{111}晶面暴露对介孔金红石TiO_2单晶光催化产氢的促进作用（英文）

光催化反应发生在半导体材料的表面,材料表面的原子/电子结构直接影响光催化剂的活性或选择性.因此,发展具有特定晶面的半导体光催化剂受到各国学者的普遍关注,被认为是调控光催化材料性能的有效途径之一.自2008年yang等首次合成高表面能{001}晶面占优的锐钛矿Ti O2单晶以来,控制合成暴露不同晶面Ti O2晶体的研究得到了迅猛的发展,已发展了多种方法合成了具有不同晶面的Ti O2晶体.研究表明,选择性地暴露特定的活性晶面能够显著地提高光催化剂的活性或者改变光催化反应的选择性.但是,含有完整晶面构型的Ti O2单晶样品的颗粒尺寸一般都较大,通常为几微米,因而显著增加了光生载流子传输与分离的难度,并且导致材料较小的比表面积,限制了对光催化活性的进一步提高.能否在合成含特定晶面单晶的同时增加多孔结构成为有效解决这一问题的关键.最近,Crossland等采用晶种模板法成功合成了介孔的锐钛矿Ti O2单晶,并且通过光电器件研究证实了采用该思路可进一步提高材料的光电性能.金红石Ti O2在光催化全分解水方面具有独特的优势,然而关于多孔单晶金红石Ti O2的研究相对较少,尤其是合成热力学不稳定的高表面能{111}晶面完全暴露的多孔金红石单晶面临较大的技术挑战因而一直未见文献报道.本文利用晶种模板法,以Ti Cl4溶液为含Ti前驱体、Na F为形貌控制剂、采用水热处理制备出不同比例{111}晶面的介孔金红石单晶.我们前期工作表明,Na F可作为形貌控制剂合成低表面能{110)晶面占优的介孔金红石单晶.本文发现,通过改变Na F的添加量,可有效调变{111}/{110}晶面比例,最终合成完全暴露{111}高表面能的介孔金红石Ti O2单晶.扫描电镜结果显示,当添加20 mg NaF时,合成{110}占优的具有高长径比的介孔晶体;当Na F用量增加到40 mg时{110}晶面进一步缩短;至80 mg时则制备出{111})高能面完全暴露的金红石Ti O2晶体.值得注意的是,对比研究表明,不采用模板合成了与多孔晶体完全相对应的不同{111}/(110}晶面比例的实心金红石晶体.透射电镜及选区电子衍射以及结合X射线衍射进一步证实,多孔的金红石Ti O2晶体与实心金红石单晶均都为单晶结构,孔结构贯穿于样品内部且具有较高的晶面结晶性.氮气吸附实验发现,虽然三个不同晶面比例介孔金红石单晶样品间的形貌具有显著的差异,但比表面积非常相近(分别为24,25,28 m2/g),孔径也都为50 nm左右,该值与所用SiO 2模板球的直径以及TEM观察结果相一致.光催化产氢性能结果表明,选择性的暴露活性晶面显著提高了光催化活性,仅含高能面{111}的介孔金红石单晶样品具有最高的产氢速率(约800μmol h–1 g–1),比常规{110}晶面占优的介孔单晶样品速率提高了约一倍.尤其比实心单晶样品的产氢速率提高了至少一个数量级,这应归结于介孔结构特性所导致的表面反应活性位增加、电子传输距离缩短以及光吸收增强协同作用的结果.     

具有{110}面的锐钛矿TiO_2单晶的可控合成与光催化性能

采用水热法合成了同时具有最高表面能{110}和{001}晶面的锐钛矿TiO2单晶,通过X射线衍射、扫描电镜和激光拉曼光谱等手段对样品的形貌和结构进行了表征,并系统考察了过氧化氢、氢氟酸和反应温度等关键因素对所得样品中{110}面比例的影响,实现了持续提高{110}面比例的过程.在光催化降解亚甲基蓝反应中,具有{110}面的锐钛矿TiO2单晶的光催化活性显著高于无{110}面的单晶.     

