Enhanced photoactivity of neodymium doped mesoporous titania synthesized through aqueous sol–gel method

Nanosize neodymium doped titania has been prepared by hydrolysis of titanium oxychloride followed by peptisation under acidic condition. The anatase to rutile phase transformation temperature was found to increase by 150 °C as a result of neodymium doping. The doped sample shows 10 times higher surface area than the undoped one after calcining at 700 °C. All the samples calcined at 500, 600 and 700 °C show type IV isotherm, which is characteristic of mesoporous material. The pore size distribution curves also show that the pores are in mesoporous region. Further, the neodymium doped titania shows increased photoactivity than the undoped titania with respect to decomposition of methylene blue when subjected to UV light. The transmission electron micrograph indicates that a nanocrystalline doped titania is obtained through the present method. The effect of neodymium doping on the anatase phase stability, specific surface area and photoactivity are reported.     

The influence of concentration of doping elements on anatase–rutile transformation at the synthesis of rutile pigments (Ti,Cr,Nb)O2 and their pigmentary properties

An analysis of the effects of dopants concentration and different starting titanium compounds on the anatase to rutile phase transformation at the synthesis of rutile pigments Ti_1?3xCr_xNb_2xO_2±δ is presented in this study. The main goal was to analyze reaction mixtures for x = 0.05 (previous study) and 0.30 by simultaneous TG–DTA analysis and to determine the temperature of anatase–rutile transition. For x = 0.05, initial temperatures 760–830 °C are needful for a formation of rutile structure. The temperature is the lowest for the hydrated Na₂Ti₄O₉ paste (760 °C) and similar for other starting compounds of titanium. But for x = 0.30, the anatase–rutile transition begins at higher temperatures 910–1,030 °C because of high-Nb content, which is the inhibitor of this modification change. In addition, we found the influence of calcination temperatures (850, 900, 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, and 1150 °C) on color properties and particle size distribution of these materials prepared from anatase TiO₂ and with x = 0.30. Selected pigments were also analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction.     

Aqueous colloidal sol–gel route to synthesize nanosized ceria-doped titania having high surface area and increased anatase phase stability

Nanocrystalline sol–gel derived titania doped with ceria (1, 2, 5 and 10-mole%) has been prepared from titanyl oxysulphate. The titania doped with 5-mole% CeO₂ after calcining to 500 °C, possesses specific surface area of 97 m² g⁻¹ and has anatase phase stability up to 900 °C. Moreover it retains a surface area of 37 m² g⁻¹ at 700 °C. In comparison, the undoped calcined material has anatase stability only up to 700 °C and specific surface area only 48 m² g^-1 and 6 m² g^-1 at 500 °C and 700 °C, respectively. The diffuse reflectance spectra show that, as the cerium content increases, the absorption undergoes a red shift and reaches the visible range. The exceptionally high phase stability, crystallinity and high surface area are due to the extremely fine particle size and effective doping achieved by the specific synthesis method. The results based on X-ray diffraction, specific surface area and diffuse reflectance spectra indicated that the maximum threshold limit of doping is up to a value of 5-mole%.     

Effect of annealing temperature on titania thin films prepared by spin coating

Essentially fully dense titania thin films were spin coated on fused quartz substrates under identical conditions and subjected to annealing over the range 750°–900°C. The films were of a consistent ~400 nm thickness. The anatase → rutile phase transformation temperature was between 750°C and 800°C, with first-order kinetics; annealing at 900°C yielded single-phase rutile. Silicon contamination from the fused quartz substrate was considered to be critical since it suppressed both titania grain growth (maintaining constant grain size) and the phase transformation (occurring at an unusually high temperature); its presence also was considered to be responsible for the formation of lattice defects, which decreased the transmittances and the band gaps.     

掺锌的TiO2纳米粉的结构相变及发光性质

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了掺锌的TiO₂纳米粉末,并用XRD、TEM、TG和DSC等技术考察了掺入的锌对TiO₂的锐钛矿→金红石结构相变的影响.研究结果表明,锌的掺入可促进TiO₂的结构相变,使相变温度显著降低.纳米态TiO₂存在室温光致发光现象,在TiO₂的纳米粉中掺入适量的锌,可显著增强体系的发光强度.     

