In situ coating of flame-made TiO2 particles with nanothin SiO2 films

Rutile TiO2 particles made by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) were coated in a single step with SiO2 layers in an enclosed flame reactor. This in situ particle coating was accomplished by a hollow ring delivering hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) vapor (precursor to SiO2) through multiple jets in swirl cross-flow to Al-doped nanostructured rutile TiO2 aerosol freshly made by FSP of a solution of titanium tetraisopropoxide and aluminum sec-butoxide in xylene. The as-prepared powders were characterized by (scanning) transmission electron microscopy (STEM and TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, electrophoretic mobility, DC plasma optical emission (DCP-OES), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The coating quality was assessed further by the photocatalytic oxidation of isopropyl alcohol to acetone. The effect of HMDSO injection point and vapor concentration on product particle morphology was investigated. The titania particles were uniformly SiO2-coated with controlled and uniform thickness at a production rate of about 30 g h(-1) and exhibited limited, if any, photoactivity. In contrast, spraying and combusting equivalent mixtures of the above Si/Al/Ti precursors in the above reactor (without delivering HMDSO through the hollow ring) resulted in particles segregated in amorphous (SiO2) and crystalline (TiO2) domains which exhibited high photocatalytic activity.     

Control of silica shell thickness and microporosity of titania-silica core-shell type nanoparticles to depress the photocatalytic activity of titania

Titania is of potential interest as an ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking material in personal care products because of its excellent UV light absorption properties. Its high photocatalytic activity, however, facilitates the generation of reactive oxygen species, which can oxidize and degrade other ingredients during its formulation, raising safety concerns. Dense coating of titania nanoparticles with a silica layer could help in depression of their photocatalytic activity by disturbing the formation of radicals produced by the reaction of oxygen and/or water with the electron-hole pair. Depression of the high photocatalytic activity of titania necessitates that the silica shell has to be thick, with minimum microporosity. Coating parameters were optimized to attain greater amounts of precipitated silica and thicker shells with lower microporosity, which in turn resulted in great depression of photocatalytic activity. Silica-coated titania nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, XPS, FT-IR, EDX, and microporosity measurements. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the coated powder to investigate the efficiency of the silica coating as well.     

Hierarchical,Titania‐Coated,Carbon Nanofibrous Material Derived from a Natural Cellulosic Substance

Hierarchical, titania‐coated, nanofibrous, carbon hybrid materials were fabricated by employing natural cellulosic substances (commercial filter paper) as a scaffold and carbon precursor. Ultrathin titania films were firstly deposited by means of a surface sol–gel process to coat each nanofiber in the filter paper, and successive calcination treatment under nitrogen atmosphere yielded the titania–carbon composite possessing the hierarchical morphologies and structures of the initial paper. The ultrathin titania coating hindered the coalescence effect of the carbon species that formed during the carbonization process of cellulose, and the original cellulose nanofibers were converted into porous carbon nanofibers (diameters from tens to hundreds of nanometers, with 3–6 nm pores) that were coated with uniform anatase titania thin films (thickness ≈12 nm, composed of anatase nanocrystals with sizes of ≈4.5 nm). This titania‐coated, nanofibrous, carbon material possesses a specific surface area of 404 m² g^?1, which is two orders of magnitude higher than the titania–cellulose hybrid prepared by atomic layer deposition of titania on the cellulose fibers of filter paper. The photocatalytic activity of the titania–carbon composite was evaluated by the improved photodegradation efficiency of different dyes in aqueous solutions under high‐pressure, fluorescent mercury‐lamp irradiation, as well as the effective photoreduction performance of silver cations to silver nanoparticles with ultraviolet irradiation.     

