Enhanced photoresponse towards visible light in Ru doped titania nanotube

Doping of ruthenium by the ion exchange method to the hydrothermally synthesized titania nanotube (TiNT) was found to be an effective photocatalyst active under visible light for methylene blue dye decoloration. The well dispersed and well embedded ionized ruthenium particles of about ∼2-4 nm significantly reduced the band gap energy of synthesized TiNTs from 3.1 eV to 2.56 eV in (Ru(IE)/TiNT). The loading method, size of ruthenium particles and metal dispersion pattern at the nanotube textures have great influence on its photocatalytic performances exhibiting higher photocatalytic activity (>80%) of methylene blue dye. However, large aggregated ruthenium particles (sizes ∼12-60 nm) on Ru(IM)/TiNT prepared by impregnation method failed to respond in visible light. The prepared catalysts were analysed by TEM, FESEM, FE-SEMEDX, XRD, UV-vis DRS spectra, XPS and BET surface area techniques.     

硫和银共掺杂介孔TiO2的制备、表征及其对染料的光催化降解活性

以P123为模板,以钛酸四正丁酯、硝酸银和硫脲为原料采用模板法制备了一系列硫和银共掺杂介孔TiO₂光催化材料．利用SEM、XRD、BET和紫外-可见光谱等技术对其形貌、晶体结构及表面结构、光吸收特性等进行了表征．以甲基橙溶液的光催化降解为模型反应,考察了不同掺杂量的样品在紫外和可见光下的光催化性能．结果表明,用模板法制备的共掺杂介孔TiO₂光催化材料在紫外和可见光条件下较纯介孔TiO₂和单掺杂介孔TiO₂对甲基橙溶液具有更好的光催化降解效果, 且硫和银的掺杂量及样品焙烧温度显著影响该材料的催化性能．当硫掺杂量为2mol%和银掺杂量为1mol%,在500 oC 焙烧2 h所得光催化材料的催化性能最佳,4 h即可使甲基橙的降解率达98.8%,重复使用4次仍可使甲基橙的降解率保持在87.5%以上     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of silver nanocrystals in benzyl alcohol and their subsequent in situ chemical transformation into Ag–AgCl nanohybrids for plasmonic photocatalysis

In heterostructured metal–semiconductor system, plasmonic metal nanostructures can cooperate with semiconductors to enhance the solar light harness and energy conversion. In this study, we report on the plasmonically photocatalytic system constructed by in situ growth of semiconductor on metal nanostructures with high performance and stability. A facile and rapid microwave-assisted route was first explored to synthesize Ag nanocrystals, and subsequently converting them to Ag–AgCl nanohybrids was realized by in situ chemical transformation strategy at room temperature. These Ag–AgCl nanohybrids were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The resulting Ag–AgCl nanohybrids showed remarkable photocatalytic activity and excellent durability for the degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. This finding provides a new way to improve photocatalytic efficiency through controllable chemical transformation.     

Continuous one-step synthesis of N-doped titania under supercritical and subcritical water conditions for photocatalytic reaction under visible light

N-doped titania was prepared continuously by one-step synthetic method under supercritical and subcritical water conditions using titanium(IV)tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and nitric acid as a titania precursor and nitrogen source, respectively. The synthesized N-doped titania particles were characterized by XRD, N₂-adsorption, TEM, XPS, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. N-doped titania was successfully synthesized and its crystalline structure was homogenous anatase phase with high surface area. The absorption edge of synthesized N-doped titania shifted into the visible light region compared with commercial titania P25. All synthesized N-doped titania have higher photocatalytic activity than P25 under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of N-doped titania synthesized under supercritical water condition was the highest for the degradation of methyl orange under visible light due to the larger crystallite size compared with the N-doped titania synthesized under subcritical water condition.     

Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes loaded with Ag nanoparticles on the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes loaded with Ag nanoparticles (Ag/MWNTs) were prepared by two methods (direct photoreduction and thermal decomposition). The photocatalytic activity of Ag/MWNTs for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation was investigated in detail. The adsorption and photocatalytic activity tests indicated that the MWNTs served as both an adsorbent and a visible light photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of MWNTs was remarkably enhanced when the Ag nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of MWNTs. Moreover, the visible light photocatalytic activity of Ag/MWNTs depended on the synthetic route. On the basis of the experimental results, a possible visible light photocatalytic degradation mechanism was discussed.     

