Dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2-B nanobelt/TiO2 nanoparticle sandwich-type photoelectrodes with controllable nanobelt length

The TiO(2)-B nanobelt (NB)/TiO(2) nanoparticle (NP) sandwich-type structure photoelectrode, with controllable nanobelt length, has been used to fabricate high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which combine the advantages of the rapid electron transport in TiO(2)-B NBs and the high surface area of TiO(2) NPs. The results indicate that the sandwich-type photoelectrode achieves higher photoelectrical conversion efficiency when compared with the TiO(2) nanoparticulate electrode. Increasing the length of TiO(2)-B NBs has been demonstrated to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency (η). DSSCs with the longest (10 μm) TiO(2)-B NBs yield the highest η of 7.94%. The interfacial electron transport of DSSCs with different lengths of TiO(2)-B NBs has been quantitatively investigated using the photovoltage transient and the electrochemical impedance spectra, which demonstrates that the DSSCs with longest TiO(2)-B NBs display the highest electron collection efficiency and the fastest interfacial electron transfer.     

Photoelectrochemical study on charge transfer properties of TiO2-B nanowires with an application as humidity sensors

One-dimensional (1-D) TiO2-B nanowires have been synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The morphology and crystalline structures of the nanowires were characterized by using powder X-ray diffraction, low/high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller methods. It is important with the calcination treatment at 350 degrees C to maintain 1-D morphologies of the material in the form of single-crystalline TiO2-B nanowires. In addition, a simple method was used to study the photogenerated charge transfer and photoelectrochemical properties of the TiO2-B nanowires in comparison with commercial TiO2 P25 nanoparticles based on the experimental data from the electric field-effected photocurrent action spectrum and Mott-Schottky measurements. It was revealed that TiO2-B nanostructures played an important role in the photoelectrochemical processes. The synthetic TiO2-B nanowire electrode exhibited unique electronic properties, e.g., favorable charge-transfer ability, negative-shifted appearing flat-band potential, existence of abundant surface states or oxygen vacancies, and high-level dopant density. Moreover, the obtained TiO2-B nanowires were found to display excellent humidity sensing abilities as functional materials in the humidity sensor application. With relative humidity increased from 5% to 95%, about one and half orders of magnitude change in resistance was observed in the TiO2-B nanowire-based surface-type humidity sensors.     

TiO2纳米带表面光伏特性的研究

近年来, 一维结构的纳米带由于其不同于管、线材料的新颖结构以及独特的光电性能而受到广泛关注. 人们通过各种方法合成了氧化锌、硫化镉和氧化锡等纳米带材料[1,2]. 纳米TiO2以其优异的光电性能和高的化学稳定性而被广泛应用于太阳能电池、光催化降解等诸多领域[3], 从而成为研究热点, 最近其纳米带的制备也有报道[4].     

Nanotubes with the TiO2-B structure

Here we report the first synthesis of TiO2-B nanotubes by a simple hydrothermal route; lithium may be intercalated up to a composition of Li(0.98)TiO2 compared with Li(0.91)TiO2 for the corresponding nanowires.     

Rational design of 3D dendritic TiO2 nanostructures with favorable architectures

Controlling the morphology and size of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanostructures is crucial to obtain superior photocatalytic, photovoltaic, and electrochemical properties. However, the synthetic techniques for preparing such structures, especially those with complex configurations, still remain a challenge because of the rapid hydrolysis of Ti-containing polymer precursors in aqueous solution. Herein, we report a completely novel approach-three-dimensional (3D) TiO(2) nanostructures with favorable dendritic architectures-through a simple hydrothermal synthesis. The size of the 3D TiO(2) dendrites and the morphology of the constituent nano-units, in the form of nanorods, nanoribbons, and nanowires, are controlled by adjusting the precursor hydrolysis rate and the surfactant aggregation. These novel configurations of TiO(2) nanostructures possess higher surface area and superior electrochemical properties compared to nanoparticles with smooth surfaces. Our findings provide an effective solution for the synthesis of complex TiO(2) nano-architectures, which can pave the way to further improve the energy storage and energy conversion efficiency of TiO(2)-based devices.     

