Two phase morphology limits lithium diffusion in TiO(2)(anatase): a (7)Li MAS NMR study.

7Li magic angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance is applied to investigate the lithium local environment and lithium ion mobility in tetragonal anatase TiO(2) and orthorhombic lithium titanate Li(0.6)TiO(2). Upon lithium insertion, an increasing fraction of the material changes its crystallographic structure from anatase TiO(2) to lithium titanate Li(0.6)TiO(2). Phase separation occurs, and as a result, the Li-rich lithium titanate phase is coexisting with the Li-poor TiO(2) phase containing only small Li amounts approximately equal to 0.01. In both the anatase and the lithium titanate lattice, Li is found to be hopping over the available sites with activation energies of 0.2 and 0.09 eV, respectively. This leads to rapid microscopic diffusion rates at room temperature (D(micr) = 4.7 x 10(-12) cm(2)s(-1) in anatase and D(micr) = 1.3 x 10(-11) cm(2)s(-1) in lithium titanate). However, macroscopic intercalation data show activation energies of approximately 0.5 eV and smaller diffusion coefficients. We suggest that the diffusion through the phase boundary is determining the activation energy of the overall diffusion and the overall diffusion rate itself. The chemical shift of lithium in anatase is independent of temperature up to approximately 250 K but decreases at higher temperatures, reflecting a change in the 3d conduction electron densities. The Li mobility becomes prominent from this same temperature showing that such electronic effects possibly facilitate the mobility.     

Large impact of particle size on insertion reactions. A case for anatase Li(x)TiO2

Insertion reactions are of key importance for Li ion and hydrogen storage materials and energy storage devices. The particle size dependence of insertion reactions has been investigated for lithiated anatase TiO2, revealing progressively increasing Li capacity and Li-ion solubility for decreasing particle sizes, strongly deviating from the expected Li-rich and Li-poor phase separation as occurs in the bulk material. The phase diagram alters significantly, changing the materials properties already at sizes as large as 40 nm. A rationale is found in the surface strain that occurs between the different intercalated phases, which becomes energetically too costly in small particles. In particular the observed particle size-induced solid solution behavior is expected to have fundamental and practical implications for two-phase lithium or hydrogen insertion reactions.     

Characterization and surface-reactivity of nanocrystalline anatase in aqueous solutions

The chemical and electrostatic interactions at mineral-water interfaces are of fundamental importance in many geochemical, materials science, and technological processes; however, the effects of particle size at the nanoscale on these interactions are poorly known. Therefore, comprehensive experimental and characterization studies were completed, to begin to assess the effects of particle size on the surface reactivity and charging of metal-oxide nanoparticles in aqueous solutions. Commercially available crystalline anatase (TiO2) particles were characterized using neutron and X-ray small-angle scattering, electron microscopy, and laser diffraction techniques. The 4 nm primary nanoparticles were found to exist almost exclusively in a hierarchy of agglomerated structures. Potentiometric and electrophoretic mobility titrations were completed in NaCl media at ionic strengths from (0.005 to 0.3) mol/kg, and 25 degrees C, with these two experimental techniques matched as closely as the different procedures permitted. The pH of zero net proton charge (pHznpc, from potentiometric titration) and isoelectric point pH value (pHiep, from electrophoretic mobility titrations) were both in near perfect agreement (6.85 +/- 0.02). At high ionic strengths the apparent pHznpc value was offset slightly toward lower pH values, which suggests some specific adsorption of the Na+ electrolyte ions. Proton-induced surface charge curves of nanocrystalline anatase were very similar to those of larger rutile crystallites when expressed relative to their respective pHznpc values, indicating that the development of positive and negative surface charge away from the pHznpc for nanocrystalline anatase is similar to that of larger TiO2 crystallites.     

Preparation of hollow capsule-stabilized gold nanoparticles through the encapsulation of the dendrimer

Nanocrystalline TiO2 powders were rapidly prepared by hydrolysis of Ti(OC4H9)4 under ultrasound irradiation. The influences of acids (HCl, HNO3, and H2SO4) and their corresponding salts (NaCl, KNO3, and Na2SO4) on the crystalline phase and morphology of products were investigated, respectively. Compared with NaCl and KNO3 that show no evident influence on the crystalline phase, HCl and HNO3 have a decisive influence on the crystalline phase of the products. However, both H2SO4 and Na2SO4 are favorable for the formation of anatase. By adjusting the concentration of SO2-(4) in the reaction medium, the contents of anatase and rutile phases in the TiO2 powders can be successfully controlled. The morphology of TiO2 crystallites are shown to be strongly related to the type of acid used in the reaction medium.     

