Synthesis of Cs2.5H0.5PW12O40/TiO2 Nanocomposites with Dominant TiO2 {001} Facets and Related Photocatalytic Properties

TiO₂ nanosheets with dominant {001} facets, coupled with Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀, were successfully synthesized by a one‐step hydrothermal reaction. The photocatalytic activity of nanocatalysts was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B under UV light irradiation. The results showed that both the addition of Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀ and the exposed {001} facets of TiO₂ have a positive effect on the photocatalytic activity. The improved photoactivity of nanocomposites in comparison with that of TiO₂ nanosheets could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Cs_2.5H_0.5PW₁₂O₄₀ and TiO₂ which facilitates the separation of photo‐induced hole‐electron pairs.     

Effects of crystallinity, {001}/{101} ratio,and Au decoration on the photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO2 crystals

Anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals and sub-microcrystals with truncated octahedral bipyramidal morphologies were prepared by direct calcination of TiOF₂ precursors. The as-prepared TiO₂ samples were thoroughly characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-visible diffuse spectroscopy. It was found that the crystallinity, grain size, and {001}/{101} ratio of the samples can be increased by raising the calcination temperature from 500 to 800 °C. The higher crystallinity and {001}/{101} facet ratio resulted in an increase in both aqueous and gas-phase photocatalytic activities, by inhibiting the recombination and separation of electrons and holes. After selecting two TiO₂ samples with high crystallinity and {001}/{101} ratio, Au nanoparticles were decorated on their surfaces, and the photocatalytic activity of the resulting samples under visible light illumination was studied. It was found that the visible light-induced photocatalytic activity increased by 2.6 and 4.8 times, respectively, upon Au decoration of the samples prepared by calcination of TiOF₂ at 700 and 800 °C.     

Effect of defects in TiO2 nanoplates with exposed {001} facets on the gas sensing properties

The gas-sensing properties and mechanism of anatase TiO₂ with complete and defective {001} facets were explored and compared, which provides a more direct evidence for the high sensitivity of TiO₂ with the complete {001} crystal facets.     

Hierarchical TiO2 microspheres: synergetic effect of {001} and {101} facets for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Well-faceted nanocrystals of anatase TiO(2) with specific reactive facets have attracted extraordinary research interest due to their many intrinsic shape-dependent properties. In this work, hierarchical TiO(2) microspheres consisting of anatase nanosheets or decahedrons were synthesized by means of a facile hydrothermal technique; meanwhile, the percentage of {001} facets can be tuned from 82 to 45%. Importantly, by investigating the photo-oxidation reactions for ˙OH radical generation and photoreduction reactions for hydrogen evolution, the TiO(2) microspheres consisting of nano-decahedrons with 45% {001} facets show superior photoreactivity (more than 4.8-times) compared to the nanosheets with 82% {001} facets. By analyzing the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, a model of charge separation between the well-formed {001} and {101} facets is proposed, and the enhanced photocatalytic efficiency is largely attributed to the efficient separation of photogenerated charges among the crystal facets co-exposed.     

铂修饰的{001}面暴露的二氧化钛纳米片阵列的制备和光催化性能

采用有机溶剂热法在FTO衬底上制备{001}面暴露的单晶锐钛矿相TiO2纳米片阵列,通过FESEM和XRD研究样品的形貌和晶体结构. 与水热法制备的纳米片阵列相比,有机溶剂热法制备的样品取向性更好. 采用光沉积方法在纳米片阵列上沉积Pt,所得到的Pt纳米颗粒粒径更为均匀,并且更容易沉积在{001}面上. 所负载的Pt 纳米颗粒增强了TiO2纳米片的光吸收性能,同时大大减弱了光致发光强度. 在光催化性能测试中,具有最优负载量的样品催化性能提高了一倍. 与传统的Pt负载相比,{001}面的最优负载量显得相当小,这可能源于高活性{001}面的原子结构.     