镍基铸造高温合金K52在900℃恒温氧化性能的研究

研究了镍基铸造高温合金K52在900 ℃和100 h下的氧化行为, 并与ЧC104-Bи合金进行了比较, 为K52合金的设计提供了实验基础与理论依据. 结果表明, 两种合金在900 ℃和100 h下的氧化动力学曲线均符合抛物线规律, 属于完全抗氧化级. X射线衍射、扫描电镜、电子探针元素面分布和能谱分析等实验表明, K52合金和ЧC104-Bи合金的氧化膜相似, 可分为三层: 外层以TiO2层为主, 性质疏松, 空隙较多, 没有形成连续氧化层; 中间层为连续、致密、平直的氧化物, 形成保护性氧化层, 以Cr2O3为主, 并含有少量尖晶石NiCr2O4及TiO2; 内层以Al2O3为主, 含有少量TiO2氧化物. K52合金的恒温抗氧化性能优于ЧC104-Bи合金.     

Solvent-controlled synthesis and electrochemical lithium storage of one-dimensional TiO2 nanostructures

In this paper, one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructured TiO2 of different morphologies and structures have been selectively synthesized via a convenient, low-temperature solvothermal route and following calcination. Transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller methods were used to characterize the morphology, crystalline structure, and specific surface area of these nanostructured TiO2. The formation of different morphologies, including nanowires and nanotubes, was achieved through a deliberate control of the cosolvent. In addition to the solvent-controlled procedures, another important feature of the synthesis in the present study was that either single-crystalline nanowires (TiO2-B) or polycrystalline nanotubes (anatase and TiO2-B) were achieved by heat treatment at 350 degrees C. The electrochemical performances of the nanowires and nanotubes were further explored in terms of their potential application as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The lithium-insertion reactions involved in the two materials were elucidated by means of a galvanostatic method, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results suggest that both the crystalline structure and the unique 1-D morphology might be responsible for their favorable electrochemical properties. This work will be valuable for the understanding of the formation of nanostructured TiO2 by the wet-chemistry process and further applications.     

Direct synthesis of nanowires with anatase and TiO2-B structures at near ambient conditions

In this study, we present a new approach toward titanium oxide nanowires. In this approach, the growth formation of the wires sets in at a temperature as low as 40 degrees C under ambient pressure. Moreover, we provide evidence that nanowires with distinctive TiO2-anatase and TiO2-B structures can be directly produced without further thermal treatment using controlled reaction conditions.     

Preparation and Photocatalytic Property of Porous TiO_2 Film with Net-like Framework

By the UV-curing method, a porous TiO2 film with net-like framework has been prepared. The characte-rization results of the porous TiO2 film by means of SEM, TEM, XRD, and N2 adsorption-desorption analysis show that the net-like framework of the porous TiO2 film is composed of TiO2 nanoparticles, forming three dimensional porous structure. The porous TiO2 film exhibits higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue(MB) dye compared with the conventional dense TiO2 film.     

(I(2))(n) encapsulation inside TiO(2): a way to tune photoactivity in the visible region

We report on the synthesis of nanovoid-structured TiO(2) material via a sol-gel route using titanium isopropoxide as precursor. The nanovoids are formed during the thermal treatment in air at 773 K. The surfaces of internal cavities are populated by the partial oxidation products of the organic part of the Ti precursor (CO(2), hydrogen carbonates, and residual isopropoxide groups). The thermal treatment in air at 773 K allows the maintainence, in the internal voids, of the encapsulated species. Addition of iodine in the synthesis procedure results in a new nanovoid-structured titanium oxide able to absorb light in the whole visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The origin of this absorption is attributed to the presence of (I(2))(n) adducts encapsulated in the nanocavities. These species coexist with partial combustion products of isopropoxide groups. Due to the protection of the TiO(2) walls, the (I(2))(n) adducts are not destroyed by thermal treatments in air. We have investigated whether the electron promoted in the excited state of the dye molecule (upon absorption of visible light from the (I(2))(n) adducts) can be injected into either the TiO(2) conduction band or some titanium-localized acceptor, followed by migration of the injected electron to the surface where it reduces adsorbed organic molecules. Preliminarily experiments conducted with sunlight show that the surface-specific efficiency of this process, tested by following the degradation of methylene blue, is about 10 times higher than that of the P25 commercial TiO(2) photocatalyst.     

Solution-based TiO2-polymer composite dielectric for low operating voltage OTFTs

The cross-linking reaction of a TiO(2)-polymer composite (TPC) dielectric with poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVP), a TiO(2) precursor, and poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) is demonstrated: We suggest that the dense chemical structure of TPC is caused by the alkoxyl group of the PVP cross-linker, poly(melamine-co-formaldehyde) methylated/butylated, reacted with the hydroxyl group of the PVP and the ligands of the TiO(2) precursor.     