The effect of concentration on Li diffusivity and conductivity in rutile TiO2

Li transport characteristics are studied by means of density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in order to investigate concentration effects on Li chemical diffusivity and conductivity in TiO(2) rutile. Our MD simulations predict one-dimensional diffusion of Li ions via jumps between the octahedral sites along the channels parallel to the c-axis. The diffusion barrier and diffusion coefficient (at room temperature) for the isolated Li, determined by means of DFT calculations, correspond to 60 meV and 9.1 × 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1), respectively. Such a small barrier suggests rapid mass transport along the channels. MD simulations are performed to evaluate the concentration dependent diffusivity profiles. The changes in Li energetics and dynamics are studied as a function of Li content, which is varied primarily between 10% and 50%. In addition, we consider a couple of compositions over 50% although this is above the intercalation limit. Our results suggest that Li diffusivity is strongly dependent on the Li?∶?TiO(2) ratio, and it decreases with increasing Li concentration. For instance, at room temperature, we find Li diffusivity for high concentrations (50% Li) to be three orders of magnitude slower than that for lower concentrations (10% Li). Our analyses on the energetics and dynamics suggest that the changes in the diffusivities originate from successive increases in the barriers with increasing concentration. The decrease in diffusivity as a function of increasing Li content is attributed to the fact that additional Li ions successively block the energetically preferred vacant sites along the channels. Our analyses also show that increasing Li concentration enhances the Li-Li repulsion within the channels, and as a result, diffusion is hindered. We also compare concentration-dependent diffusivities for Li diffusion in anatase, rutile and amorphous TiO(2). Interestingly, we find differing concentration dependence of the diffusivity in these chemically identical but structurally non-equivalent TiO(2) polymorphs. Our study suggests that these differences result from intrinsic structural characteristics of TiO(2) polymorphs, which ultimately contribute to intercalation limit, diffusivity, ionic conductivity, and the electrochemical performance in energy storage applications.     

Electron beam induced changes in transition metal oxides

Electron beam induced changes in maximal valence transition metal oxides V(2)O(5), M(o)O(3) and TiO(2) (anatase) were studied by means of electron energy-loss spectroscopy and electron diffraction in transmission electron microscopy. For V(2)O(5), the observed chemical shifts of the L-edge reveal the reduction of V(5+) to V(2+). The structure changes from orthorhombic V(2)O(5) to cubic VO. MoO(3) can be reduced to a phase with an oxidation state less than that in MoO(2). No notable structural or electronic change in TiO(2) (anatase) is observed. The different behaviours of the studied oxides under an electron beam are discussed with respect to bonding energy and lattice structure.     

Mobility enhanced photoactivity in sol-gel grown epitaxial anatase TiO2 films

Epitaxial anatase thin films were grown on single-crystal LaAlO3 substrates by a sol-gel process. The epitaxial relationship between TiO2 and LaAlO3 was found to be [100]TiO2||[100]LaAlO3 and (001)TiO2||(001)LaAlO3 based on X-ray diffraction and a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The epitaxial anatase films show significantly improved photocatalytic properties, compared with polycrystalline anatase film on fused silica substrate. The increase in the photocatalytic activity of epitaxial anatase films is explained by enhanced charge carrier mobility, which is traced to the decreased grain boundary density in the epitaxial anatase film.     

Equilibrium lithium-ion transport between nanocrystalline lithium-inserted anatase TiO2 and the electrolyte

The power density of lithium-ion batteries requires the fast transfer of ions between the electrode and electrolyte. The achievable power density is directly related to the spontaneous equilibrium exchange of charged lithium ions across the electrolyte/electrode interface. Direct and unique characterization of this charge-transfer process is very difficult if not impossible, and consequently little is known about the solid/liquid ion transfer in lithium-ion-battery materials. Herein we report the direct observation by solid-state NMR spectroscopy of continuous lithium-ion exchange between the promising nanosized anatase TiO(2) electrode material and the electrolyte. Our results reveal that the energy barrier to charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface is equal to or greater than the barrier to lithium-ion diffusion through the solid anatase matrix. The composition of the electrolyte and in turn the solid/electrolyte interface (SEI) has a significant effect on the electrolyte/electrode lithium-ion exchange; this suggests potential improvements in the power of batteries by optimizing the electrolyte composition.     