On-line tracking of the coating of nanoscaled silica with titania nanoparticles via zeta-potential measurements

Nanoscaled spherical silica particles were directly coated with the titania nanoparticles by means of a heterogenic coagulation. Silica was prepared by the Stöber method, titania by a hydrolysis–condensation reaction of tetrapropylorthotitanate under acidic conditions. The on-line tracking of the coating process was performed by measuring the change in zeta potential during the gradual addition of a titania sol to the spherical silica particles. Silica particles of various sizes were used to determine the consumption of the titania sol in the dependence upon the particle size. The coated and uncoated particles were characterized by zeta-potential measurements, acoustic attenuation spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and scanning electron microscopy.     

Characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles surface modified with aluminum stearate

This paper uses measurements of adsorption and vibrational spectra (DRIFTS, ATR, and Raman) to characterize TiO2 (rutile) nanoparticles that have been surface treated with aluminum and stearate, "aluminum stearate". From these measurements, we have developed a model of titania particles covered by patches of "alumina". Vibrational spectra, particularly the spectra of the carboxylate headgroups, show that the stearate then adsorbs on both the titania and the alumina. Surprisingly, the distribution of the stearate between alumina and titania is sensitive to the presence of water. As the water content decreases, the relative amounts of stearate on titania, rather than alumina, increase, and this increase is accompanied by a less ordered structuring of the stearate tails, as evidenced by a shift of the C-H stretching bands to higher frequencies and a broadening of the 1296 cm(-1) Raman band. This effect is consistent with earlier observations that the presence of water reduced the bonding of stearate headgroups to the surface of titania. We have also shown that the dispersion in C12-C15 alkyl benzoate of aluminum stearate coated titania is sensitive to the presence of small amounts, approximately 4%, of water. Finally, we have demonstrated that surface stearate, like surface alumina, reduces the rate of phototocatalytic oxidation of 2-propanol. A 7% stearate coating reduces acetone formation by a factor of 4. There is no evidence from these studies that, during the oxidation experiment, 2-propanol displaces stearate from the titania surface.     

Synthesis of nanostructured magnetic photocatalyst by colloidal approach and spray-drying technique

Nanostructured particles with a magnetic core and a photocatalytic shell are very interesting systems for their properties to be magnetically separable (and so reusable) in photocatalytic water depuration implant. Here, a robust, low time-consuming, easily scale up method to produce Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/TiO₂ hierarchical nanostructures starting from commercial precursors (i.e. Fe₃O₄, SiO₂) by employing a colloidal approach (i.e. heterocoagulation) coupled with the spray-drying technique is presented. In particular, a self-assembled layer-by-layer methodology based on the coagulation of dissimilar colloidal particles was applied. First, a passive layer of silica (SiO₂, amorphous) was created on magnetite in order to avoid detrimental phenomena arising from the direct contact between magnetite and titania, then the deposition of titania onto silica-coated-magnetite was promoted. TiO₂, SiO₂ and Fe₃O₄ nanosols were characterized in terms of zeta potential, optimized and a self-assembled layer-by-layer approach was followed in order to promote the heterocoagulation of silica onto magnetite surface and of titania onto silica coated magnetite. Once optimized the colloidal route, the mixture was then spray-dried to obtain a granulated powder with nano-scale reactivity, easier to handle and re-disperse in comparison to starting nanopowders with the same surface properties. The nanostructured particles have been characterized by different techniques such as SEM, TEM, XDR and their magnetic properties have been investigated. Moreover, preliminary photocatalytic texts have been performed.     

Close-packed colloidal crystalline arrays composed of polystyrene latex coated with titania nanosheets

We have demonstrated that polystyrene latex coated with titania nanosheets can be fabricated into a close-packed colloidal crystalline array, and that these coated colloidal spheres can be used to control the peak position of optical stop bands through the coating. The titania-nanosheets-coated polystyrene latex was prepared by the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly coating process, involving alternating lamination of cationic polyelectrolytes and anionic titania nanosheets on monodisperse polystyrene latex particles. The Bragg diffraction peak of the colloidal crystalline array shifted to longer wavelengths with the coating of titania nanosheets. This red shift was caused by an increase in refractive index upon coating, as revealed by angle-resolved reflection spectra measurements. The current work suggests new possibilities for the creation of advanced colloidal crystals having tunable optical properties from tailored colloidal spheres.     