Cu与非金属双受主能级协同作用对TiO2光学特性的影响

采用基于密度泛函理论（DFT）体系下的第一性原理平面波超软赝势方法,研究纯锐钛矿相TiO₂在3d金属杂质Cu与非金属杂质C、N、F单掺及共掺情况下受主能级的协同作用.模拟计算掺杂前后的晶体结构、结合能、缺陷形成能、能带结构、分态密度及光学性质.结果发现：Cu-N共掺杂体系和Cu、N单掺杂体系对可见光的利用比其它体系好.Cu-N共掺体系与Cu、N分别单掺体系相比,有更小的禁带宽度,且浅受主能级上出现了更大的态密度分布.对光学性质的研究发现,Cu-N共掺体系有最高的吸收系数和反射率,因此,该体系对可见光的利用效果最好.其原因是Cu与N元素分别产生受主能级协同作用导致对可见光的响应效果最理想.     

Improvement of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-ZnO/<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Si photodiodes by embedding of silver nanoparticles

The photo-current of n-ZnO/p-Si heterojunction photodiodes was improved by embedding Ag nanoparticles in the interface (ZnO/nano-P_Ag/p-Si), and the ratio between photo- and dark-current increased by about three orders more than that of a n-ZnO/p-Si specimen. The improvement in the photo-current resulted from the light scattering of embedded Ag nanoparticles. The I–V curve of n-ZnO/p-Si degraded after thermal treatment (A-ZnO/p-Si) because the silicon robbed the oxygen from ZnO to form amorphous silicon dioxide and left an oxygen vacancy. Notably, the properties of ZnO/nano-P_Ag/p-Si were better in the time-dependent photoresponse under 10 V bias. Ag nanoparticles (15–20 nm) scattered the UV light randomly and increased the probability for the absorption of ZnO to enhance the properties of the photodiode.     

Dopant induced morphology changes in ZnO nanocrystals

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals doped with different groups of impurities, e.g., Li, Na, Cu, Pr and Mg synthesized by solid-state reaction method under similar conditions exhibit different morphology. XRD showed monophasic wurtzite structure but change in lattice parameters and Zn-O bond length indicates incorporation of dopant ion in ZnO lattice. The morphology of ZnO nanocrystals exhibited striking dependence on type of dopant ion with the shape changing from nanorods, spherical to petal like particles. Photoluminescence (PL) shows pronounced UV emission and negligible visible emission for Li, Na and Cu doped ZnO nanocrystals with peak positions coinciding with that of undoped ZnO. Whereas signature emission of Pr³⁺ ion as well as broad visible emission from Mg doped ZnO revealed the role of intra gap metastable states formed by the dopant ion in the emission process.     

N掺杂TiO_2纳米管阵列的制备与性质研究

本文采用阳极氧化法制备了孔径为60-80nm,孔壁厚约为20-30nm的高有序度TiO2纳米管。将制备的TiO2纳米管经表面酸化后在浓氨水中浸泡,并于氮气气氛中进行退火处理,以实现TiO2纳米管的N掺杂。利用SEM、XRD、Raman和XPS对样品的形貌与结构进行了研究。结果显示,掺N后不会破坏阳极氧化形成的高有序纳度米管阵列,而且N的引入促进了TiO2纳米管在低温下由锐钛矿相向金红石相的转变。N掺杂样品的XPS中出现了结合能位于399.7 eV的峰,该峰来源于TiO2的间隙氮杂质,显示此方法在TiO2纳米管中实现了有效的N的掺杂。     

掺杂二氧化钛纳米管对有机电致发光性能的影响

在聚合物电致发光器件中，通过在不同功能层中掺杂二氧化钛纳米管来改善器件的性能.由于二氧化钛纳米管具有p型传导特性，可以显著增大空穴传输层中载流子的迁移率.由于二氧化钛纳米管在发光层中可以增大发光材料分子的刚性，从而减少无辐射跃迁.当把二氧化钛纳米管掺杂到空穴缓冲层中时，由于其与有机分子的强相互作用，一方面降低了空穴的传导性，同时也减少了界面淬灭发光的缺陷态的产生. 关键词： 二氧化钛纳米管 聚合物电致发光 掺杂     