Aerosol-assisted fabrication of mesoporous titania spheres with crystallized anatase structures and investigation of their photocatalitic properties

We demonstrate practical aerosol-assisted approach to synthesize spherical mesoporous titania particles with high surface areas. Scanning electron microscopy observation of the spray-dried products clearly shows spherical morphology. To remove surfactants and enhance crystallinity, the spray-dried products are calcined under various temperatures. The crystalline structures inside the particles are carefully detected by wide-angle XRD measurements. With increase of the calcination temperatures, anatase crystal growth proceeds and transformation from anatase to rutile is occurred. The effect of various calcination temperatures on the mesostructures is also studied by using N₂ adsorption desorption isotherms. The mesoporous titania particles calcined at 350, 400, and 500 °C exhibit type IV isotherms with a capillary condensation step and shows a hysteresis loop, which is a characteristic of mesoporous materials. The reduction in the surface areas and the pore volumes is confirmed by increasing the calcination temperatures, while the average pore diameters are increased gradually. This is attributed to the distortion of the mesostructures due to the grain growth of the anatase phase and the transformation to the rutile phase during the calcination process. As a preliminary experimental photocatalytic activity, oxidative decomposition of acetaldehyde under UV irradiation is examined. The mesoporous titania calcined at 400 °C shows the highest photocatalytic activity, due to both high surface area and well-developed anatase crystalline phase.     

High temperature stability and photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline anatase powders with Zr and Si co-dopants

TiO₂ nanopowders doped by Si and Zr were prepared by sol–gel method. The effects of Si and Zr doping on the structural, optical, and photo-catalytic properties of titania nanopowders have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. XRD results suggest that adding impurities has a significant effect on anatase phase stability, crystallinity, and particle size of TiO₂. Titania rutile phase formation in ternary system (Ti–Si–Zr) was inhibited by Zr⁴⁺ and Si⁴⁺ co-doped TiO₂ in high temperatures (500–900 °C) and 36 mol% anatase composition is retained even after calcination at 1,000 °C. The photocatalyst activity was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation kinetics of aqueous methylen orange under visible radiation. The results show that the photocatalytic activity of the 20 %Si and 15 %Zr co-doped TiO₂ nanopowders have a larger degradation efficiency than pure TiO₂ under visible light.     

Electronic Structure and Size of TiO2 Nanoparticles of Controlled Size Prepared by Aerosol Methods

Summary.  A complete characterization of nanostructures has to deal both with electronic structure and dimensions. Here we present the characterization of TiO₂ nanoparticles of controlled size prepared by aerosol methods. The electronic structure of these nanoparticles was probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), the particle size by atomic force microscopy (AFM). XAS spectra show that the particles crystallize in the anatase phase upon heating at 500°C, whereas further annealing at 700°C give crystallites of 70% anatase and 30% rutile phases. Raising the temperature to 900°C results in a complete transformation of the particles to rutile. AFM images reveal that the mean size of the anatase particles formed upon heating at 500°C is 30 nm, whereas for the rutile particles formed upon annealing at 900°C 90 nm were found. The results obtained by these techniques agree with XRD data. Received October 5, 2001. Accepted (revised) December 6, 2001     

Synthesis of W‐doped TiO2 by low‐temperature hydrolysis: Effects of annealing temperature and doping content on the surface microstructure and photocatalytic activity

A series of tungsten‐doped Titania photocatalysts were synthesized using a low‐temperature method. The effects of dopant concentration and annealing temperature on the phase transitions, crystallinity, electronic, optical, and photocatalytic properties of the resulting material were studied. The X‐ray patterns revealed that the doping delays the transition of anatase to rutile to a high temperature. A new phase W_yTi_1‐yO₂ appeared for 5.00 wt% W‐TiO₂ annealed at 900 °C. Raman and diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectroscopy showed that band gap values decreased slightly up to 700 °C. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that surface species viz. Ti³⁺, Ti⁴⁺, O^2?, oxygen‐vacancies, and adsorbed OH groups vary depending on the preparation conditions. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the degradation of methylene blue using LED white light. The degradation rate was affected by the percentage of dopants. The best photocatalytic activity was achieved with the sample labeled 5.00 wt% W‐TiO₂ annealed at 700 °C.     