Synthesis of titania-supported platinum catalyst: the effect of pH on morphology control and valence state during photodeposition

Solid-supported metal catalysts have been widely used in industrial processes. The morphology of coated metal on the support is usually an important factor affecting the efficiency of the catalyst. In this study, a photocatalytic process is utilized to control the morphology of platinum particles deposited on titania (Degussa P-25). More specifically, the effect of pH on the morphology and the valence state of platinum nanoparticles was systemically investigated. It is found that, via a simple pH-controlled process, various states of platinum (Pt0, PtIIO, or PtIVO2) can be deposited onto the support directly at will. In this paper, the mechanism of morphology control and the key influencing factors at different pH regimes will be discussed. Followed by photodeposition, a H2 thermal treatment process was employed to convert the oxides into metal platinum with narrow size distribution and even coverage on the supporting titania. Various techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to characterize the prepared titania-supported platinum particles.     

Close-packed colloidal crystalline arrays composed of silica spheres coated with titania

Titania coated monodisperse silica spheres have been synthesized and fabricated as a close-packed colloidal crystalline array. We have demonstrated that the coated colloidal sphere can be used to control the peak position of the optical stop band through variation of the coating thickness. The titania coated silica spheres were prepared by the layer-by-layer assembly coating process, which reciprocally laminates the cationic polyelectrolyte and the anionic titania nanosheets on a monodisperse silica spheres, and were sintered to change the titania nanosheets to anatase. The Bragg diffraction peak of the colloidal crystalline array shifted to the long wavelength region with an increase of thickness of the titania layer. Angle-resolved reflection spectra measurements clarified that the red shift was caused by increasing of the refractive index with increase of the thickness of the layer. The current work suggests new possibilities for the creation of advanced colloidal crystalline arrays with tunable optical properties from tailored colloidal spheres.     

Ag／TiO2复合纳米催化剂的制备和表征及其光催化活性

 采用光还原沉积贵金属法，制备了Ag／TiO2复合纳米催化剂．通过调节溶液的pH值控制TiO2表面负载银的形貌，利用AAS，XRD，TEM和XPS等手段对样品进行了表征．以苯胺氧化为模型反应，考察了Ag／TiO2复合纳米催化剂样品的光催化活性以及银沉积量和沉积形貌对催化剂活性的影响．结果表明，通过调控光还原沉积条件，可在平均粒径为24nm左右的TiO2颗粒上获得3nm左右均匀分散的银粒子；在TiO2上沉积适量的具有较高分散度的金属Ag，能有效提高TiO2对苯胺氧化反应的光催化活性．     

Open tubular CE for in vitro oxidation studies of human very-low-density lipoprotein particles

Human very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles were immobilised on the inner wall of electrochromatographic fused-silica capillaries, and the applicability of these capillary columns in oxidation studies was investigated. Capillaries coated with radiolabelled VLDL particles showed a coating efficiency of 97%, and allowed estimation of the amount of VLDL present in a capillary. Radioactivity measurements and atomic force microscopy with tapping mode confirmed the presence of VLDL particles as a monolayer. The pI determined for the VLDL was 4.7-4.8 varying with the human source. The effects of VLDL concentration, coating time and pH on the coating stability were clarified, and the stability was examined in terms of the repeatability of EOF and retention factors of selected steroids. The repeatability of run-to-run and the coating-to-coating reproducibility ranged from 2.6 to 4.9% and 3.2 to 6.6%, respectively. The lifetime of a coating was at least 7 days or 84 consecutive runs. The in situ copper-mediated VLDL oxidation carried out in the capillary with optimised VLDL coating showed that, during the oxidation of VLDL particles, the negative charges of the particles are increased, leading to enhanced EOF mobilities. Several oxidation parameters, including copper sulfate concentration, amount of EDTA needed to stop the reaction, pH and the oxidation procedure, were examined. Effect of the oxidation process on the stability of the coating in one capillary, and in five different capillaries ranged between 0.4-4.1% and 0.8-6.6%, respectively. The in situ oxidation of VLDL particles was compared with that of low-density lipoproteins.     