不同晶面Cu2O光催化还原Cr（VI）的性能

Cr(VI)具有高毒性和强诱变致癌性,且能稳定存在于自然界中,对人类和自然环境危害极大.而容易沉淀和吸附在固体上的Cr(III)毒性较小,约为Cr(VI)的千分之一.因此,将Cr(VI)还原为Cr(III)是处理含铬废水的有效途径.光催化还原是一种环境友好的新型技术,基于可见光的催化还原处理含Cr(VI)废水能够在常温常压下进行,具有经济、高效、清洁和无二次污染等特点而受到广泛关注.采用适宜的晶面生长控制剂,调变不同晶面的相对生长速率,可制得暴露不同晶面、具有多种形貌的Cu2O.将这些具有不同晶面的Cu2O用于光催化氧化降解有机污染物的研究表明, Cu2O的光催化氧化性能与其所暴露的晶面密切相关,其表面残留的用作晶面生长控制剂的表面活性剂对其催化性能有重要影响.相对而言,将Cu2O用于光催化还原Cr(VI)的研究较少,关于晶面导向剂油酸对其光催化还原Cr(VI)性能的影响尚未见报道.
　　本文采用液相法,首先合成了仅暴露Cu2O{100}晶面的立方体(Cub),进而通过控制晶面导向剂油酸的用量,制得仅外露Cu2O{111}晶面的八面体(OctO)和仅暴露Cu2O{110}晶面的十二面体(RhdO),继而再将OctO和RhdO在C3H6-O2等混合气中于215 oC处理30 min,通过此温和氧化除去表面油酸,获得了具有洁净表面的八面体(Oct)和十二面体(Rhd)的Cu2O.采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)等技术对其物性特征进行了表征.在LED可见光辐照下,对比评价了具有不同晶面的Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的性能,研究了暴露晶面及晶面导向剂油酸等对Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的影响.
　　XRD研究表明,采用液相法及温和氧化处理可制得纯相的Cu2O,其XRD图中无Cu及CuO等杂峰出现. SEM观测结果表明,所得Cu2O样品形貌均一性较好,采用丙烯选择氧化去除表面油酸后, Cu2O的形貌无明显改变,仅其外表面略有粗化. FT-IR分析进一步说明,去除表面油酸后,其物相仍为Cu2O,没有出现CuO的红外特征吸收.
　　动力学研究结果显示, Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)具有准一级反应动力学特征,晶面导向剂油酸的存在能够在一定程度上减缓光腐蚀和酸腐蚀,有助于较长时间内保持Cu2O光催化还原活性,而对Cu2O光催化速率没有影响.以单位比表面积速率常数为比活性指标,不同晶面Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的活性次序为{111}>{110}>{100}. Cu2O不同晶面的原子配位情况差异明显,且{100}晶面的表面能较低,由此可较好解释具有不同晶面Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)活性的不同.八面体Cu2O的{111}面上同时存在配位饱和与配位不饱和Cu,而菱形十二面体Cu2O的{110}面上只有配位饱和Cu,立方体Cu2O的{100}面上只有配位不饱和O.相对于Cu2O的{100}晶面,具有更高表面自由能的{111}和{110}晶面易于产生光生电子-空穴对,从而表现出较{100}晶面更高的光催化活性.而Cu2O{111}晶面表现出更高光催化活性的原因可能是： Cu2O{111}晶面上存在的不饱和Cu可作为活性位点,在某种程度上有利于光生电子-空穴对分离,减少光生电子-空穴对复合,从而提高光催化还原速率.     