暴露{001}面TiO2纳米片分等级花状结构的制备及其光催化活性

以钛酸盐纳米管为前驱体,在HF-H2O-C2H5OH的混合溶液中,采用一种简单的醇热方法合成了具有87%暴露{001}面的TiO2纳米片自组装形成的分等级花状TiO2超结构.运用X射线衍射、扫描电镜、透射电镜和N2吸附-脱附等方法对样品进行了表征,并在紫外光照射下于空气和溶液中分别考察了其光催化降解丙酮和甲基橙反应活性...     

TiB2/均相硼掺杂TiO2核/壳结构提升光催化氧化水产氧活性

光催化可实现污染物降解、分解水制氢和CO2还原等多种氧化还原反应, 因而受到了广泛关注. 光催化材料中光生电荷的数目与氧化还原能力直接影响光催化反应效率, 在许多光催化反应中, 光生空穴氧化反应被认为速控步骤. 以光催化分解水为例, 质子的还原是单电子过程, 水氧化产生氧气则涉及四个电子. 空穴的高能量不仅可赋予其高的氧化能力,还能提高其迁出表面的能力, 因此具有重要研究价值.我们组的前期工作表明, 以TiB2作为前驱体, 采用水热合成和焙烧两步法可制备出间隙硼掺杂的金红石相或锐钛矿相TiO2, 间隙硼掺杂可显著降低价带顶, 提升光催化氧化水产氧性能. 然而, 在已有的结果中, 间隙硼掺杂浓度在TiO2中均呈现从内向外逐渐增加的梯度分布, 这意味着硼掺杂浓度有限, 且表层更低的价带顶不利于体相光生空穴向表面迁移, 因此亟需实现TiO2中均相的间隙硼掺杂.本文以湿化的氩气为水解环境, 将水解过程限域在TiB2的表面以减少硼原子流失; 同时提高水解温度, 使残留的硼原子形成间隙掺杂, 避免其在二次焙烧时扩散, 从而在TiB2核的表面所形成的TiO2壳层中实现均相间隙硼掺杂, 显著提高了光催化氧化水产氧活性. 多种表征结果表明, 直径约为6-10 μm的TiB2核表面形成了厚约400 nm的TiO2壳层, 在TiO2/TiB2中TiO2壳层重量比约为30%, TiO2壳层中锐钛矿相TiO2占比为65 wt%, 金红石相TiO2占比为35 wt%. TiO2壳层中间隙硼为均相分布, 硼掺杂显著降低了价带顶位置, 提高了光生空穴的氧化能力, 从而使得TiB2/TiO2展现出比未掺杂的金红石、锐钛矿相及两者混合相的TiO2均具有更高的光催化氧化水产氧的能力.     

利用掺杂诱导的金属-N活性位点和带隙调控提升石墨相氮化碳的光催化产氢性能

由于石墨相氮化碳(g-C3N4)的独特结构和性质,特别是其具有合适的能带结构位置及可调控的晶体结构,被广泛应用于光催化产氢反应中.然而,纯相氮化碳具有较快的光生电荷复合速率,这使其光催化产氢活性较低.目前,利用非金属或过渡金属原子掺杂可有效提升电荷分离速度,从而提高光催化产氢活性.相比于非金属掺杂,g-C3N4的三嗪环...     

Highly Efficient Low‐Temperature Plasma‐Assisted Modification of TiO2 Nanosheets with Exposed {001} Facets for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

Anatase TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have been controllably modified under non‐thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with various working gas, including Ar, H₂, and NH₃. The obtained TiO₂ nanosheets possess a unique crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (TiO₂@TiO_2?x), which exhibit the improved visible and near‐infrared light absorption. The types of dopants (oxygen vacancy/surface Ti³⁺/substituted N) in oxygen‐deficient TiO₂ can be tuned by controlling the working gases during plasma discharge. Both surface Ti³⁺ and substituted N were doped into the lattice of TiO₂ through NH₃ plasma discharge, whereas the oxygen vacancy or Ti³⁺ (along with the oxygen vacancy) was obtained after Ar or H₂ plasma treatment. The TiO₂@TiO_2?x from NH₃ plasma with a green color shows the highest photocatalytic activity under visible‐light irradiation compared with the products from Ar plasma or H₂ plasma due to the synergistic effect of reduction and simultaneous nitridation in the NH₃ plasma.