Photocatalytic coatings for environmental applications

A series of nano- and micronparticle-grade anatase and rutile titanium dioxide pigments have been prepared with various densities of surface treatments, particle size and surface area. Their photocatalytic activites have been determined in a series of paint films by FTIR, chalking, color, gloss change and weight loss after artifical weathering. The pigments have also been examined by rapid assessment methodologies using photodielectric microwave spectroscopy, 2-propanol oxidation and hydroxyl analysis. The microwave response under light and dark cycles provides an extended timescale probe of charge-carrier dynamics in the pigments. Pigment particle size, surface area and properties clearly play an important role in dispersion and any polymer-pigment interactions. Photooxidation studies on several types of paint films show a clear demarcation between nanoparticle- and pigmentary-grade titanium dioxide, with the former being more active because of their greater degree of catalytic surface activity. The photosensitivity of titanium dioxide is considered to arise from localized sites on the crystal surface (i.e. acidic OH), and occupation of these sites by surface treatments inhibits photoreduction of the pigment by ultraviolet radiation; hence, the destructive oxidation of the binder is inhibited. Coatings containing 2-5% by weight alumina or alumina and silica are satisfactory for general-purpose paints. If greater resistance to weathering is desired, the pigments are coated more heavily to about 7-10% weight. The coating can consist of a combination of several materials, e.g. alumina, silica, zirconia, aluminum phosphates of other metals. For example, the presence of hydrous alumina particles lowers van der Waals forces between pigments particles by several orders of magnitude, decreasing particle-particle attractions. Hydrous aluminum oxide phases appear to improve dispersibility more effectively than most of the other hydroxides and oxides. Coated nanoparticles are shown to exhibit effective light stabilization in various water- and oil-based paint media in comparison with conventional organic stabilizers. Hindered piperidine stabilizers are shown to provide no additional benefits in this regard, often exhibiting strong antagonism. The use of photocatalytic titania nanoparticles in the development of self-cleaning paints and microbiological surfaces is also demonstrated in this study. In the former case, surface erosion is shown to be controlled by varying the ratio of admixture of durable pigmentary-grade rutile (heavily coated) and a catalytic-grade anatase nanoparticle. For environmental applications in the development of coatings for destroying atmospheric pollutants such as nitrogen oxide gases (NO(X)), stable substrates are developed with photocatalytic nanoparticle-grade anatase. In this study, porosity of the coatings through calcium carbonate doping is shown to be crucial in the control of the effective destruction of atmospheric NO(X) gases. For the development of microbiological substrates for the destruction of harmful bacteria, effective nanoparticle anatase titania is shown to be important, with hydrated high surface area particles giving the greatest activity.     

Photocatalytic properties of titania nanostructured films fabricated from Titania nanosheets

We examined the photochemical properties of well-ordered multilayer films of titania nanosheets prepared on quartz-glass substrate using the layer-by-layer deposition method. The photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous 2-propanol and bleaching of Methylene Blue dye under UV light illumination were measured to evaluate the photocatalytic oxidation ability. Photoinduced hydrophilicity was also studied by measuring the contact angle of water droplets on the film. The results indicated that titania nanosheets had good photoinduced hydrophilicity. The monolayer film of titania nanosheets showed almost identical activity compared with well investigated sol-gel derived anatase TiO(2) film, while its photocatalytic oxidation activity was low by more than an order of magnitude. This fact suggests that photoinduced hydrophilicity could not be explained simply in terms of the photocatalytic removal of hydrophobic organic species adsorbed on the surface. The photocatalytic oxidation activity and the photoinduced hydrophilic conversion rate decreased with increasing number of nanosheet layers, suggesting that photogenerated carriers produced in the internal part of the multilayer films can hardly diffuse to the surface layer. Photochemical properties of ultrathin anatase films obtained simply by heating the titania nanosheet films were evaluated as well, and also revealed high photoinduced hydrophilicity.     