不同晶面Cu_2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的性能（英文）

Cr(VI)具有高毒性和强诱变致癌性,且能稳定存在于自然界中,对人类和自然环境危害极大.而容易沉淀和吸附在固体上的Cr(III)毒性较小,约为Cr(VI)的千分之一.因此,将Cr(VI)还原为Cr(III)是处理含铬废水的有效途径.光催化还原是一种环境友好的新型技术,基于可见光的催化还原处理含Cr(VI)废水能够在常温常压下进行,具有经济、高效、清洁和无二次污染等特点而受到广泛关注.采用适宜的晶面生长控制剂,调变不同晶面的相对生长速率,可制得暴露不同晶面、具有多种形貌的Cu2O.将这些具有不同晶面的Cu2O用于光催化氧化降解有机污染物的研究表明,Cu2O的光催化氧化性能与其所暴露的晶面密切相关,其表面残留的用作晶面生长控制剂的表面活性剂对其催化性能有重要影响.相对而言,将Cu2O用于光催化还原Cr(VI)的研究较少,关于晶面导向剂油酸对其光催化还原Cr(VI)性能的影响尚未见报道.本文采用液相法,首先合成了仅暴露Cu2O{100}晶面的立方体(Cub),进而通过控制晶面导向剂油酸的用量,制得仅外露Cu2O{111}晶面的八面体(OctO)和仅暴露Cu2O{110}晶面的十二面体(Rhd O),继而再将OctO和Rhd O在C3H6-O2等混合气中于215o C处理30 min,通过此温和氧化除去表面油酸,获得了具有洁净表面的八面体(Oct)和十二面体(Rhd)的Cu2O.采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)等技术对其物性特征进行了表征.在LED可见光辐照下,对比评价了具有不同晶面的Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的性能,研究了暴露晶面及晶面导向剂油酸等对Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的影响.XRD研究表明,采用液相法及温和氧化处理可制得纯相的Cu2O,其XRD图中无Cu及Cu O等杂峰出现.SEM观测结果表明,所得Cu2O样品形貌均一性较好,采用丙烯选择氧化去除表面油酸后,Cu2O的形貌无明显改变,仅其外表面略有粗化.FT-IR分析进一步说明,去除表面油酸后,其物相仍为Cu2O,没有出现CuO的红外特征吸收.动力学研究结果显示,Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)具有准一级反应动力学特征,晶面导向剂油酸的存在能够在一定程度上减缓光腐蚀和酸腐蚀,有助于较长时间内保持Cu2O光催化还原活性,而对Cu2O光催化速率没有影响.以单位比表面积速率常数为比活性指标,不同晶面Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)的活性次序为{111}{110}{100}.Cu2O不同晶面的原子配位情况差异明显,且{100}晶面的表面能较低,由此可较好解释具有不同晶面Cu2O光催化还原Cr(VI)活性的不同.八面体Cu2O的{111}面上同时存在配位饱和与配位不饱和Cu,而菱形十二面体Cu2O的{110}面上只有配位饱和Cu,立方体Cu2O的{100}面上只有配位不饱和O.相对于Cu2O的{100}晶面,具有更高表面自由能的{111}和{110}晶面易于产生光生电子-空穴对,从而表现出较{100}晶面更高的光催化活性.而Cu2O{111}晶面表现出更高光催化活性的原因可能是:Cu2O{111}晶面上存在的不饱和Cu可作为活性位点,在某种程度上有利于光生电子-空穴对分离,减少光生电子-空穴对复合,从而提高光催化还原速率.     

