Nanoporous anatase TiO2 mesocrystals: additive-free synthesis, remarkable crystalline-phase stability, and improved lithium insertion behavior

Unique spindle-shaped nanoporous anatase TiO(2) mesocrystals with a single-crystal-like structure and tunable sizes were successfully fabricated on a large scale through mesoscale assembly in the tetrabutyl titanate-acetic acid system without any additives under solvothermal conditions. A complex mesoscale assembly process involving slow release of soluble species from metastable solid precursors for the continuous formation of nascent anatase nanocrystals, oriented aggregation of tiny anatase nanocrystals, and entrapment of in situ produced butyl acetate as a porogen was put forward for the formation of the anatase mesocrystals. It was revealed that the acetic acid molecules played multiple key roles during the nonhydrolytic processing of the [001]-oriented, single-crystal-like anatase mesocrystals. The obtained nanoporous anatase mesocrystals exhibited remarkable crystalline-phase stability (i.e., the pure phase of anatase can be retained after being annealed at 900 °C) and improved performance as anode materials for lithium ion batteries, which could be largely attributed to the intrinsic single-crystal-like nature as well as high porosity of the nanoporous mesocrystals.     

Size- and shape-dependent transformation of nanosized titanate into analogous anatase titania nanostructures

A size- and shape-dependent morphological transformation was demonstrated during the hydrothermal soft chemical transformation, in neutral solution, of titanate nanostructures into their anatase titania counterparts. Specifically, lepidocrocite hydrogen titanate nanotubes with diameters of approximately 10 nm were transformed into anatase nanoparticles with an average size of 12 nm. Lepidocrocite hydrogen titanate nanowires with relatively small diameters (average diameter range of < or = 200 nm) were converted into single-crystalline anatase nanowires with relatively smooth surfaces. Larger diameter (>200 nm) titanate wires were transformed into analogous anatase submicron wire motifs, resembling clusters of adjoining anatase nanocrystals with perfectly parallel, oriented fringes. Our results indicate that as-synthesized TiO2 nanostructures possessed higher photocatalytic activity than the commercial titania precursors from whence they were derived.     

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.     

含 TiO2(B) 介孔氧化钛材料的制备、特性和应用

 综述了近年来本课题组依据材料化学工程研究思想, 对含 TiO2(B)(一种比金红石和锐钛矿相结构更松散的氧化钛晶型) 介孔氧化钛材料在制备、结构和性能方面所取得的研究进展. 该介孔材料由二钛酸钾经水合、离子交换和热处理得到, 具有良好原子尺度晶格匹配界面特征的锐钛矿和 TiO2(B) 核壳结构. 研究表明, 该介孔材料在兼备高比表面积、高晶化孔壁和高热稳定性的同时, 还表现出良好的纳米颗粒担载稳定性, 在光催化、油品加氢精制、药物载体、固体酸催化和电化学电容器等方面已凸显出良好的应用潜力和推广价值. 目前该新型含 TiO2(B) 介孔氧化钛材料已经实现低成本、规模化制备.     

TiO2 nanotube fabrication with highly exposed (001) facets for enhanced conversion efficiency of solar cells

We demonstrate that the use of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and acetic acid during the synthesis of TiO(2) nanotubes may result in the synthesis of single-crystal-like anatase TiO(2) with a mainly exposed and chemically active (001) facet. An enhancement in the overall conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells was observed in a photoanode consisting of TiO(2) single-crystal-like anatase exposed (001) facets.     

A Kinetic Study on Photocatalytic Oxidation of Phenol in Water by Silica-Dispersed Titania Nanoparticles

Photocatalytic oxidation of phenol in water was carried out with nanoparticles of silica-titania mixtures, which were synthesized under different temperatures and silica-to-titania ratios. The crystal size of TiO(2) (in anatase phase) was determined to be in the nanometer range and it increased with increasing autoclaving temperature. Furthermore, there was no obvious relationship between the ize and the SiO(2)/TiO(2) ratio at the same preparation temperature. A specific reaction rate constant (k(s)) was used for comparison of photocatalytic activity of different samples. It was found that k(s) decreases with increasing anatase size and TiO(2) concentration. A kinetic model was developed to describe the effect of the crystal size and titania concentration on the reactivity of the SiO(2)-TiO(2) samples. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Unusual crystallization behaviors of anatase nanocrystallites from a molecularly thin titania nanosheet and its stacked forms: increase in nucleation temperature and oriented growth

