrophotometric technique. Based on the Lorentz–Lorenz theory, as ZnO content increases on the expense of B₂O₃ the glass molar polarizability increased due to an enhanced unshared oxide ion 2p electron density, which increases ionicity of the chemical bonds of glass. The role of oxide ion polarizability is explained in accordance with advanced measures and theories such as optical basicity, O 1s binding energy, the outer most cation binding energy in Yamashita–Kurosawa's interionic interaction parameter and Sun's average single bond strength. FT-IR measurements confirm an increase in bridging oxygen bonds, as a result of replacement of ZnO by B₂O₃, which increase the UV glass transmission window and transmittance.     

Classification of oxide glasses: A polarizability approach

A classification of binary oxide glasses has been proposed taking into account the values obtained on their refractive index-based oxide ion polarizability α_O2−(n₀), optical basicity Λ(n₀), metallization criterion M(n₀), interaction parameter A(n₀), and ion's effective charges as well as O1s and metal binding energies determined by XPS. Four groups of oxide glasses have been established: glasses formed by two glass-forming acidic oxides; glasses formed by glass-forming acidic oxide and modifier's basic oxide; glasses formed by glass-forming acidic and conditional glass-forming basic oxide; glasses formed by two basic oxides. The role of electronic ion polarizability in chemical bonding of oxide glasses has been also estimated. Good agreement has been found with the previous results concerning classification of simple oxides. The results obtained probably provide good basis for prediction of type of bonding in oxide glasses on the basis of refractive index as well as for prediction of new nonlinear optical materials.     

Study on carbon dioxide reduction with water over metal oxide photocatalysts

Various metal oxides with 0.1 wt% Ag loaded as a cocatalyst were prepared by an impregnation method and examined their photocatalytic activity for CO₂ reduction with water. Among all the prepared Ag-loaded metal oxides, Ga₂O₃, ZrO₂, Y₂O₃, MgO, and La₂O₃ showed activities for CO and H₂ productions under ultraviolet light irradiation. Thus, metal oxides involving metal cations with closed shell electronic structures such as d⁰, d¹⁰, and s⁰ had the potential for CO₂ reduction with water. In situ Fourier transform infrared measurement revealed that the photocatalytic activity and selectivity for CO production are controlled by the amount and chemical states of CO₂ adsorbed on the catalyst surface and by the surface basicity, as summarized as follows: Ag/ZrO₂ enhanced H₂ production rather than CO production due to very little CO₂ adsorption. Ag/Ga₂O₃ exhibited the highest activity for CO production, because adsorbed monodentate bicarbonate was effectively converted to bidentate formate being the reaction intermediates for CO production owing to its weak surface basicity. Ag/La₂O₃, Ag/Y₂O₃, and Ag/MgO having both weak and strong basic sites adsorbed larger amount of carbonate species including their ions and suppressed H₂ production. However, the adsorbed carbonate species were hardly converted to the bidentate formate.     

Catalytic reduction of nitrogen dioxide with propene in the presence and absence of oxygen over various metal oxides

Over metal oxides (SiO₂, ZrO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO, La₂O₃, and CaO) with-H values of metal oxide formation higher than 700 kJ/mol, C₃H₆ reacts with NO₂ in preference to O₂.     

Thermal degradation study of tetrabromobisphenol A under the presence metal oxide: Comparison of bromine fixation ability

Thermal degradation of mixture of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBA) and metal oxide (ZnO, Fe₂O₃, La₂O₃, CaO and CuO) has been studied under inert atmosphere. The formation of hydrogen bromide and brominated organic compounds is observed for pyrolysis of TBBA. The addition of metal oxide gives rise to considerable suppression of HBr as well as brominated organic compounds. The suppression owes to the bromination of oxides. The influence of oxide on thermal degradation of TBBA is discussed with emphasis on the conversion of bromine.     

Solubility of oxides in the KBr-BaBr2 eutectic melt (0.495: 0.505) at 973 K

Solubility products of MnO (pK _s,MnO = 6.32 ± 0.1), NiO (pK _s,NiO = 8.06 ± 0.2), and PbO (pK _s,PbO = 4.04 ± 0.2) in KBr-BaBr₂ (0.495: 0.505) melt at 973 K were determined by potentiometric titration using a Pt(O₂)|ZrO₂(Y₂O₃) membrane oxygen electrode. A significant increase in oxide solubilities compared to those of 2CsBr · KBr melt is attributed to the enhancement of acidic properties of cations in the series Cs⁺, K⁺-Ba²⁺, ensuring a greater degree of binding of oxide ions that results from dissociation of the oxide under study to the cationic framework of the melt. The solubilities of the investigated oxides in chloride and bromide melts with similar cationic compositions are virtually identical.     