光电化学水氧化用多孔单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒阵列光阳极的设计和构建

光电化学电池(如染料敏化太阳能电池、量子点敏化太阳能电池以及光电化学水分解电池)是实现太阳能转化及存储的有效手段之一.其中,光电极是光电化学电池的核心组成部分,它集光吸收、光生电荷输运及转移等决定光转化效率的关键过程于一身,因此构筑高活性半导体光电极以实现高效太阳能转化利用引起研究者广泛关注.多孔TiO2纳米颗粒堆垛薄膜光阳极因具有大的比表面积,可提供更多的染料(量子点)担载和反应活性位点,在光电化学电池中表现出优异活性而被广泛研究.然而, TiO2纳米颗粒间大量存在的晶界对光生电荷有较强的散射作用,降低了光生电荷的收集效率.英国牛津大学Snaith研究小组利用模板辅助水热过程首次获得了(001)晶面占优的多孔单晶锐钛矿TiO2微米颗粒,这种多孔单晶TiO2微米颗粒在具有大比表面积的同时,其单晶结构还能有效去除晶界对电荷的散射作用,因而具有优异的电荷输运特性.利用这种多孔单晶TiO2微米颗粒组建的光阳极用于染料敏化太阳能电池中,展现出优异的太阳能光电转化性能.受该工作启发,各种形貌的多孔单晶TiO2微米颗粒作为光催化剂和光电化学分解水用光阳极材料被广泛研究,并表现出优异活性.在单晶微米颗粒堆垛成的薄膜光电极中,虽然单个单晶微米颗粒中晶界对电荷的散射作用被有效抑制,但是单晶颗粒间的晶界仍然存在并影响光生电荷的收集效率.为了彻底抑制晶界对光生电荷的散射作用,每个单晶颗粒都应该贯穿整个薄膜,例如一维TiO2纳米棒单晶阵列薄膜.虽然一维单晶阵列薄膜能够有效提高光生电荷的收集效率,但相对于多孔薄膜具有较小的比表面积,限制了担载染料(量子点)和反应位点的数量.为了增大TiO2单晶纳米棒阵列薄膜的比表面积,目前主要的手段包括调控纳米棒长径比、表面修饰TiO2纳米颗粒以及二次生长构建TiO2枝晶阵列.本文首次提出通过制备多孔单晶TiO2纳米棒单晶阵列薄膜来获得高比表面积和高光生电荷收集效率的光阳极,提高光电化学电池的效率.在透明导电薄膜(FTO)表面利用水热生长TiO2纳米棒阵列薄膜之前,预先在FTO基体上沉积一层SiO2球密堆模板, TiO2纳米棒单晶阵列在从FTO表面向上生长过程中,会将SiO2球模板包裹进TiO2纳米棒中,再通过碱溶液将SiO2球模板溶解,首次在FTO基体上原位生长出多孔单晶TiO2纳米棒阵列薄膜.将所得多孔单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒阵列薄膜作为光电化学分解水电池光阳极,其光电化学分解水活性相对于实心单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒阵列提高了2.6倍.多孔单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒阵列光阳极性能的提升可归因于：(1)多孔结构赋予多孔单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒阵列薄膜更大的比表面积,可提供更多的反应活性位点;(2)多孔结构能够有效缩短单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒中光生电荷体相输运距离,提高光生电荷的收集效率;(3)多孔结构通过对光多次反射吸收可有效增强光吸收,产生更多光生电荷参与水分解反应;(4)在制备过程中引入Si掺杂,导致多孔单晶金红石TiO2纳米棒带隙扩大了0.1 eV,带隙增大归因于导带位置负移0.1 eV,光生电子具有更强的还原能力,光电流起始电位相应负移约0.1 V.     