Fabrication of hollow titania microspheres with tailored shell thickness

Submicron hollow spheres are an interesting class of materials that receive significant attention nowadays. Closed and mechanically robust homogeneous hollow titania microspheres with as much shell thickness as 130 nm were fabricated by coating polystyrene beads with titania nanoparticles using sol–gel chemistry and subsequently removing the core either via heating or a chemical dissolution process. The thickness of the titania shell deposited on polystyrene core was finely tuned between 100 and 130 nm by varying the concentration of titania precursor, i.e., Ti(OEt)₄ salt from 0.5 to 2 mM during the coating process. The obtained hybrid core–shell particles and hollow microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The approach employed is well suited to the preparation of titania-coated polystyrene hybrid particles and hollow titania spheres, which can find their applications as novel building blocks with unique optical properties for fabrication of advanced materials, catalyst, and drug delivery system.     

Preparation of nearly monodisperse multiply coated submicrospheres with a high refractive index

Nearly monodisperse SiO2/TiO2/SiO2 multiply coated submicrospheres with nearly monodisperse silica submicrospheres as cores, thick titania layers, and thin silica skin were prepared to increase the refractive index of complex submicrospheres while keeping their near monodispersity and perfect surface properties. Nearly monodisperse colloidal silica submicrospheres as cores with a diameter of 200 nm were synthesized by a seeding technique on the basis of the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in an aqueous ethanol solution with ammonia as catalyst. On the basis of the hydrolysis of tetrabutyl orthotitanate, a procedure combining continuous feeding with multistep coating was determined to prepare titania coatings about 40 nm thick and increase the refractive index of the complex submicrospheres. The hydrolysis of TEOS was still used to get the outmost silica coating about 10 nm thick on titania coated silica submicrospheres to eliminate random aggregation caused by the TiO2 surface properties of the TiO2/SiO2 complex submicrospheres during the final fabrication of photonic crystals.     

Fabrication of hydroxyl group modified monodispersed hybrid silica particles and the h-SiO(2)/TiO(2) core/shell microspheres as high performance photocatalyst for dye degradation

The monodisperse hybrid silica particles (h-SiO(2)) were firstly prepared by a modified sol-gel process and the surface was modified in situ with double bonds, then abundant carboxyl moieties were introduced onto the surface of the silica core via thiol-ene click reaction. Afterward, the h-SiO(2)/TiO(2) core/shell microspheres were prepared by hydrolysis of titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) via sol-gel process in mixed ethanol/acetonitrile solvent, in which the activity of TBOT could be easily controlled. The carboxyl groups on the surface of silica particles promote the formation of a dense and smooth titania layer under well control, and the layer thickness of titania could be tuned from 12 to 100nm. The well-defined h-SiO(2)/TiO(2) core/shell structures have been confirmed by electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies. After calcination at 500°C for 2h, the amorphous TiO(2) layer turned into anatase titania. These anatase titania-coated silica particles showed good photocatalytic performance in degradation of methyl orange aqueous solution under UV light.     