Experimental and computational study of visible light-induced photocatalytic ability of nitrogen ions-implanted TiO2 nanotubes

Nitrogen-doped TiO2 nanotubes(TNTs)were prepared by ion implantation and anodic oxidation.The prepared samples were applied in photocatalytic(PC)oxidation of methyl blue,rhodamine B,and bisphenol A under light irradiation.To explore the influence of doped ions on the band and electronic structure of TiO2,computer simulations were performed using the VASP code implementing spin-polarized density functional theory(DFT).Both substitutional and interstitial nitrogen atoms were considered.The experimental and computational results propose that the electronic structure of TiO2 was modified because of the emergence of impurity states in the band gap by introducing nitrogen into the lattice,leading to the absorption of visible light.The synergy effects of tubular structures and doped nitrogen ions were responsible for highly efficient and stable PC activities induced by visible and ultraviolet(UV)light.     

High UV absorption efficiency of nanocrystalline ZnO synthesized by ultrasound assisted wet chemical method

Ultrasound assisted wet-chemical method has been carried out to incorporate different metal and non-metal ions such as; Li, S and Ag into ZnO. Characteristic studies on the structural and optical properties of the samples especially; the ultra-violet (UV) light absorption have been carried out. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows the formation of hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO along with changes in crystallinity and micro-strain with impurity doping. The morphology of the doped samples changes from particle like structure to flower and rod like structures showing the influence of dopant ions on nano ZnO growth. Infra-red (IR) transmittance spectra give information about the presence of metal–oxygen bond along with other stretching and bending modes. UV–visible absorption studies show the narrowing and sharpening of UV absorption band along with a blue shift for the doped samples. This shows the intensification in the excitonic absorption in ZnO after doping specific elements which will find application in UV blocking agents. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement shows the presence of excitonic emission and emissions due to intrinsic defects and external impurities in UV and visible regions respectively. These emission bands show a change in their position and intensity which has been explained on the basis of the existence of impurity levels in the band gap of ZnO.     

Synthesis and characterization of Ag/BiVO4 composite photocatalyst

Ag/BiVO₄ composite photocatalysts were hydrothermal synthesized and characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and DRS techniques. Their photocatalytic activities were determined by oxidative decomposition of methyl orange in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. It revealed that the doped Ag species greatly improved the visible light absorption abilities and morphologies of the composites, and thus lead to enhanced photocatalytic activities compared with that of the pure BiVO₄.     

Fabrication, characterization and photoelectrochemical properties of Fe2O3 modified TiO2 nanotube arrays

TiO₂ nanotube (NT) arrays modified by Fe₂O₃ with high sensibility in the visible spectrum were first prepared by annealing anodic titania NTs pre-loaded with Fe(OH)₃ which was uniformly clung to the titania NTs using sequential chemical bath deposition (S-CBD). The photoelectrochemical performances of the as-prepared composite nanotubes were determined by measuring the photo-generated currents and voltages under illumination of UV-vis light. The titania NTs modified by Fe₂O₃ showed higher photopotential and photocurrent values than those of unmodified titania NTs. The enhanced photoelectrochemical behaviors can be attributed to the modified Fe₂O₃ which increases the probability of charge-carrier separation and extends the range of the TiO₂ photoresponse from ultraviolet (UV) to visible region due to the low band gap of 2.2 eV of Fe₂O₃.     

Photocatalytic properties of porous C-doped TiO2 and Ag/C-doped TiO2 nanomaterials by eggshell membrane templating

Porous organic carbon-doped titania (C-TiO₂) nanomaterials and their composites with Ag nanoparticles (Ag/C-TiO₂) were synthesized by an eggshell membrane templating method, and their structural and photocatalytic properties were systematically characterized. These nanomaterials, exhibiting a macroscopic morphology of a thin film, are composed of interwoven tubes, and the tube wall consists of nanocrystals. The doped organic carbon was composed of the active carbon and carbonate species, which could form a layer around the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles, while the silver was incorporated into Ag/C-TiO₂ composites as separated Ag nanoparticles. The degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation was employed to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of these as-prepared TiO₂-based materials. Both C-TiO₂ and Ag/C-TiO₂ nanomaterials showed higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO₂ material–commercial Degussa P25. These results can be accounted for the coupling effect of the incorporation of carbon species and Ag nanoparticles.     