酸法纳米纤维素模板剂合成介孔TiO2及光催化活性

以生物可再生资源的酸法纳米纤维素为模板剂,四氯化钛为钛源,采用液相水解-沉淀法制备了具有介孔结构的TiO2光催化剂。采用低温N2物理吸附-脱附、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、热重-量热扫描(TG/DSC)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等对介孔TiO2进行了表征,并以甲基橙为模型物,考察了介孔TiO2光催化活性。结果表明,以酸法纳米纤维素为模板剂合成的TiO2光催化活性显著提高,且具有良好的孔隙结构,平均孔径5.03 nm、总孔容积0.35 cm3.g-1、比表面积192m2.g-1;纤维素模板剂合成的TiO2表面羟基数量降低;纤维素长链分子结构之间的羟基与TiO2表面羟基的键合,可有效限制TiO2前驱体的生长和团聚,并抑制锐钛矿相TiO2向金红石相转变。     

结晶度,{001}/{101}晶面比和Au负载对热处理TiOF2制备的锐钛矿TiO2 光催化活性的影响

TiO_2半导体由于具有清洁、无毒光催化性能优异和热稳定性好等优点,一直是光催化理论及应用研究的一个热点材料,但其较宽的禁带宽度(金红石3.0 eV,锐钛矿3.2 eV)和较快的光生载流子复合速率限制着其进一步应用.在本研究中,我们通过直接煅烧TiOF2前体成功制备出具有截断八面体形貌的锐钛矿TiO_2纳米及亚微米晶体,并采用现代测试方法综合分析了煅烧温度对其结晶度、{001}/{101}晶面比例以及光催化性能的影响,然后以高结晶度的TiO_2样品负载Au,进一步探讨了负载Au对其可见光催化活性的提升.X射线衍射图谱(XRD)和拉曼光谱表征结果表明,未煅烧的样品为TiOF2,在700°C以下煅烧的样品均呈纯锐钛矿相,而800°C煅烧的样品出现了少量金红石相,表明以TiOF2为前体制备的TiO_2锐钛矿相向金红石相的转变温度明显高于常规TiO_2材料.同时, XRD峰强度随煅烧温度升高而增大,表明样品结晶度提高,因而我们认为700与800°C煅烧的样品结晶度较高,而且保持了纯的或大量的锐钛矿物相.根据XRD谱得到的{001}与{101}晶面方向的平均尺寸计算了{001}/{101}晶面比例.结果显示,随着煅烧温度提高,{001}/{101}晶面比例增大.通过场发射扫描电子显微镜观察到煅烧的样品具有较规则的截断八面体双锥形貌,煅烧温度越高,形貌越规则,颗粒尺寸越大.N2吸附-解吸等温线测试结果显示,煅烧后样品的比表面积低于未煅烧的TiOF2,原因是煅烧后的样品团聚现象比较严重.紫外-可见漫反射光谱显示煅烧样品的吸收边相比于未煅烧的TiOF2发生明显红移.不同样品在紫外光下降解甲基蓝与甲醛的性能研究表明, 700°C煅烧的样品具有最高的光催化活性,这可归因于其较高的结晶度及纯的锐钛矿相结构.对于负载Au的高结晶度TiO_2样品(Au-T700和Au-T800),紫外-可见漫反射光谱中在597 nm处出现了Au的等离子吸收峰, X射线光电子能谱中86与83 eV处Au 4f峰的出现也表明Au成功负载在材料表面.丙酮可见光催化降解实验表明,相比于未负载的700和800°C下煅烧TiOF2制备的TiO_2,负载Au的样品的催化活性分别提高了2.6和4.8倍.综上所述,通过升高煅烧温度可提高TiO_2的结晶度、晶粒尺寸和{001}/{101}晶面比例.而结晶度和{001}/{101}晶面比例的提高可以抑制电子和空穴的复合,从而提高TiO_2液相和气相光催化活性.在具有最高结晶度和{001}/{101}晶面比例的TiO_2上负载,后其可见光催化活性进一步提高.     

La掺杂TiO2光催化剂的制备与表征

用共沉淀法和溶胶-凝胶法制备了La掺杂TiO2光催化剂(La3 -TiO2),并以罗丹明B为模型反应物,进行了光催化降解实验.结果发现,共沉淀法制备的La3 -TiO2具有较高的光催化活性,当掺La量为1.0%、于800℃煅烧2 h时获得的催化剂活性最佳.用X射线衍射、N2吸附、扫描电镜和电子探针等手段测定了两种方法制备的典型样品的结构和粒度分布.两种方法制备的催化剂都是含有锐钛矿和金红石型TiO2的混合晶体,但共沉淀法制备的催化剂具有较高的锐钛矿含量、较大的晶粒和大孔/介孔的多级孔结构,这是其具有较高光催化活性的主要原因.     

氮掺杂纳米多孔TiO2:EDTA-Na2辅助水热合成及光催化性能

利用螯合剂乙二胺四乙酸二钠(EDTA-Na2)作为致孔剂,以三氯化钛(TiCl3)为前驱体.利用水热法直接合成了氮掺杂的纳米多孔TiO2.通过SEM、XRD、IR、低温N2吸附-脱附、XPS、热重分析(TG)和紫外可见(UV)光谱对样品进行了表征与分析.结果表明所合成TiO2以锐钛矿相形式存在,氮掺在TiO2晶面之间,具有典型的介孔结构和较高的比表面积,通过改变EDTA-Na2的浓度,比表面积口1控制在95～216 m2·g-1之间.这种纳米多孔TiO2在光降解甲基橙的实验中表现出很好的光催化活性,且随着EDTA-Na2的浓度增大而逐渐增加.     