Molecular selective photocatalysis by TiO2/nanoporous silica core/shell particulates

The coating of TiO(2) particles (P25) by a nanoporous silica layer was conducted to impart molecular recognitive photocatalytic ability. TiO(2)/nanoporous silica core/shell particles with varied pore diameters of the shell were synthesized by the reaction of P25 with an aqueous mixture of tetraethoxysilane and alkyltrimethylammonium chloride with varied alkyl chain lengths, followed by calcination. The TEM and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms of the products showed that a nanoporous silica shell with a thickness of ca. 2nm and controlled pore diameter (1.2, 1.6, and 2.7 nm) was deposited on the titania particle when surfactants with different alkyl chain lengths (C12, C16 and C22) were used. The water vapor adsorption/desorption isotherms of the core/shell particles revealed that a larger amount of water adsorbed on the core/shell particles when the pore diameter is larger. The (29)Si MAS NMR spectra of the core/shell particles showed that the amount of surface silanol groups was independent of the water vapor adsorption capacity of the products. The possible molecular recognitive photocatalysis on the products was investigated under UV irradiation using two kinds of aqueous mixtures containing different organic compounds with varied sizes and functional groups: a 4-butylphenol, 4-hexylphenol, and 4-nonylphenol mixture and a 2-nitrophenol, 2-nitro-4-phenylphenol, and 4-nitro-2,6-diphenylphenol mixture. It was found that the core/shell particles exhibited selective adsorption-driven molecular recognitive photocatalytic decomposition of 4-nonylphenol and 2-nitrophenol in the two mixtures.     

Organic pigment particles coated with titania via sol-gel process

This paper presented a novel method for the organic pigment coated with titania to improve the weatherability and dispersion ability in waterborne system. The organic pigment was first orderly adsorbed by two kinds of electrolyte: poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), then coated by titania via sol-gel process from titanium n-butoxide (TBOT). The effects of the numbers of polyelectrolyte layer, water content, and TBOT content on the morphology, particle size, surface element composition, porosity and pore size, thermal stability, and UV shielding property of the organic pigment were systematically investigated. It was found that only two layers of electrolyte adsorption and one-step coating of titania could obviously enhance the UV shielding property even thermal stability of the organic pigment. The thickness of the titania layer could be easily tailored by TBOT content.     

MCM-41分子筛担载纳米TiO2复合材料光催化降解罗丹明B

采用溶胶-凝胶法将TiO2担载在介孔MCM-41分子筛上, 制备了不同TiO2含量的系列TiO2/MCM-41复合材料, 利用X射线衍射、N2吸附、紫外-可见光谱和透射电镜等方法对其进行表征. TiO2的晶型为锐钛矿相, 复合材料的比表面积和孔体积随其中TiO2担载量(复合材料中TiO2与MCM-41的质量比)的增加而减小, TiO2的平均粒径随其担载量的增加而增大. 以罗丹明B的光催化降解为探针反应, 评价了TiO2/MCM-41复合材料的光催化降解活性. 结果表明, 在紫外光照射下, 罗丹明B在该复合材料上的光催化降解反应遵循一级反应动力学, 复合材料对罗丹明B的光催化降解活性明显高于商用TiO2 (P-25), 复合材料的光催化降解活性由复合材料的吸附能力和所含TiO2的光催化活性共同决定.     

微乳法制备纳米TiO2 /SiO2的结构及光催化研究

Nanosized TiO₂ and TiO₂/SiO₂ particles were prepared by hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the TX-100 reverse microemulsion. These particles were characterized by TG-DSC, XRD, FTIR, TEM，N₂ adsorption-desorption. Their photocatalytic activity was tested by degradation of methyl orange. The result shows that TiO₂/SiO₂ nanoparticles are with a monodispersed spherical phase and a uniform size distribution，and TiO₂ particles are dispersed on the surface of SiO₂. The band for Ti-O-Si vibration in FTIR was observed, the Ti-O-Si bond increased the stability of anatase TiO₂, suppressed the phase transformation of titania from anatase to rutile. And due to the addition of SiO₂, the average size of titania decreased from 38 nm in pure TiO₂ to 5 nm in TiO₂/SiO₂. It was found, under UV light irradiation, TiO₂/SiO₂ particles showed higher activity than pure TiO₂, and TiO₂/SiO₂(1/1) particles showed the highest photocatalytic activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange, which was influenced by crystal structure, particle size, crystallinity and Surface area Characteristics.