Density functional study of the interfacial electron transfer pathway for monolayer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface

Density functional theory (DFT) in connection with ultrasoft pseudopotential (USP) and generalized gradient spin-polarized approximations (GGSA) is applied to calculate the adsorption energies and structures of monolayer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface and the corresponding electronic properties, that is, partial density of states (PDOS) for surface and bulk layers of the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface and monolayer-adsorbed InN, to shed light on the possible structural modes for initial photoexcitation within the UV/vis adsorption region followed by fast electron injection through the InN/TiO(2) interface for an InN/TiO(2)-based solar cell design. Our calculated adsorption energies found that the two most probable stable structural modes of monolayer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface are (1) an end-on structure with an adsorption energy of 2.52 eV through N binding to surface 2-fold coordinated O (O(cn2)), that is, InN-O(cn2), and (2) a side-on structure with an adsorption energy of 3.05 eV through both N binding to surface 5-fold coordinated Ti (Ti(cn5)) and In bridging two surface O(cn2), that is, (O(cn2))(2)-InN-Ti(cn5). Our calculated band gaps for both InN-O(cn2) and (O(cn2))2-InN-Ti(cn5) (including a 1.0-eV correction using a scissor operator) of monolayer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface are red-shifted to 1.7 eV (730 nm) and 2.3 eV (540 nm), respectively, which are within the UV/vis adsorption region similar to Gratzel's black dye solar cell. Our analyses of calculated PDOS for both surface and bulk layers of the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface and monolayer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface suggest that the (O(cn2))(2)-InN-Ti(n5) configuration of monolayer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface would provide a more feasible structural mode for the electron injection through the InN/TiO(2) interface. This is due to the presence of both occupied and unoccupied electronic states for monolayer-adsorbed InN within the band gap TiO(2) anatase (101) surface, which will allow the photoexcitation within the UV/vis adsorption region to take place effectively, and subsequently the photoexcited electronic states will overlap with the unoccupied electronic states around the lowest conduction band of the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface, which will ensure the electron injection through the InN/TiO(2) interface. Finally, another thing worth our attention is our preliminary study of double-layer-adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface, that is, (O(cn2))(2)-(InN)(2)-Ti(cn5), with a calculated band gap red-shifted to 2.6 eV (477 nm) and a different overlap of electronic states between double-layer-adsorbed InN and the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface qualitatively indicated that there is an effect of the thickness of adsorbed InN on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface on both photoexcitation and electron injection processes involved in the photoinduced interfacial electron transfer through InN/TiO(2). A more thorough and comprehensive study of different layers of InN adsorbed in all possible different orientations on the TiO(2) anatase (101) surface is presently in progress.     

水热法合成高功率锂离子二次电池用球形Li4Ti5O12负极材料

以球形TiO2和LiOH溶液为反应物,通过水热法合成了尖晶石型Li4Ti5O12,并使用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱、扫描电镜(SEM)和激光粒度分布(PSD)对其结构、形貌和电化学性能进行了表征.结果表明:通过该法得到的产品颗粒大小均匀,粒度分布狭窄,结构与标准Li4Ti5O12谱图一致.实验选定温度下所得的Li4Ti5O12均表现出良好的电化学性能.其中,800°C热处理所得样品的电化学性能最好,室温下,以35mA·g-1的电流密度进行充放电,其可逆容量达到162mAh·g-1,同时这种材料也表现出良好的倍率性能,即使在720mA·g-1的电流密度条件下进行充放电,其可逆容量仍可达到124mAh·g-1.     

Mechanism of lithium intercalation in titanates

First principles calculations of Li insertion in a variety of titanate structures have revealed a common mechanism underlying the intercalation behavior of these materials. The mechanism is based on the accommodation of the electron density donated upon intercalation in particular orbitals of Ti ions and is governed by a strong coupling between the structural and electronic degrees of freedom. A new predictive model is developed which relates the local structure of TiO₂ polymorphs to their phase behavior upon Li intercalation.     