Ammonia synthesis by means of plasma over MgO catalyst

Ammonia synthesis from H₂-N₂ mixed gas was studied at room temperature in a glow-discharge plasma in the presence of metals or metal oxides. Magnesia (MgO) and calcia (CaO), which are oxides with solid basicity, revealed catalytic activity in the plasma synthesis of ammonia, although they are catalytically inactive in industrial ammonia synthesis. The acidic oxides (Al₂O₃, WO₃, and SiO₂-Al₂O₃) lead to the consumption of the reactant, i.e., the H₂-N₂ mixed gas. No ammonia was isolated. Metal catalysts showed higher activity than the above basic oxides. They have, however, different activities. The reaction was faster over the active materials than over sodium chloride (NaCl) or glass wool or in a blank reactor without any catalyst.     

Metal Oxide Catalysts for Selective Reduction of NOx by Hydrocarbons: Toward Molecular Basis for Catalyst Design

Metal oxides are stable and highly durable catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by hydrocarbons and potential candidates for practical use. This review focuses on the development as well as the fundamental understanding of metal oxide based catalysts for selective reduction of NO by hydrocarbons. Our studies on the SCR-deNOx properties of Ga₂O₃/Al₂O₃, Cu-Al₂O₃, and Ag-Al₂O₃ catalysts are presented and it is attempted to demonstrate the advantages of this type of catalysts. On the basis of several spectroscopic characterizations, the effect of important factors, such as dispersion, coordination, and the electronic states of the metal cation, on the intrinsic catalytic activity are quite well clarified. From the in situ FTIR results, the reaction mechanism is understood in terms of formation and reaction of surface molecules. The structural and kinetic information obtained at the molecular level provides a useful strategy for designing better deNOx catalysts using metal oxides.     

Vanadium oxide monolayer catalysts. I. Preparation,characterization, and thermal stability

Vanadium oxide catalysts of the monolayer type have been prepared by means of chemisorption of vanadate(V)-anions from aqueous solutions and by chemisorption of gaseous V₂O₃(OH)₄. Using Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, TiO₂, CeO₂ and ZrO₂, catalysts with an approximately complete monomolecular layer of vanadium(V) oxide on the carrier oxides can be prepared, if temperature is not too high. Divalent metal oxides like CdO and ZnO may already form threedimensional surface vanadates at moderate temperature. The thermal stability of a monolayer catalyst is related to the parameter z/a, i. e. the ratio of the carrier cation charge to the sum of ionic radii of carrier cation and oxide anion. Thus, monolayer catalysts will be thermally stable only under the condition that z/a is not too high (aggregated catalyst) nor too small (ternary compound formation).     

Fabrication of hollow spheres of metal oxide using fructose-derived carbonaceous spheres as sacrificial templates

In this report, fructose-derived carbonaceous spheres were utilized as sacrificial templates for the fabrication of metal oxide hollow spheres (MOHSs) by a facile hydrothermal approach. Hollow spheres of a series of crystalline metal oxides (α-Fe₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, Co₃O₄, NiO, and ZnO) have been fabricated, utilizing the metal chloride as the oxide precursors. Heating of an aqueous solution of the metal chloride and fructose to moderate temperature in an autoclave affords a spherical composite consisting of a metal precursor shell sheathing a carbonaceous core. Subsequent removal of the interior carbonaceous cores by thermal treatment through oxidation in air produces free-standing crystalline oxides hollow spheres. The MOHSs were characterized by means of SEM, TEM, XRD, IR spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and sorption measurements. The results show convincingly that using fructose as a sacrificial template after application of a hydrothermal synthesis route could be a favourable sacrificial template for the fabrication of various MOHSs.     

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study of the interaction of supported metal catalysts with NO<Subscript>x</Subscript>

The reactions of the platinum and rhodium model catalysts applied to aluminum oxide with NO_x (10 Torr NO + 10 Torr O₂) were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The reaction conducted at room temperature formed on the surface of the oxide support the NO _3,s ^? nitrate ions characterized by the N1s line at 407.4 eV and O1s line at 533.1 eV and the NO _2,s ^? nitrite ions characterized by the N1s line with a binding energy of 404.7 eV. At the same time, the Pt4f and Rh3d lines of the supported platinum particles are shifted toward higher binding energies by 0.5–1.0 eV and 0.7–1.2 eV, respectively. It is assumed that the binding energies increase due to changes in the chemical state of the platinum metal in which oxygen is dissolved. The reaction of NO_x with Pt/Al₂O₃ at 200°C forms platinum oxide defined by the Pt4f _7/2 line with a binding energy of 72.3 eV.     