表面相结结构在促进光催化电荷分离中的应用

二十世纪八十年代以来,特别是近十年,光催化研究在利用可再生能源太阳能的道路上飞速发展。越来越多的研究表明,相结结构的构筑是有效提高半导体光催化剂性能的重要策略。其中, TiO2作为重要的模型光催化剂,其相关研究成果呈现出指数增长的趋势。本综述围绕TiO2模型光催化剂,主要介绍TiO2表面相结的研究成果,包括TiO2表面相的表征、锐钛矿：金红石TiO2相结用于光催化产氢研究、TiO2相结在光催化中作用的最新认识等。在表征方面,通过表面灵敏的紫外拉曼光谱研究了TiO2相变过程中表面相结构的变化,结合可见拉曼以及XRD表征揭示了TiO2独特的相变过程,即相变始于锐钛矿粒子的界面处,小粒子逐渐团聚为大粒子,致其相变从大粒子体相开始最终扩展到整个粒子。使用CO, CO2探针红外光谱,根据锐钛矿和金红石表面吸附物种的差异,进一步证实了锐钛矿：金红石表面相结结构,为紫外拉曼光谱的表面表征特性提供坚实证据。同时,利用发光光谱观察到锐钛矿晶相的可见发光带和金红石晶相的近红外发光带,并基于此给出了TiO2材料表面相结结构的荧光表征新方法。此外荧光光谱还提供了锐钛矿、金红石相中载流子动力学信息,揭示了束缚态在光催化中的作用。在光催化应用方面,观察到混相结构TiO2较单独锐钛矿及金红石相具有更高的光催化产氢活性,通过在较大金红石颗粒上担载纳米锐钛矿粒子,证明了相结结构在提高光催化活性中的核心作用,并首次提出了锐钛矿：金红石表面异相结结构概念,推断其对电荷分离的促进作用是最终提高反应活性的原因。之后将此概念应用到改善商品TiO2(P25)光催化活性中,通过可控热处理精细调控P25的表面相结构,在光催化重整生物质衍生物产氢实验中,成功将P25光催化产氢活性提高3?5倍。之后发展了新的TiO2表面控制方法,通过加入Na2SO4等相变控制剂,延缓了TiO2从锐钛矿向金红石的相变过程,在较高温度下实现TiO2相结结构的调控,最终可将P25光催化重整甲醇制氢的活性提高6倍,同时通过高分辨电镜清晰观察到锐钛矿：金红石相结的原子层生长接触。在相结作用机理方面,多种时间分辨光谱技术以及理论计算被用作探索锐钛矿：金红石相结处的电子转移机理。通过时间分辨红外光谱对TiO2表面相结结构作用的研究,特别是利用锐钛矿、金红石不同的瞬态吸收光谱特征,证明了锐钛矿：金红石相结处的载流子转移过程,存在锐钛矿向金红石的电子转移过程。模型光催化剂TiO2相结的研究成果,加深了对光催化机理的认识,促进新型高效光催化体系的设计合成。     

Polyhedral AgBr Microcrystals with an Increased Percentage of Exposed {111} Facets as a Highly Efficient Visible‐Light Photocatalyst

Synthesis of inorganic single crystals with exposed high‐reactivity facets is a desirable target in the catalytic chemistry field. Polyhedral AgBr microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high‐reactivity {111} facets have been successfully prepared for the first time, and the photocatalytic performance of these microcrystals when used as an AgBr/Ag plasmonic photocatalyst was investigated. The results indicate that the as‐prepared sample has high photocatalytic activity and, under the same measurement conditions, the photodegradation rate of methyl orange dye over these microcrystals is at least four times faster than with other shapes of AgBr/Ag microstructure, as well as 20 times faster than with the highly efficient Ag₃PO₄ photocatalyst. DFT calculations suggest that the AgBr (111) surface is mainly composed of unsaturated Ag atoms and has a relatively high surface energy, both of which are favorable for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the AgBr/Ag polyhedron photocatalyst. This work not only provides a highly efficient plasmonic photocatalyst of polyhedral AgBr/Ag microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high‐reactivity AgBr {111} facets, but also demonstrates that the shape and crystalline quality of the exposed facets have an important influence on the photocatalytic activities.     

Novel photocatalytic antibacterial activity of TiO2 microspheres exposing 100% reactive {111} facets

TiO(2) microspheres constructed by well-crystallized faceted nanorods with high aspect ratios expose 100% photocatalytic reactive {111} facets on the spherical surface. The microspheres demonstrated excellent photocatalytic antibacterial activity towards Staphylococcus aureus due to effective suppression of photoinduced electron-hole pair recombination and active TiO(2)@˙OH core-shell structure.     

Hierarchical TiO2 nanospheres with dominant {001} facets: facile synthesis, growth mechanism, and photocatalytic activity