TiO2纳米棒载Pd催化剂的制备及其对甲酸的电催化氧化

利用水热合成和无机溶胶法,分别制备了具有棒状(TiO2-R)和无规则结构(TiO2-I)的锐钛矿相TiO2,并以之为载体制备得到Pd/TiO2电催化剂.循环伏安测试显示,与无规则TiO2相比,具有棒状结构的TiO2载Pd催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化性能提高了70%;计时电流测试显示,运行3000 s后,甲酸在棒状TiO2载Pd催化剂上的氧化电流是无规则TiO2载Pd催化剂的16倍.其原因可能与TiO2纳米棒拥有更好的电子传导性且表面拥有较多的活性含氧基团有关,从而能够有效提高催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化活性和抗毒化性能.     

Efficient fabrication of ZrO2-doped TiO2 hollow nanospheres with enhanced photocatalytic activity of rhodamine B degradation

ZrO(2)-doped TiO(2) hollow nanospheres with anatase phase are efficiently fabricated via functionalized negatively charged polystyrene (PS) spheres without any surfactant or polyelectrolyte. The resulting Ti(1-)(x)Zr(x)O(2) (hereafter denoted as TZ) hollow nanospheres are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), nitrogen sorption, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis). The Zr(4+) incorporation decreases the anatase crystallite size, increases the specific surface area, and changes the pore size distribution. Furthermore, it induces enrichment of electron charge density around Ti(4+) ions and blueshift of absorption edges. The TZ hollow nanospheres doped with moderate ZrO(2) (molar ratio, Ti:Zr=10:1) exhibit better photocatalytic activity than the other samples for the degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous solution, which is correlated with the effect of Zr(4+) doping on the physicochemical properties in terms of surface structures, phase structures, and the electronic structures.     

TiO2纳米粒子包覆聚苯乙烯球的结晶性能与表面光电压特性

TiO2具有很高的光催化活性，同时TiO2纳米粒子具有耐酸碱和耐光化学腐蚀、低成本、无毒等性质，在许多领域引起广泛关注．据报道，TiO2的锐钛矿晶型比金红石晶型具有更好的光催化活性．由于金红石是TiO2的热力学稳定相，而锐钛矿是亚稳相，通常锐钛矿相在550-800℃温度范围内形成金红石相，从而降低其催化活性，限制了其应用．     

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on anatase TiO2 nanoparticle/nanowire composites

Dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated based on the composites of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and single crystalline anatase TiO2 nanowires. Nanoparticle/nanowire composites can possess the advantages of both building blocks, i.e., the high surface area of nanoparticle aggregates and the rapid electron transport rate and the light scattering effect of single-crystalline nanowires. Three different composites were prepared with 5 wt %, 20 wt %, and 77 wt % nanowires, respectively. The performances of composite solar cells were compared with pure nanoparticle cells at a series of film thickness. With low nanowire concentrations (5 wt % and 20 wt %), the composite films maintain similar specific surface area as the pure nanoparticle films, while the composite cells show higher short-circuit current density and open-circuit voltage. An enhancement of power efficiency from 6.7% for pure nanoparticle cells to 8.6% for the composite cell with 20 wt % nanowires has been achieved under 1 Sun AM1.5 illumination (100 mW/cm2). For the composite film with 77 wt % nanowires, the nanowires became the major phase. Their less compact packing resulted in significant decrease of the specific surface area, and thus the current density. However, with the increase of film thickness, the current density showed a continuous increase in the whole thickness range up to 17 microm, indicating the improved electron diffusion length due to the formed nanowire network. The nanowires also helped to preserve crack-free thick films. These results show that employing nanoparticle/nanowire composites represents a promising approach for further improving the efficiencies of sensitized solar cells.     

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.     