Electrospun nanofibers of TiO2/CdS heteroarchitectures with enhanced photocatalytic activity by visible light

Herein, we have demonstrated that the electrospun nanofibers of TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures could be fabricated through combining electrospinning technique with hydrothermal process. The configuration, crystal structure, and element composition of the as-prepared TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), resonant Raman spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the high-density hexagonal wurtzite CdS crystalline particles of ca. 6-40 nm in diameter were uniformly and closely grown on anatase TiO(2) nanofibers. Especially, the light-absorption properties as well as photocatalytic characteristics of pure TiO(2) nanofibers and TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures with different amount loading of CdS were also investigated. The absorption of TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures was extended to the visible due to effective immobilization of sensitizing agent CdS on TiO(2). In contrast with the pure TiO(2) nanofibers, the TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures showed excellent photocatalytic activity by using rhodamine B dye as a model organic substrate under visible-light irradiation. It was worth noting that the cooperative photocatalytic mechanism of the TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures was also discussed.     

TiO2 derived by titanate route from electrospun nanostructures for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells

We report the use of highly porous, dense, and anisotropic TiO(2) derived from electrospun TiO(2)-SiO(2) nanostructures through titanate route in dye-sensitized solar cells. The titanate-derived TiO(2) of high surface areas exhibited superior photovoltaic parameters (efficiency > 7%) in comparison to the respective electrospun TiO(2) nanomaterials and commercially available P-25.     

医用多孔NiTi合金表面溶胶-凝胶法制备TiO2涂层

采用溶胶-凝胶法结合浸渍提拉工艺在多孔NiTi合金表面制备出了结构均一的锐钛矿型TiO2涂层,并在溶胶中添加聚乙二醇(PEG)作为造孔剂,进而在多孔NiTi合金表面制备出内层致密、外层多孔的TiO2复合涂层。SEM分析结果表明,TiO2涂层均匀地覆盖了多孔NiTi合金基体的外表面以及孔的内表面。Hanks溶液中的阳极极化曲线结果表明,与未处理的多孔NiTi合金相比,具有致密TiO2涂层的多孔NiTi合金其耐腐蚀性能有了显著提高。而多孔TiO2复合涂层进一步增大了多孔NiTi合金的实际表面积,提高了材料表面的生物活性。     

铝基板的界面扩散对薄膜型TiO2光催化活性的影响

以钛酸四丁酯为前驱体, 采用溶胶-凝胶法在铝基板表面制备了纳米晶TiO2薄膜. 运用XRD、SEM和XPS对制得的薄膜进行表征, 并测试了薄膜光催化降解亚甲基蓝(MB)的活性. 结果表明, TiO2薄膜样品在450 ℃焙烧30 min后, 晶粒排列比较致密, 粒径为10-20 nm, 并与铝基板紧密结合; 薄膜与铝基板发生了明显的界面扩散, 薄膜中的Al元素来自铝基板的界面扩散, 且界面层很宽, 扩散层厚度约为75 nm; 界面扩散的发生直接导致了TiO2薄膜的光催化活性下降. 但随着薄膜厚度增加, 铝基板对TiO2薄膜降解亚甲基蓝催化活性的影响不断减小.     

Functionalization of beta-Ga2O3 nanoribbons: a combined computational and infrared spectroscopic study