Crystallization behaviors of anatase nanocrystallites from an ultrathin two-dimensional reactant composed of exfoliated titania nanosheets have been studied by monitoring the heating process of their well-organized films, with which the film thickness can be controlled from a molecularly thin monolayer to a stacked multilayer structure with a stepwise increment of approximately 1 nm. The heated products were identified by means of total reflection fluorescence X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis and in-plane X-ray diffraction measurements using a synchrotron radiation source. The films composed of five or more layers of stacked nanosheets were transformed into anatase at 400-500 degrees C, which is a normal crystallization temperature of anatase from bulk reactants. As the film became thinner by decreasing the number of nanosheet layers to five or less, the crystallization temperature was found to increase and finally reached 800 degrees C for the monolayer film. Interestingly, preferential growth of anatase along the c-axis was strongly promoted for these ultrathin films. These unusual behaviors may be understood in terms of crystallization from the two-dimensional system of scarcely distributed reactants. The titania nanosheet crystallite is much thinner than the unit cell dimensions of anatase, and therefore, extensive atomic diffusion is required for the transformation particularly for the ultrathin films with a critical number (2-3) of stacked nanosheet layers. There is some structural similarity between anatase and titania nanosheet, which may account for the oriented growth of anatase nanocrystallites.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of single-crystalline anatase TiO2 nanorods with nanotubes as the precursor

Preparation of anatase TiO2 nanorods from solutions in the absence of surfactants or templates has rarely been reported. The present work has found that hydrothermal treatment of titanate nanotube suspensions under an acidic environment resulted in the formation of single-crystalline anatase nanorods with a specific crystal-elongation direction. The nanotube suspensions were prepared by treatment of TiO2 in NaOH, followed by mixing with HNO3 to different pH values. The crystal size of the anatase nanoparticles obtained from the hydrothermal treatment increased with the pH of the suspensions, and nanorods with an aspect ratio up to 6 and a long axis along the anatase [001] were obtained at a pH slightly less than 7. A mechanism for the tube-to-rod transformation has been proposed on the basis of the crystalline structures of the tubes and rods. The local shrinkage of the tube walls to form anatase crystallites and the subsequent oriented attachment of the crystallites have been suggested to be the key steps involved in the nanorod formation.     

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.     

微乳法合成纳米SiO2/TiO2及其光催化性能

采用聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚(Triton X-100)/正己醇/环己烷/氨水微乳体系合成了纳米TiO2和SiO2/TiO2复合物,用X射线衍射、红外光谱和透射电镜对其结构进行了表征,并以甲基橙降解评价了其光催化性能,讨论了SiO2/TiO2摩尔比、晶相组成及粒径与光催化活性的关系.结果表明,SiO2/TiO2催化剂中形成了新的Ti-O-Si键和无定形SiO2;在纳米TiO2中复合SiO2能有效抑制锐钛矿向金红石的转变,增加锐钛矿的稳定性,并阻止TiO2晶粒的聚集生长.催化剂的光催化活性随金红石含量的增加而降低,加入适量SiO2能明显提高TiO2的光催化活性,其中摩尔比为1/7的SiO2/TiO2光催化活性最高.     

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.     

The effects of the crystallization rate of the mesoporous TiO2 on the stability of the mesoporous structure after reflux

A simple synthetic method was employed to prepare mesoporous titania with anatase crystalline walls and high photocatalytic activity. The properties and structures of mesoporous titania were characterized by means of low angle and wide angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform (FT)-IR spectra, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and N₂ adsorption–desorption. The characteristic results clearly show that crystallization rate of the mesoporous titania affects the stability of the mesoporous structure after reflux, and that the anatase crystal in the mesoporous wall of mesoporous titania can stabilize the mesoporous structure. The photocatalytic activity of titania powder was evaluated from an analysis of the photodegradation of methyl orange under UV irradiation. The results indicate that the titania powder with mesoporous structure shows the highest photocatalytic activity.     

Mesoporous Titania Thin Film with Highly Ordered and Fully Accessible Vertical Pores and Crystalline Walls

We report the preparation of mesoporous titania thin films with the R m pore structure derived from the Im m self‐assembled ordering of the titania species and an EO₁₀₆PO₇₀EO₁₀₆ triblock copolymer. The films were spin‐cast and then aged at 18 °C at a relative humidity of 70 %, which led to the orientation of the Im m structure with the [111] direction perpendicular to the substrates. The [111] body‐diagonal channels became vertical channels upon calcination at 400 °C, thus leading to thin films with vertical channels. The pores are ordered over a large area of up to 1 μm². The titania films can be formed on various types of substrates. By using a titania film formed on a Pt‐coated Si wafer as a template, we produced by an electrochemical‐deposition technique arrays of gold nanowires, whose morphology suggests that most of the pores of the titania thin films are accessible. The pore structure of vertical channels is stable up to 600 °C, at which temperature the wall materials crystallize into anatase.     

