Synthesis and photocatalytic applications of Ag/TiO2-nanotubes

TiO₂- and Ag/TiO₂-nanotubes (NTs) were synthesized by hydrothermal methods and microwave-assisted preparation, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller particle surface area measurement and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the nanotubes. Rutile TiO₂-NTs with Na₂Ti₅O₁₁ crystallinity had a length range of 200-400 nm and diameters of 10-20 nm. TiO₂- and Ag/TiO₂-NTs with a 0.4% deposition of Ag had high surface areas of 270 and 169 m² g⁻¹, respectively. The evaluation of photocatalytic activity showed that Ag/TiO₂-NTs displayed higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO₂-NTs and a 60.91% degradation of Rhodamine-B with 0.8% deposition of Ag species. Also 60% of Rhodamine-6G was physisorbed and 40% chemisorbed on the surface of TiO₂-NTs. In addition, the photocatalytic degradations of organochlorine pesticides taking α-hexachlorobenzene (BHC) and dicofol as typical examples, were compared using Ag/TiO₂-NTs, and found that their degradations rates were all higher than those obtained from commercial TiO₂.     

Thermo-Raman spectroscopy in situ monitoring study of solid-state synthesis of NiO-Al2O3 nanoparticles and its characterization

Hyphenation of thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and thermo-Raman spectrophotometer for in situ monitoring of solid-state reaction in oxygen atmosphere forming NiO-Al₂O₃ catalyst nanoparticles is investigated. In situ thermo-Raman spectra in the range from 200 to 1400 cm⁻¹ were recorded at every degree interval from 25 to 800 °C. Thermo-Raman spectroscopic studies reveal that, although the onset of formation is around 600 °C, the bulk NiAl₂O₄ forms at temperatures above 800 °C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the reaction mixtures were recorded at regular temperature intervals of 100 °C, in the temperature range from 400 to 1000 °C, which could provide information on structural and morphological evolution of NiO-Al₂O₃. Slow controlled heating of the sample enabled better control over morphology and particle size distribution (∼20-30 nm diameter). The observed results were supported by complementary characterizations using TGA, XRD, SEM, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis.     

Hydrothermal preparation and visible-light photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6 powders

Bi₂WO₆ powder photocatalyst was prepared using Bi(NO₃)₃ and Na₂WO₄ as raw materials by a simple hydrothermal method at 150 °C for 24 h, and then calcined at 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 °C for 2 h, respectively. The as-prepared samples were characterized with UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra, fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption-desorption measurement. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated using the photocatalytic oxidation of formaldehyde at room temperature under visible light irradiation. It was found that post-treatment temperature obviously influenced the visible-light photocatalytic activity and physical properties of Bi₂WO₆ powders. At 500 °C, Bi₂WO₆ powder photocatalyst showed the highest visible-light photocatalytic activity due to the samples with good crystallization and high BET surface area.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of hexagonal and monoclinic neodymium orthophosphate single-crystal nanowires

Hexagonal and monoclinic NdPO₄ nanowires about 5-50 nm in diameter and up to several micrometers long were prepared through hydrothermal reaction in 100°C and 220°C, respectively. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Furthermore, both the temperature and the pH value influence on the products were investigated.     

Preparation and characterization of Zr doped TiO2 nanotube arrays on the titanium sheet and their enhanced photocatalytic activity

This paper described a new method for the preparation of Zr doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays by electrochemical method. TiO₂ nanotube arrays were prepared by anodization with titanium anode and platinum cathode. Afterwards, the formed TiO₂ nanotube arrays and Pt were used as cathode and anode, respectively, for preparation of Zr/TiO₂ nanotube arrays in the electrolyte of 0.1 M Zr(NO₃)₄ with different voltage and post-calcination process. The nanotube arrays were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and UV-Vis diffusion reflection spectra (DRS). The photocatalytic activities of these nanotubes were investigated with Rhodamine B as the model pollutant and the results demonstrated that the photocatalytic efficiency of Zr doped TiO₂ nanotubes was much better than that of TiO₂ nanotubes under UV irradiation. Zr/TiO₂ nanotube arrays doped at 7 V and calcined at 600 °C (denoted as TiO₂-7 V-600) achieved the best photocatalytic efficiency and the most optimal doping ratio was 0.047 (Zr/Ti). TiO₂-7 V-600 could be reused for more than 20 times and maintained good photocatalytic activities.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/TiO2/SnO2 mixture