Optical absorption and EPR spectroscopic studies of (30 − x)Li2O–xK2O–10CdO–59B2O3–1Fe2O3: An evidence for mixed alkali effect

Optical absorption and EPR spectroscopic studies were carried on (30 ? x)Li₂O–xK₂O–10CdO–59B₂O₃–1Fe₂O₃ (x = 0–30) glass system to understand the effect of progressive doping of Li⁺ ion with K⁺ ion. Optical absorption results show typical spectra of Fe³⁺ ions and the various optical parameters such as, optical band gap, Urbach energy, oxide ion polarizability, optical basicity and interaction parameter were evaluated from the experimental data. The observed optical band gap and Urbach energy values show large deviation from the linearity where as the other parameters show small deviation from the linearity with the progressive substitution of Li⁺ ions with K⁺ ions. The observed EPR spectra are representative of Fe³⁺ ion in octahedral and axial fields in the glass network. The number of paramagnetic centers and paramagnetic susceptibility values were evaluated at different resonance lines for all the specimens and these parameters show non-additive nature with the progressive substitution of Li⁺ ions with K⁺ ions in the glass network. This is first ever observation of mixed alkali effect (MAE) in EPR and optical parameters of mixed alkali borate glasses.     

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of 2-butanone over oxide catalysts

Catalytic transfer hydrogenation of 2-butanone with 2-propanol was studied in gas phase over a series of oxides of different acid-base properties. Although the basic oxides (MgO, La₂O₃) gave high initial conversions, these oxides underwent deactivation during the reaction. This deactivation could be partially prevented by a previous treatment with chloroform of the oxide. The amphoteric oxides (TiO₂, ZrO₂, Al₂O₃) were also active in this reaction. Increasing the acidic character of the catalyst (Nb₂O₅, WO₃) led to a pronounced dehydration of 2-propanol. The results obtained over a series of rare earth oxides (La₂O₃, Sm₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Dy₂O₃, Er₂O₃) revealed that beside the role of basic and acid sites a correlation seems to exist between the number of unpaired electrons of the metal ion and the catalytic activity, indicating the role of one electron donor sites.     

Effects on the Thermal Properties and Bioactivity of Substitution of CaO by M2O3 (M=La, Y, Al) in Wollastonite Glass

The effects on the thermal properties and bioactivity of the substitution of CaO by La₂O₃, Y₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ in a glass of composition CaO·SiO₂ were studied and compared. The trivalent metal oxides were all effective in raising the glass transformation and softening temperatures when they replaced CaO in the glass of composition CaO·SiO₂. The experimental results suggest that Al₂O₃ plays the role of a glass-former, while La₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ behave as glass-modifiers. The tendency to devitrify appears to be the lower, the farther the glass composition is from those of the crystalline phases, owing to the need for diffusion over longer distances, the greater the composition difference. The substitution with the trivalent metal oxides is detrimental to the bioactivity, which is preserved only in the event of very small degrees of substitution. The most negative role appears to be played by Al₂O₃. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cross-coupling of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindole with functionalized haloacetylenes on active surfaces of metal oxides and salts

Screening was performed of metal oxides (MgO, CaO, ZnO, BaO, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂) and salts (CaCO₃, K₂CO₃, ZrSiO₄) as active surfaces for the reaction of ethynylation of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindole with ethyl bromopropynoate and bromobenzoylacetylene. It was established that Ca, Mg, Zn, and Ba oxides assist the ethynylation of 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindole, and their activity in the reaction with ethyl bromopropynoate considerably exceeds that of aluminum oxide. The ethynylation is accompanied with the formation of intermediate E-2-(1-bromoethenyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindole and side 1,1-di(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindol-2-yl)ethenes and 1,1-di(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindol-2-yl)bromoethanes.     