Fabrication of Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles and investigation of photocatalytic decolorization of reactive red 198 under visible light irradiation

In this research, Fe-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles with various Fe concentrations (0. 0.1, 1, 5 and 10 wt%) were prepared by a sol–gel method. Then, nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), BET surface area, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic activity of the nano-particles was evaluated through degradation of reactive red 198 (RR 198) under UV and visible light irradiations. XRD results revealed that all samples contained only anatase phase. DRS showed that the Fe doping in the titania induced a significant red shift of the absorption edge and then the band gap energy decreased from 3 to 2.1 eV. Photocatalytic results indicated that TiO₂ had a highest photocatalytic decolorization of the RR 198 under UV irradiation whereas photocatalytic decolorization of the RR 198 under visible irradiation increased in the presence of Fe-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles. Among the samples, Fe-1 wt% doped TiO₂ nanoparticles showed the highest photocatalytic decolorization of RR198 under visible light irradiation.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Ni doped titanate nanotubes for lithium ion storage

Ni doped titanate nanotubes were synthesized by hydrothermal method using Ni doped rutile TiO₂ nanopowders as a starting material. The electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammmetric methods. The microstructure and morphology of the synthesized powders were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), and HRTEM (high resolution transmission electron microscopy). Ni doped nanotubes were composed of H₂Ti₂O₅·H₂O with outer and inner diameter of ∼10 nm and 6 nm and showed a initial discharge capacity of 305 mAh/g with poor cycling performance. However, after firing, the Ni doped nanotubes revealed better cycling performance due to lower reaction with hydrate and smaller diameter of the tubes.     

The effect of the deposition parameters on size, distribution and antimicrobial properties of photoinduced silver nanoparticles on titania coatings

Controlled photodeposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) on titania coatings using two different sources of UV light is described. Titania (anatase) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel dip-coating method on silicon wafers. AgNPs were grown on the titania surface as a result of UV illumination of titania films immersed in aqueous solutions of silver nitrate. UV xenon lamp or excimer laser, both operating at the wavelength 351 ± 5 nm, was used as illumination sources. The AFM topography of AgNP/TiO₂ nanocomposites revealed that silver nanoparticles could be synthesized by both sources of illumination, however the photocatalysis carried out by UV light from xenon lamp illumination leads to larger AgNP than those synthesized using the laser beam. It was found that the increasing concentration of silver ions in the initial solution increases the number of Ag nanoparticles on the titania surface, while longer time of irradiation results the growth of larger size nanoparticles. Antibacterial tests performed on TiO₂ covered by Ag nanoparticles revealed that increasing density of nanoparticles enhances the inhibition of bacterial growth. It was also found that antibacterial activity drops by only 10-15% after 6 cycles compared to the initial use.     

Photoelectric properties of pure and aluminium doped CdS films

Photoelectric properties of pure and Al doped vacuum deposited CdS films have been studied to explore the possibility of their application in photoactivated liquid crystal light valves. The effect of heat treatment in oxygen atmosphere, rate of deposition and the extent of Al doping, etc. on the resistivity, photo-response spectral characteristics, rise and decay time of photo-current, etc. have been investigated. It has been found that in contrast to pure CdS films, the properties of Al-doped films significantly depend on both the rate of deposition and the extent of Al doping. The dark resistivity in all cases was found to increase with heat treatment in oxygen. Unlike pure CdS films, Al doped films show photo-conductivity which is enhanced by heat treatment. Al doped films deposited at higher rates show better photo response even at lower light levels. At various light levels the rise and decay time of Al-doped films were found to be fairly constant and lower than that for pure CdS films. All these properties have been explained in terms of the presence of trapping levels due to doping. These trapping levels are also indicated by TSC, optical absorption and EPR studies.     

The optoelectronic properties of nitrogen- and carbon-doped nanocrystalline titania

Carbon- and nitrogen-doped nanocrystalline titania specimens were studied by optical spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. The doping of this material was established to result in the appearance of additional absorption in the visible spectral region. The doping with admixture nitrogen was revealed to lead to the formation of nitrogen-containing paramagnetic sites, namely, N· and NO· radicals. The effect of the recharging of the detected sites under light was revealed. The obtained results could be useful for the development of photocatalytic filters on the basis of doped nanocrystalline titania.