Effects of Ti Addition on Alumina/Titania Composite Aerogels Synthesized by Sol–Gel Process and Supercritical Ethanol Drying

Alumina/titania composite aerogels with different titania contents were synthesized by the sol–gel process and supercritical ethanol drying. The structures and morphologies of synthesized aerogels were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and N₂ adsorption–desorption tests. Supercritical ethanol drying induced the crystallization of titania, which prompted the transformation of the structure from pseudoboehmite to γ‐Al₂O₃ . Reversely, alumina retarded the anatase‐to‐rutile transformation of titania. The content of titania significantly affected the structure and morphology of alumina/titania composite aerogels. A high content of titania (≥40%) resulted in the phase separation of titania particles, which grew to form the anatase phase octahedral particles with well‐developed facets. When the titania content was low, titania particles could be homogeneously dispersed in alumina particles to form spherical clusters with the poor crystallinity. Titania particles were in the anatase phase, and no rutile phase was formed until the temperature rose to 1000°C. In addition, titania addition resulted in a decrease in the specific surface area (SSA) of alumina aerogels because the SSA of titania was lower than that of alumina aerogels.     

Synthesis and characterization of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> doping with rare earths by sol–gel method: photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation

The enhancement of TiO₂ photocatalyst activity will lead to more practical applications of this technology. In this work we studied the effect of rare earth doping of sol–gel synthesized TiO₂ for phenol degradation and we compared the performance with commercial catalyst. Photocatalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption to determine textural properties, ultraviolet visible light diffuse reflectance spectrometry (UV-Vis DRS), X-ray diffraction, STEM-EDS (scanning transmission electronic microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Main phase for materials calcined at 500 °C was anatase. Residual nitrogen from NH₄OH used in the sol–gel synthesis was identified by XPS analysis. Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ratio increased when TiO₂ was doped with 0.5 wt% of Ce. Anatase phase was stabilized in photocatalysts doped with La even after calcination at 800 °C, for Pr and Nd a mixture of anatase-rutile phases was obtained, whereas for Ce doping only rutile phase was found. For the photocatalytic oxidation of phenol, the best results were obtained for Ce doped TiO₂, which could be related to the ability of Ce^IV/Ce^III oxidation/reduction cycle.     

XAS investigation of tantalum and niobium in nanostructured TiO2 anatase

Sol-gel routes were used to prepare Ta 10 at% and Nb 5 at% and 10 at% doped titania nanosized powders. When fired between 410°C and 850°C the doped titania powders are in the anatase phase; further heating up to 1050°C is required to obtain the rutile phase. The presence of dopant atoms delays the rate of transformation as compared with pure titania powders. Doping also affects the rate of grain growth and increases the conductance response to gas. To better understand the role played by dopant atoms in inhibiting both phase transformation to rutile and grain growth, X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy measurements were performed at the L_III-L_I absorption edges of Ta and Nb K absorption edge. Analysis was restricted to the anatase phase because the transformation to rutile phase, obtained by firing at 1050°C, is accompanied by the formation of undesired Ta and Nb oxides (Ta₂O₅ and Nb₂TiO₇, respectively). Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure and X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy analysis results indicate that in nanostructured anatase both tantalum and niobium atoms substitute Ti cations with +5 valence state.     