ZnO/TiO₂/SnO₂ mixture was prepared by mixing its component solid oxides ZnO, TiO₂ and SnO₂ in the molar ratio of 4?1?1, followed by calcining the solid mixture at 200-1300 °C. The products and solid-state reaction process during the calcinations were characterized with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement of specific surface area. Neither solid-state reaction nor change of crystal phase composition took place among the ZnO, TiO₂ and SnO₂ powders on the calcinations up to 600 °C. However, formation of the inverse spinel Zn₂TiO₄ and Zn₂SnO₄ was detected at 700-900 and 1100-1200 °C, respectively. Further increase of the calcination temperature enabled the mixture to form a single-phase solid solution Zn₂Ti_0.5Sn_0.5O₄ with an inverse spinel structure in the space group of . The ZnO/TiO₂/SnO₂ mixture was photocatalytically active for the degradation of methyl orange in water; its photocatalytic mass activity was 16.4 times that of SnO₂, 2.0 times that of TiO₂, and 0.92 times that of ZnO after calcination at 500 °C for 2 h. But, the mass activity of the mixture decreased with increasing the calcination temperature at above 700 °C because of the formation of the photoinactive Zn₂TiO₄, Zn₂SnO₄ and Zn₂Ti_0.5Sn_0.5O₄. The sample became completely inert for the photocatalysis after prolonged calcination at 1300 °C (42 h), since all of the active component oxides were reacted to form the solid solution Zn₂Ti_0.5Sn_0.5O₄ with no photocatalytic activity.     

TiO2/carbon nanotube hybrid nanostructures: Solvothermal synthesis and their visible light photocatalytic activity

MWCNT/TiO₂ hybrid nanostructures were prepared via solvothermal synthesis and sol-gel method with benzyl alcohol as a surfactant. As-prepared hybrid materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that MWCNTs were uniformly decorated with anatase nanocrystals in solvothermal condition, but MWCNTs were embedded in a majority of TiO₂ nanoparticles by sol-gel method. When the weight ratio of MWCNTs to TiO₂ was 20%, MWCNT/TiO₂ hybrid nanostructures prepared by solvothermal synthesis exhibited higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity than that prepared by sol-gel method. Post-annealing of MWCNT/TiO₂ nanostructures at 400 °C resulted in the formation of the carbonaceous Ti-C bonds on the interface between TiO₂ and MWCNTs, which enhanced the photoabsorbance of the hybrid materials in the visible light region and improved the visible-light degradation efficiency of methylene blue.     

Effect of nitrogen-doping temperature on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the B,N-doped TiO2

B,N-TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized by boron doping firstly and subsequently nitrogen doping in NH₃ at variable temperatures. The effects of the nitrogen doping temperature on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the B,N-codoped TiO₂ were investigated. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated with photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye (MO) under visible light and UV-visible light irradiation. The results suggested that the boron and nitrogen can be incorporated into the TiO₂ lattice either interstitially or substitutionally or both, while the Ti-O-B-N structure plays a vital role in photocatalytic activity in visible light region. The optimal nitrogen doping temperature is 550 °C. Higher temperature may form many oxygen vacancies and Ti³⁺ species, resulting in the decrease of photocatalytic activity in visible light.     

Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of Zn2SnO4

Nanosized Zn₂SnO₄ (ZTO) particles were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process in water/ethylene glycol mixed solution using amines (ethylamine, n-butylamine, n-hexylamine, and n-octylamine) as mineralizer. The products were characterized by X-ray diffractions (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N₂ adsorption. The results indicated that the hydrothermal conditions, such as alkaline concentration (n-butylamine), reaction temperature, solvent composition, and the kind of amines, had an important influence on the composition, crystallinity, and morphology of the product. The as-synthesized ZTO samples exhibited high activities and durabilities for photodegradation of methyl orange and the activities were mainly affected by the crystallinities of the samples. A hexagonal-shaped ZTO (H-ZTO) sample was prepared in 0.53 M of n-butylamine solution at 180 °C for 20 h and its optical properties were characterized by UV-Vis diffuse reflectance and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Furthermore, the photocatalytic H₂ evolution reaction from ethanol aqueous solution over H-ZTO was also investigated.     