Unique Ordered TiO(2) Superstructures with Tunable Morphology and Crystalline Phase for Improved Lithium Storage Properties

Unique ordered TiO(2) superstructures with tunable morphology and crystalline phase were successfully prepared by the use of different counterions. Dumbbell-shaped rutile TiO(2) and nanorod-like rutile mesocrystals constructed from ultrathin nanowires, and quasi-octahedral anatase TiO(2) mesocrystals built from tiny nanoparticle subunits were achieved. Interestingly, the obtained anatase mesocrystals have a fine microporous structure and a large surface area. The influence of the counterions in the reaction system is discussed and possible mechanisms responsible for the formation of the unique ordered TiO(2) superstructures with different morphologies and crystalline phases are also proposed based on a series of experimental results. The obtained TiO(2) superstructures were used as anode materials in lithium ion batteries, and exhibited higher capacity and improved rate performance; this is attributed to the intrinsic characteristics of the mesoscopic TiO(2) superstructures, which have a single-crystal-like and porous nature.     

Effects of material properties on sedimentation and aggregation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles of anatase and rutile in the aqueous phase

This study investigated the sedimentation and aggregation kinetics of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanoparticles with varying material properties (i.e., crystallinity, morphology, and chemical composition). Used in the study were various types of commercially available TiO(2) nanoparticles: three spherical anatase (nominal diameters of 5, 10, and 50 nm) and two rutile nanoparticles (10×40 and 30×40 nm). The 50 nm anatase and 10×40 nm rutile showed higher stability in deionized water and 5 mM NaCl solutions at pH 7 than the 5, and 10 nm anatase nanoparticles in sedimentation experiments. In aggregation experiments, critical coagulation concentration values for the 50 nm anatase were the highest, followed by the 10×40 nm rutile and the 5 nm anatase nanoparticles in NaCl and CaCl(2) solutions. The aggregation kinetics was fitted reasonably well with the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) equations for the TiO(2) nanoparticles tested. Results showed that crystallinity and morphology are not influential factors in determining the stability of TiO(2) nanoparticle suspensions; however, the differences in their chemical compositions, notably, the varying concentrations of impurities (i.e., silicon and phosphorus) in the pristine materials, determined the surface charge and therefore the sedimentation and aggregation of TiO(2) nanoparticles in the aqueous phase.     

UV Raman spectroscopic study on TiO2. I. Phase transformation at the surface and in the bulk

Phase transformation of TiO2 from anatase to rutile is studied by UV Raman spectroscopy excited by 325 and 244 nm lasers, visible Raman spectroscopy excited by 532 nm laser, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV Raman spectroscopy is found to be more sensitive to the surface region of TiO2 than visible Raman spectroscopy and XRD because TiO2 strongly absorbs UV light. The anatase phase is detected by UV Raman spectroscopy for the sample calcined at higher temperatures than when it is detected by visible Raman spectroscopy and XRD. The inconsistency in the results from the above three techniques suggests that the anatase phase of TiO2 at the surface region can remain at relatively higher calcination temperatures than that in the bulk during the phase transformation. The TEM results show that small particles agglomerate into big particles when the TiO2 sample is calcined at elevated temperatures and the agglomeration of the TiO2 particles is along with the phase transformation from anatase to rutile. It is suggested that the rutile phase starts to form at the interfaces between the anatase particles in the agglomerated TiO2 particles; namely, the anatase phase in the inner region of the agglomerated TiO2 particles turns out to change into the rutile phase more easily than that in the outer surface region of the agglomerated TiO2 particles. When the anatase particles of TiO2 are covered with highly dispersed La2O3, the phase transformation in both the bulk and surface regions is significantly retarded, owing to avoiding direct contact of the anatase particles and occupying the surface defect sites of the anatase particles by La2O3.     

Multiple Li positions inside oxygen octahedra in lithiated TiO2 anatase

Intercalation of Li in TiO2 anatase results in a phase separation in a Li-poor and a Li-rich phase. The local lithium configuration in the coexisting crystallographic phases is resolved by detailed analysis of neutron diffraction data. In each of the phases, two distinct positions within the octahedral interstices are found, with a temperature-dependent occupancy. A combination of quasi-elastic neutron scattering and force field molecular dynamics simulations shows that Li is hopping on a picosecond time scale between the two sites in the octahedral interstices. The results also suggest a specific Li arrangement along the crystallographic a direction, albeit without long range order. It is likely that multiple discrete Li sites within a distorted oxygen octahedron occur not only in intercalated TiO2 anatase but also in other (transition metal) oxides.