糖葫芦状二氧化钛纳米线阵列的制备及其光催化性能

 采用溶胶-电泳技术,在多孔阳极氧化铝(PAA)模板的有序孔洞中制备了高度取向的糖葫芦状TiO2纳米线阵列光催化剂,通过扫描电镜(SEM)和X射线衍射对样品进行了表征. 结果表明, TiO2纳米线为锐钛矿晶型,纳米线直径与PAA模板的孔径一致,且分布均匀. 纳米线取向性极好,每根纳米线都具有周期性凹凸,形似糖葫芦,因此命名为糖葫芦状TiO2纳米线阵列. 以甲基橙的降解反应评价了光催化剂的活性,与相同条件下制备的TiO2/玻璃膜相比, TiO2纳米线阵列在光照1 h时对甲基橙的降解率达到93.6%, 比前者提高了40.2%, 具有很好的光催化活性.     

Synthesis and characterization of Nano titania particles embedded in mesoporous silica with both high photocatalytic activity and adsorption capability

TiO(2)-xSiO(2) composites with a high specific surface area (up to 645 m(2)/g), large pore volume, and narrow distribution with average pore sizes ranging from 15 to 20 A have been synthesized by the sol-gel method. The results of characterization by XRD, BET, TEM, FTIR, and DRUV reveal that these TiO(2)-xSiO(2) composites exhibit a core/shell structure of a nano titania/Ti-O-Si species modified titania embedded in mesoporous silica. As compared to pure anatase, the embedding of nano titania particles into the mesoporous silica matrix results in a substantial blue shift of absorption edge from 3.2 to 3.54 eV and higher UV absorption intensity, which are attributed to the formation of the Ti-O-Si species modified titania in the interface between titania and silica. The as-synthesized TiO(2)-xSiO(2) composites exhibit both much higher absorption capability of organic pollutants and better photocatalytic activity for the photooxidation of benzene than pure titania. The better photocatalytic activity of as-synthesized TiO(2)-xSiO(2) composites than pure titania is attributed to their high surface area, higher UV absorption intensity, and easy diffusion of absorbed pollutants on the absorption sites to photogenerated oxidizing radicals on the photoactive sites.     

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．     

纳米TiO2低温水解法的晶型控制合成及其表面织构的研究

分别以TiCl₄，Ti(NO₃)₄和Ti(SO₄)₂为前驱体，在低温和强酸性条件下，通过水解反应可控地合成了具有不同晶相组成，且比表面积较高的纳米TiO₂，并用XRD，TEM和N₂^-吸附脱附技术对其晶相、粒径大小、形貌及比表面积进行了表征。结果表明，钛离子在有Cl^-、NO₃^-存在的酸性溶液中水解，水解温度≤80 ℃，可以生成结晶良好的具有细小晶粒尺寸和较高比表面积的金红石型纳米TiO₂粉体，水解温度>80 ℃，反而有锐钛矿型TiO₂生成，而在有SO₄^2-存在的酸性溶液中，TiO₂样品的晶相组成不随水解温度的变化而改变，均为锐钛矿型，其比表面积可达300 m²·g^-1。     

Oxygen-deficient titania as alternative support for Pt catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Insufficient electrochemical stability is a major challenge for carbon materials in oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） due to carbon corrosion and insufficient metal-support interactions. In this work, titania is explored as an alternative support for Pt catalysts. Oxygen deficient titania samples including TiO2-x and TiO2_xNy were obtained by thermal treatment of anatase TiO2 under flowing H2 and NH3, respectively. Pt nanoparticles were deposited on the titania by a modified ethylene glycol method. The samples were characterized by N2-physisorption, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ORR activity and long-term stability of supported Pt catalysts were evaluated using linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry in 0.1 mol/L HC104. Pt/TiO2_x and Pt/TiO2_xNy showed higher ORR activities than Pt/TiO2 as indicated by higher onset potentials. Oxygen deficiency in TiO2-x and TiO2-xNy contributed to the high ORR activity due to enhanced charge transfer, as disclosed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies. Electrochemical stability studies revealed that Pt/TiOE_x exhibited a higher stability with a lower current decay rate than commercial Pt/C, which can be attributed to the stable oxide support and strong interaction between Pt nanoparticles and the oxygen-deficient TiO2-x support.     

Fabrication and characterization of multi-metal co-doped titania films for a water-splitting reaction

Anchored visible-light-absorbing TiO(2) films have been synthesized by the layer-by-layer method on a quartz slide substrate as a new class of visible light-sensitive photocatalyst. UV-vis, XRD and XPS spectra show that W and Mn enter the TiO(2) lattices and partially substitute for Ti, and that W appears to have a solubility limit into the anatase structure. The Mn and W dopants cause new electronic states above the valence-band edge of pure TiO(2), and the new electronic states may be directly related to the visible-light absorption of doped TiO(2) films. A constant H(2) generation rate is obtained for long periods of time for all the investigated TiO(2) films, and the H(2) production rates for titania films doped with 0.74 at% W (relative to Ti) are 4.1 and 3.3 times higher than that of non-doped TiO(2) under UV and visible light, respectively, as the dopant atoms not only restrict the band gap to the visible region, but also facilitate the detrapping of charge carriers to the surface of the catalyst.