Preparation and Characterization of Peroxo Titanic Acid Solution Using TiCl3

The peroxo titanic acid solution was successfully prepared using titanium trichloride as a precursor. The basic properties of the TiO₂ film prepared by the solution were investigated in view of phase change, bandgap energy, crystalline size etc. The film displayed amorphous TiO₂ at room temperature, anatase above 281°C and a mixture of anatase and rutile at 990°C. The crystalline size increases with annealing temperatures, while the bandgap energies decrease due to the quantum size effect and the formation of rutile phase which has low bandgap energy. As a result of TG-DTA, it was found that annealing treatment at 990°C for 2 h formed a mixture of anatase and rutile through three steps: (1) the removal of physically adsorbed water (2) the decomposition of peroxo group (3) amorphous-anatase or anatase-rutile phase transformation.     

Comparison of rhodamine B degradation under UV irradiation by two phases of titania nano-photocatalyst

Titania (TiO₂) nano-photocatalysts, with different phases, prepared using a modified sol?Cgel process were employed in the degradation of rhodamine at 10?mg?L^?1 concentration. The degradation efficiency of these nano-photocatalysts was compared to that of commercial Degussa P25 titania. It was found that the nanocatalysts calcined at 450?°C and the Degussa P25 titania had similar photoreactivity profiles. The commercial Degussa P25 nanocatalysts had an overall high apparent rate constant of (K _app) of 0.023?min^?1. The other nanocatalyst had the following rate constants: 0.017, 0.0089, 0.003 and 0.0024?min^?1 for 450, 500, 550 and 600?°C calcined catalysts, respectively. This could be attributed to the phase of the titania as the anatase phase is highly photoactive than the other phases. Furthermore, characterisation by differential scanning calorimetry showed the transformation of titania from amorphous to anatase and finally to rutile phase. SEM and TEM characterisations were used to study the surface morphology and internal structure of the nanoparticles. BET results show that as the temperature of calcinations was raised, the surface area reduced marginally. X-ray diffraction was used to confirm the different phases of titania. This study has led to a conclusion that the anatase phase of the titania is the most photoactive nanocatalyst. It also had the highest apparent rate constant of 0.017?min^?1, which is similar to that of the commercial titania.     

Synthesis and characterization of nano titania powder with high photoactivity for gas-phase photo-oxidation of benzene from TiOCl(2) aqueous solution at low temperatures

Nano rutile, anatase, and bicrystalline (anatase + brookite) titania powders with an average crystal size of below 10 nm are prepared from aqueous TiOCl(2) solution at low temperatures by adjusting pH values of the starting solution and adding different additives. Adding a small amount of octyl phenol poly(ethylene oxide) into aqueous TiOCl(2) solution leads to the change of particle morphologies of obtained nano titania from needlelike to nano spherical rutile crystals. Amorphous-anatase transformation of titania could proceed in liquid-solid reaction at low temperatures, even at room temperature. A formation mechanism of rutile, anatase, and brookite titania was proposed. It is found that H(+) or H(3)O(+) plays a catalytic role in the phase transformation from amorphous to anatase titania and that the presence of a small amount of SO(4)(2)(-) ion is unfavorable to the formation of both rutile and brookite. By carefully adjusting preparation conditions, nano pure anatase with higher surface area, good crystallinity, and a lower recombination rate of photoexcited electrons and holes was obtained. This nano pure anatase showed a very good photocatalytic activity for gas-phase photo-oxidation of benzene.     

液相一步合成金红石型超细TiO2

二氧化钛在自然界中存在三种结晶形态:金红石型、锐钛矿型和板钛矿型.金红石型TiO₂因其折射率高,性能优越,因而得到广泛的应用^[1～3].传统金红石型TiO₂的制备需经高温固相反应,经历由无定形→锐钛矿→金红石的转化过程.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Microporous Titania Membranes

A procedure for the preparation of microporous titania membranes by the polymeric sol-gel technique is reported. The influence of acid/titanium ratio, water/titanium ratio, method of mixing components and refluxing time on particle size and sol stability was investigated. The thermal evolution, structural characteristics and liquid permeation properties of calcined materials were studied. Highly reproducible amorphous microporous titania layers with pore sizes ≤0.8 nm were obtained on both mesoporous γ-alumina and titania/zirconia coated substrates. The upper limit of thermal stability of the amorphous phase is ～300°C. Higher calcination temperatures led to phase transformation into anatase, which was accompanied by a collapse of the microstructure. The material was found to be chemically stable in a wide pH interval.     