Photoactivity and phase stability of ZrO2-doped anatase-type TiO2 directly formed as nanometer-sized particles by hydrolysis under hydrothermal conditions

Anatase-type TiO₂ doped with 4.7 and 12.4 mol% ZrO₂ that were directly precipitated as nanometer-sized particles from acidic precursor solutions of TiOSO₄ and Zr(SO₄)₂ by simultaneous hydrolysis under hydrothermal conditions at 200°C, showed higher photocatalytic activity than pure anatase-type TiO₂ for the decomposition of methylene blue. The crystallite growth and the phase transformation from anatase-type to rutile-type structure caused by heating at high temperature were retarded by doping ZrO₂ into TiO₂. The anatase-type TiO₂ doped with ZrO₂ showed high phase stability and maintained anatase-type structure even after heating at 1000°C for 1 h.     

The preparation and characterization of La doped TiO2 nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activity

In this paper, pure and La doped TiO₂ nanoparticles with different La content were prepared by a sol-gel process using Ti (OC₄H₉)₄ as raw material, and also were characterized by XRD, TG-DTA, TEM, XPS, DRS and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. We mainly investigated the effects of calcining temperature and La content on the properties and the photocatalytic activity for degrading phenol of as-prepared TiO₂ samples, and also discussed the relationships between PL spectra and photocatalytic activity as well as the mechanisms of La doping on TiO₂ phase transformation. The results showed that La³⁺ did not enter into the crystal lattices of TiO₂ and was uniformly dispersed onto TiO₂ as the form of La₂O₃ particles with small size, which possibly made La dopant have a great inhibition on TiO₂ phase transformation; La dopant did not give rise to a new PL signal, but it could improve the intensity of PL spectra with a appropriate La content, which was possibly attributed to the increase in the content of surface oxygen vacancies and defects after doping La; La doped TiO₂ nanoparticles calcined at 600°C exhibited higher photocatalytic activity, indicating that 600°C was an appropriate calcination temperature. The order of photocatalytic activity of La doped TiO₂ samples with different La content was as following: 1>1.5>3>0.5>5>0 mol%, which was the same as the order of their PL intensity, namely, the stronger the PL intensity, the higher the photocatalytic activity, demonstrating that there were certain relationships between PL spectra and photocatalytic activity. This could be explained by the points that PL spectra mainly resulted from surface oxygen vacancies and defects during the process of PL, while surface oxygen vacancies and defects could be favorable in capturing the photoinduced electrons during the process of photocatalytic reactions.     

Chemical synthesis of Ni/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanophotocatalyst for UV/visible light assisted degradation of organic dye in aqueous solution

The Ni/TiO₂ nanoparticles with different Ni dopant content were prepared by a modified sol–gel method. The structure and photoinduced charge properties of the as-prepared catalysts were determined using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and surface photovoltage spectroscopy techniques, and the photocatalytic efficiency of these catalysts was tested using an organic dye. It was shown that Ni modification could greatly enhance the photocatalytic efficiency of these nanocomposite catalysts by taking the photodegradation of methyl orange as a model reaction. With appropriate ratio of Ni and TiO₂, Ni/TiO₂ nanocomposites showed the superior photocatalytic activity than the single TiO₂ nanoparticles. Surface photovoltage spectra demonstrated that Ni modification could effectively inhibit the recombination of the photoinduced electron and holes of TiO₂. This electron–hole pair separation conditions are responsible for the higher photocatalytic performance of Ni/TiO₂ nanocomposites in the visible region of electromagnetic spectrum.     