金属氧化物吸附剂干法脱除气相As2O3实验研究

利用自制As₂O₃连续发生装置,在固定床反应器上研究了金属氧化物CaO、Fe₂O₃、Al₂O₃对煤燃烧高温烟气中气相砷的吸附特性。600~900 ℃温度的吸附实验结果表明,金属氧化物CaO、Fe₂O₃吸附剂对气相As₂O₃的吸附以化学吸附为主,随着吸附温度的升高,吸附量与吸附效率逐渐减小;3种金属氧化物的气相固砷能力依次为Fe₂O₃ >CaO >Al₂O₃;研究了气相砷浓度对吸附剂固砷量的影响特性,当气相砷体积浓度在4.5×10^-6~13.5×10^-6变化时,不会有吸附饱和的现象发生,当吸附剂种类一定时,吸附效率仅与吸附温度有关,对于不同气相砷浓度保持相同的吸附温度可以获得相同的吸附效率。     

Metal Oxide Catalysts for Selective Reduction of NOx by Hydrocarbons: Toward Molecular Basis for Catalyst Design

Metal oxides are stable and highly durable catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by hydrocarbons and potential candidates for practical use. This review focuses on the development as well as the fundamental understanding of metal oxide based catalysts for selective reduction of NO by hydrocarbons. Our studies on the SCR-deNOx properties of Ga₂O₃/Al₂O₃, Cu-Al₂O₃, and Ag-Al₂O₃ catalysts are presented and it is attempted to demonstrate the advantages of this type of catalysts. On the basis of several spectroscopic characterizations, the effect of important factors, such as dispersion, coordination, and the electronic states of the metal cation, on the intrinsic catalytic activity are quite well clarified. From the in situ FTIR results, the reaction mechanism is understood in terms of formation and reaction of surface molecules. The structural and kinetic information obtained at the molecular level provides a useful strategy for designing better deNOx catalysts using metal oxides.     

The pseudopotential-CI study of the interaction between ethylene and metal atoms,metal Oxides,and their cations (Me = Be,Mg, and Zn)

Potential energy curves for the lowest singlet and triplet states of Me + C₂H₄, Me⁺ + C₂H₄, MeO, MeO + C₂H₄, and (MeO + C₂H₄)⁺ systems for Me = Be, Mg, and Zn have been determined employing PP-MRD-CI or an all electron MRD-CI procedure. A binding interaction in the ground state has been found for oxides, all cation systems, and the BeO + C₂H₄ system. In the cases of MgO + C₂H₄ and ZnO + C₂H₄, only low lying excited states exhibit attractive interactions. Among three oxides considered, BeO is less pronounced biradically than MgO and ZnO. In order to obtain a binding interaction between an oxide and the olefin in the ground state, the p orbital of the metal must be sufficiently involved in binding.     

Transition metal atoms on oxide supports density functional calculations

The adsorption properties of Cu, Ag, Ni, and Pd atoms on O^2?, F, and F⁺ sites of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO (001) surfaces have been studied by means of density functional calculations. The examined clusters were embedded in the simulated Coulomb fields that closely approximate the Madelung fields of the host surfaces. The adsorption properties have been analyzed with reference to the basicity and energy gap of the oxide support in addition to orbital interactions. While the free Ni d⁹s¹ triplet ground state is preserved on adsorption on the O^2? sites of MgO, CaO, and SrO surfaces, it is no longer preserved on the O^2? site of BaO. For all adsorbates considered, adsorption is found to be stronger on F⁺ sites compared with regular O^2? sites. While on the O^2? site, Pd and Ni form the most stable complexes, on the F site, Pd and Cu form the most stable counterparts. On the F⁺ site, the single valence electron of Cu and Ag atoms couples with the unpaired electron of the vacancy forming a covalent bond. As a result, the adsorption energies of these atoms on the F⁺ site are stronger than those on the F and O^2? sites. The adsorption properties correlate linearly with the basicity and energy gap of the oxide support in addition to orbital interactions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009     

Transition metal oxides as hole-transporting materials in organic semiconductor and hybrid perovskite based solar cells

Organic polymer solar cells (OSCs) and organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved notable progress over the past several years. A central topic in these fields is exploring electronically efficient, stable and effective hole-transporting layer (HTL) materials. The goal is to enhance hole-collection ability, reduce charge recombination, increase built-in voltage, and hence improve the performance as well as the device stability. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) semiconductors such as NiO _x , CuO _x , CrO _x , MoO _x , WO₃, and V₂O₅, have been widely used as HTLs in OSCs. These TMOs are naturally adopted into PSC as HTLs and shows their importance. There are similarities, and also differences in applying TMOs in these two types of main solution processed solar cells. This concise review is on the recent developments of transition metal oxide HTL in OSCs and PSCs. The paper starts from the discussion of the cation valence and electronic structure of the transition metal oxide materials, followed by analyzing the structure-property relationships of these HTLs, which we attempt to give a systematic introduction about the influences of their cation valence, electronic structure, work function and film property on device performance.