The adsorption of H 2O, alcohols (CH 3OH and 1-octanol), and carboxylic acids (formic, acetic, and pentanoic) on beta-Ga 2O 3 nanoribbons has been studied using infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) and/or ab initio computational modeling. Adsorption energies and geometries are sensitive to surface structure, and hydrogen bonding plays a significant role in stabilizing adsorbed species. On the more stable (100)-B surface, computation shows that the physisorption of H 2O or CH 3OH is weakly exothermic whereas chemisorption via O-H bond dissociation is weakly endothermic. Experiment finds that a large fraction of a saturation coverage of adsorbed 1-octanol is displaced by exposure to acetic acid vapor. This is consistent with computational results showing that acids adsorb more strongly than methanol on this surface. The remaining alcohol, not displaced by acetic acid, suggests the presence of defects and/or (100)-A regions because computation shows that this less-stable surface adsorbs methanol more strongly than does the (100)-B. The nu(C-H) modes of adsorbed 1-octanol are easily detected whereas no adsorbed H 2O is observed even though H 2O and CH 3OH exhibit similar adsorption energies. It is inferred from this that the failure to detect H 2O on the dominant (100)-B surface results from the orientation of the physisorbed H 2O essentially parallel to the surface. Computation shows that this configuration is stabilized by H bonding. For chemisorbed formic acid, computation shows that a bridging carboxylate structure is favored over a bidentate or monodentate configuration. Computation also shows that chemisorption is favored on the (100)-A surface but physisorption is favored on the more stable (100)-B. Analysis of IRRAS data for acetic and pentanoic acids finds evidence for both types of adsorption. The carboxylate resists displacement by H 2O vapor, which suggests that carboxylic acids may be useful for functionalizing beta-Ga 2O 3 surfaces. The results provide insight into the interplay between surface structure and reactivity on an oxide surface and about the importance of hydrogen bonding in determining adsorbate structure.     

Correlation between dispersion properties of TiO2 colloidal sols and photoelectric characteristics of TiO2 films

TiO2 film for use as dye-sensitized solar cell was prepared using the TiO2 colloidal sols (unpeptized sol and peptized sol). The optical properties and photocurrent-voltage characteristics of the resultant films were investigated. The optical transmittance of TiO2 thin film prepared from the peptized colloidal sol was over 90%, while that of TiO2 film from the unpeptized sol was under 80%. The TiO2 photoelectrode prepared from the peptized colloidal sol showed low photoelectric conversion efficiency (eta), 1.30%, whereas the efficiency of photoelectrode from the unpeptized sol was 2.21%. The high optical transmittance and low conversion efficiency of TiO2 film from the peptized sol are discussed in terms of dense microstructure due to the drying nature of well-dispersed colloidal sol.     

纳米结构TiO2/SiO2的逐层自组装

采用逐层自组装方法在二氧化硅球表面交替组装了十二烷基硫酸钠单分子膜和二氧化钛纳米粒子膜 ,该复合多层膜经高温煅烧后得到了核壳型纳米结构二氧化钛 /二氧化硅复合颗粒 .利用XRD ,SEM ,X射线能谱等对复合颗粒进行了表征 .结果表明 :二氧化钛在复合颗粒表面排列紧密、均匀 ,粒径在 5 0nm左右 ,为锐钛矿型结构 .复合颗粒中二氧化钛的含量随组装层数的增加而均匀增加     

High-quality ultralong Sb2Se3 and Sb2S3 nanoribbons on a large scale via a simple chemical route

Large-scale ultralong single-crystalline Sb2Se3 and Sb2S3 nanoribbons were prepared respectively by reacting SbCl3 with selenium and sulfur powders in glycol solution. Both Sb2Se3 and Sb2S3 nanoribbons are usually hundreds of microns in length, and the structures of the nanoribbons are determined to be of the orthorhombic phases. The Sb2Se3 nanoribbons are typically 100-300 nm in width and 20-60 nm in thickness and grow along the [12] direction. Sb2S3 nanoribbons are wider than Sb2Se3 nanoribbons; Sb2S3 nanoribbons are about 200-500 nm in width and grow along the [001] direction. The growth mechanism of the nanoribbons is investigated based on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations. Optical absorption experiment reveals that Sb2Se3 and Sb2S3 nanoribbons are two semiconductors with bandwidth Eg approximately 1.15 eV and Eg approximately 1.56 eV, respectively.     

Chemical state and environment of boron dopant in B,N-codoped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles: an avenue for probing diamagnetic dopants in TiO2 by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Boron is diamagnetic in B-doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles which exhibit photocatalytic activities in the visible light range. Using N as a paramagnetic probe for the formal oxidation state of boron in N/B-codoped TiO2, with more than 90% unpaired spin density in the N2p orbital, we infer that boron enters the oxygen vacancy substitutionally in the form of B1-. Combination of spin-Hamiltonian analysis and interpretation of light dependent EPR spectra in terms of a charge compensating mechanism supports a model of [N2-B1-]+1 for the new EPR active center which acts as a trap for electrons liberated from [N1-] centers under blue light irradiation. Definite assignment of the boron oxidation state will contribute to the preparation, characterization, and understanding of B-TiO2 photoactivity under visible light which has been the subject of extensive work in the past few years.