Thermal and hydrothermal stability of flame hydrolytically synthesized SiO2/TiO2 mixed oxides

The phase stability of the two TiO₂ modifications (anatase and rutile) in fumed SiO₂/TiO₂ nano-composites (0–24.8 wt-% silica) under thermal and hydrothermal conditions was investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and gas adsorption methods (BET). The results show that the phase transformation from anatase to rutile type of structure and the growth of anatase crystallites are significantly retarded by mixing small amounts of SiO₂ into TiO₂, while the specific surface area is maintained. The SiO₂/TiO₂-composites reveal a remarkable shift in the anatase to rutile transformation temperature from approx. 500 °C (pure TiO₂) to approx. 1000 °C (samples with SiO₂ contents of more than 10%). The rate of phase transformation from anatase to rutile is enhanced under hydrothermal conditions compared to conventional thermal treatment, e.g. pure titania (AEROXIDE^® TiO₂ P25) annealed under hydrothermal conditions (100 g/m³ absolute humidity, 4 h at 600 °C) had a rutile content of 85%, while the same specimens annealed in absence of humidity contained only 46% rutile. However, the difference in rate of phase transformation became less pronounced when the silica content in SiO₂/TiO₂-composites was further increased.TEM results showed that the surface of the anatase crystallites was covered with silica. This averts coalescence of anatase crystallites and keeps them under a critical size during the annealing process. When the crystal domains grew larger, a rapid conversion to rutile took place. The critical size of anatase crystallites for the phase transformation was estimated to be 15–20 nm.     

The effect of annealing temperatures on surface properties,hydroxyapatite growth and cell behaviors of TiO2 nanotubes

Well‐ordered TiO₂ nanotubes were prepared by the electrochemical anodization of titanium in an ethylene glycol electrolyte containing 1 wt% NH₄F and 10 wt% H₂O at 20 V for 20 min, followed by annealing. The surface morphology and crystal structure of the samples were examined as a function of the annealing temperature by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Crystallization of the nanotubes to the anatase phase occurred at 450 °C, while rutile formation was observed at 600 °C. Disintegration of the nanotubes was observed at 600 °C and the structure vanished completely at 750 °C. Electrochemical corrosion studies showed that the annealed nanotubes exhibited higher corrosion resistance than the as‐formed nanotubes. The growth of hydroxyapatite on the different TiO₂ nanotubes was also investigated by soaking them in simulated body fluid (SBF). The results indicated that the tubes annealed to a mixture of anatase and rutile was clearly more efficient than that in their amorphous or plain anatase state. The in vitro cell response in terms of cell morphology and proliferation was evaluated using osteoblast cells. The highest cell activity was observed on the TiO₂ nanotubes annealed at 600 °C. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of crystal phase in determining photocatalytic activity of nitrogen doped TiO2

Two series of nitrogen doped TiO(2) samples with different ratios of anatase to rutile phases were prepared by milling the mixture of P25 TiO(2) and C(6)H(12)N(4) in air and gaseous NH(3) atmosphere, respectively. Compared to air, NH(3) atmosphere plays an important role in delaying the crystallite transformation from anatase to rutile in the mechanochemical reaction of TiO(2) and C(6)H(12)N(4). In contrast to the previously reported results for pure TiO(2), it is found that nitrogen doped TiO(2) with higher content of rutile phase demonstrates higher photocatalytic activity in photodegrading pollutant Rhodamine B under both UV light and visible light irradiation (lambda>420 nm), and the amount of the surface-adsorbed water and hydroxyl groups on nitrogen doped TiO(2) have little correlations with their crystallite phases (anatase or rutile) and photocatalytic activity. The more abundant surface states characterized by photoluminescence spectroscopy together with the lowered valence band maximum of rutile TiO(2) by nitrogen doping are considered as the key factors for the higher activity of nitrogen doped TiO(2) with higher content of rutile phase.