Hierarchical TiO(2) nanospheres with controlled surface morphologies and dominant {001} facets were directly synthesized from Ti powder by a facile, one-pot, hydrothermal method. The obtained hierarchical TiO(2) nanospheres have a uniform size of 400-500?nm and remarkable 78?% fraction of {001} facets. The influence of the reaction temperature, amount of HF, and reaction time on the morphology and the exposed facets was systematically studied. A possible growth mechanism speculates that Ti powder first dissolves in HF solution, and then flowerlike TiO(2) nanostructures are formed by assembly of TiO(2) nanocrystals. Because of the high concentration of HF in the early stage, these TiO(2) nanostructures were etched, and hollow structures formed on the surface. After the F(-) ions were effectively absorbed on the crystal surfaces, {001} facets appear and grow steadily. At the same time, the {101} facets also grow and meet the {101} facets from adjacent truncated tetragonal pyramids, causing coalescence of these facets and formation of nanospheres with dominant {001} facets. With further extension of the reaction time, single-crystal {001} facets of hierarchical TiO(2) nanospheres are dissolved and TiO(2) nanospheres with dominant {101} facets are obtained. The photocatalytic activities of the hierarchical TiO(2) nanospheres were evaluated and found to be closely related to the exposed {001} facets. Owing to the special hierarchical architecture and high percentage of exposed {001} facets, the TiO(2) nanospheres exhibit much enhanced photocatalytic efficiency (almost fourfold) compared to P25 TiO(2) as a benchmark material. This study provides new insight into crystal-facet engineering of anatase TiO(2) nanostructures with high percentage of {001} facets as well as opportunities for controllable synthesis of 3D hierarchical nanostructures.     

Crystal‐Facet Engineering of Ferric Giniite by Using Ionic‐Liquid Precursors and Their Enhanced Photocatalytic Performances under Visible‐Light Irradiation

In the work presented here, well‐dispersed ferric giniite microcrystals with controlled sizes and shapes are solvothermally synthesized from ionic‐liquid precursors by using 1‐n‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dihydrogenphosphate ([Bmim][H₂PO₄]) as phosphate source. The success of this synthesis relies on the concentration and composition of the ionic‐liquid precursors. By adjusting the molar ratios of Fe(NO₃)₃ ? 9H₂O to [Bmim][H₂PO₄] as well as the composition of ionic‐liquid precursors, we obtained uniform microstructures such as bipyramids exposing {111} facets, plates exposing {001} facets, hollow spheres, tetragonal hexadecahedron exposing {441} and {111} facets, and truncated bipyamids with carved {001} facets. The crystalline structure of the ferric giniite microcrystals is disclosed by various characterization techniques. It was revealed that [Bmim][H₂PO₄] played an important role in stabilizing the {111} facets of ferric giniite crystals, leading to the different morphologies in the presence of ionic‐liquid precursors with different compositions. Furthermore, since these ferric giniite crystals were characterized by different facets, they could serve as model Fenton‐like catalysts to uncover the correlation between the surface and the catalytic performance for the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible‐light irradiation. Our measurements indicate that the photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared Fenton‐like catalysts is highly dependent on the exposed facets, and the surface area has essentially no obvious effect on the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes in the present study. It is highly expected that these findings are useful in understanding the photocatalytic activity of Fenton‐like catalysts with different morphologies, and suggest a promising new strategy for crystal‐facet engineering of photocatalysts for wastewater treatment based on heterogeneous Fenton‐like process.     

Facile fabrication of anatase TiO2 microspheres on solid substrates and surface crystal facet transformation from {001} to {101}

Anatase TiO(2) microspheres with controlled surface morphologies and exposed crystal facets were directly synthesized on metal titanium foil substrates by means of a facile, one-pot hydrothermal method without use of any templating reagent. The obtained products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelecron spectroscopy (XPS), and the focused ion beam (FIB) technique. The sizes of the resultant microspheres ranged from 1.1 to 2.1 μm. The transformation of anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed {001} facets surface to nanosheets surface with {101} facets was achieved by simply controlling the hydrothermal reaction time. The anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed square-shaped plane {001} facets were obtained by controlling the reaction time at 1 h. The prolonged reaction time transforms the anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed square-shaped plane {001} facets to eroded {001} facets then to a nanosheet surface with exposed {101} facets. With hydrothermal synthesis, the surface morphological structure and crystal facets formation are highly dependent on dissolution/deposition processes, which can be strongly influenced by attributes, such as pH of the reaction media, the total concentration of dissolved and suspended titanium species, and the concentration of fluoride in the reaction solution. The changes of these attributes during the hydrothermal process were therefore measured and used to illustrate the morphology and crystal-facet transformation processes of anatase TiO(2) microspheres. The surface morphologies and crystal-facet transformations during hydrothermal processes were found to be governed by the compositional changes of the reaction media, driven by dynamically shifted dissolution/deposition equilibria. The photocatalytic activities of the photoanodes made of anatase TiO(2) microspheres were evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that the photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed {001} facets was found to be 1.5 times higher than that of the anatase TiO(2) microspheres with exposed {101} facets.     

Polyhedral AgBr microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed {111} facets as a highly efficient visible-light photocatalyst

Synthesis of inorganic single crystals with exposed high-reactivity facets is a desirable target in the catalytic chemistry field. Polyhedral AgBr microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high-reactivity {111} facets have been successfully prepared for the first time, and the photocatalytic performance of these microcrystals when used as an AgBr/Ag plasmonic photocatalyst was investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared sample has high photocatalytic activity and, under the same measurement conditions, the photodegradation rate of methyl orange dye over these microcrystals is at least four times faster than with other shapes of AgBr/Ag microstructure, as well as 20?times faster than with the highly efficient Ag(3)PO(4) photocatalyst. DFT calculations suggest that the AgBr (111) surface is mainly composed of unsaturated Ag atoms and has a relatively high surface energy, both of which are favorable for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the AgBr/Ag polyhedron photocatalyst. This work not only provides a highly efficient plasmonic photocatalyst of polyhedral AgBr/Ag microcrystals with an increased percentage of exposed high-reactivity AgBr {111} facets, but also demonstrates that the shape and crystalline quality of the exposed facets have an important influence on the photocatalytic activities.     

Microwave-induced synthesis of porous single-crystal-like TiO2 with excellent lithium storage properties

Porous anatase TiO(2) single crystal architectures with large specific surface area and remarkable crystalline phase-stability were fabricated via a green microwave-assisted process. Ionic liquid was chosen as both an essential structure-directing agent for the formation of the {001} facets exposed TiO(2) and an etching agent source for selective erosion of the exposed {001} facets, leading to robust porous framework with exposed {101} facets. These porous anatase single crystals were thermally stable up to 800 °C, indicating excellent structure stability. The product showed stable cyclability at high current rate, better reversibility, and high Coulumbic efficiency of 100% for lithium storage.     

Controlled Synthesis and Enhanced Catalytic and Gas‐Sensing Properties of Tin Dioxide Nanoparticles with Exposed High‐Energy Facets

A morphology evolution of SnO₂ nanoparticles from low‐energy facets (i.e., {101} and {110}) to high‐energy facets (i.e., {111}) was achieved in a basic environment. In the proposed synthetic method, octahedral SnO₂ nanoparticles enclosed by high‐energy {111} facets were successfully synthesized for the first time, and tetramethylammonium hydroxide was found to be crucial for the control of exposed facets. Furthermore, our experiments demonstrated that the SnO₂ nanoparticles with exposed high‐energy facets, such as {221} or {111}, exhibited enhanced catalytic activity for the oxidation of CO and enhanced gas‐sensing properties due to their high chemical activity, which results from unsaturated coordination of surface atoms, superior to that of low‐energy facets. These results effectively demonstrate the significance of research into improving the physical and chemical properties of materials by tailoring exposed facets of nanomaterials.     

Facet effect of single-crystalline Ag3PO4 sub-microcrystals on photocatalytic properties

We recently reported that Ag(3)PO(4) exhibits excellent photooxidative capabilities for O(2) evolution from water and organic dye decomposition under visible-light irradiation. However, very little is known about the shape and facet effects of Ag(3)PO(4) crystals on their photocatalytic properties. Herein we have developed a facile and general route for high-yield fabrication of single-crystalline Ag(3)PO(4) rhombic dodecahedrons with only {110} facets exposed and cubes bounded entirely by {100} facets. Moreover, studies of their photocatalytic performance have indicated that rhombic dodecahedrons exhibit much higher activities than cubes for the degradation of organic contaminants, which may be primarily ascribed to the higher surface energy of {110} facets (1.31 J/m(2)) than of {100} facets (1.12 J/m(2)).     

Intrinsic catalytic structure of gold nanoparticles supported on TiO2

Despite the fragility of TiO(2) under electron irradiation, the intrinsic structure of Au/TiO(2) catalysts can be observed by environmental transmission electron microscopy. Under reaction conditions (CO/air 100?Pa), the major {111} and {100} facets of the gold nanoparticles are exposed and the particles display a polygonal interface with the TiO(2) support bounded by sharp edges parallel to the 〈110〉 directions.