A low-temperature synthesis of ultraviolet-light-emitting ZnO nanotubes and tubular whiskers

We have successfully synthesized single-crystal ZnO nanotubes and tubular whiskers by employing Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, NH₃·H₂O as the starting materials in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG, M_w=2000) at ambient pressure and low temperature (70 °C). Characterizations are carried out by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM, HRTEM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The results show that the as-prepared ZnO are tubular textures, which have average cross-sectional dimensions of 200-300 nm, lengths of 2-3.5 μm, and wall thickness of 80 nm. These tubular products demonstrate a sharp ultraviolet excitonic emission peak centered at 385 nm at room temperature. A possible growth mechanism and the influence of the reaction temperature on the formation of crystalline ZnO are presented.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of N‐Doped TiO2 Nanotubes

N‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes with high photocatalytic activity were prepared by the combination of sol‐gel process with hydrothermal treatment. The prepared materials are characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), x‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), and UV‐vis spectra. Photocatalytic performance of the N‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes is studied by testing the degradation rate of methyl orange under UV irradiation. Obtained results indicate that N‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes have high catalytic activity for photocatalytic oxidation.     

Synthesis of carbon nanotube/anatase titania composites by a combination of sol-gel and self-assembly at low temperature

A simple method is described for the synthesis of carbon nanotube/anatase titania composites by a combination of a sol-gel method with a self-assembly technique at 65 °C. This method makes use of polyelectrolyte for wrapping multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and providing them with adsorption sites for electrostatically driven TiO₂ nanoparticle deposition. The composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence for analyzing their crystal phase, microstructure, particle size, and other physicochemical properties. The results showed that MWCNT were covered with an anatase TiO₂ thin layer or surrounded by an anatase TiO₂ thick coating, which is constructed of TiO₂ particles about 6 nm in size. The composites were rich in surface hydroxyl groups. The excited e⁻ in conduction band of TiO₂ may migrate to MWCNT. Concerning the potential applicability, MWCNT/TiO₂ composites showed excellent photocatalytic activity toward the photodegradation of methyl orange.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity for water-splitting reaction of nanocrystalline mesoporous titania prepared by hydrothermal method

Nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO₂ was synthesized by hydrothermal method using titanium butoxide as starting material. XRD, SEM, and TEM analyses revealed that the synthesized TiO₂ had anatase structure with crystalline size of about 8 nm. Moreover, the synthesized titania possessed a narrow pore size distribution with average pore diameter and high specific surface area of 215 m²/g. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized TiO₂ was evaluated with photocatalytic H₂ production from water-splitting reaction. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized TiO₂ treated with appropriate calcination temperature was considerably higher than that of commercial TiO₂ (Ishihara ST-01). The utilization of mesoporous TiO₂ photocatalyst with high crystallinity of anatase phase promoted great H₂ production. Furthermore, the reaction temperature significantly influences the water-splitting reaction.     

Carbochlorination of samarium sesquioxide

The chlorination of Sm₂O₃ in the presence of carbon using the gaseous mixture Cl₂(g)+Ar(g) has been studied by thermogravimetry. The effects of both the temperature between 200 and 950 °C and the total gas flow rate between 2.1 and 7.9 l h⁻¹ on the reaction rate were analyzed. The starting temperature of reaction, the stoichiometry and kinetic regimes of the reaction were obtained. Reactants and products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electronic dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The temporal evolution of the solid microstructure was followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

Hierarchical chlorine-doped rutile TiO2 spherical clusters of nanorods: Large-scale synthesis and high photocatalytic activity

In this study, we report the synthesis of hierarchical chlorine-doped rutile TiO₂ spherical clusters of nanorods photocatalyst on a large scale via a soft interface approach. This catalyst showed much higher photocatalytic activity than the famous commercial titania (Degussa P25) under visible light (λ>420 nm). The resulting sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, ¹H solid magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. On the basis of characterization results, we found that the doping of chlorine resulted in red shift of absorption and higher surface acidity as well as crystal defects in the photocatalyst, which were the reasons for high photocatalytic activity of chlorine-doped TiO₂ under visible light (λ>420 nm). These hierarchical chlorine-doped rutile TiO₂ spherical clusters of nanorods are very attractive in the fields of environmental pollutants removal and solar cell because of their easy separation and high activity.     

Characterization and photocatalytic activity of Fe- and N-co-deposited TiO2 and first-principles study for electronic structure

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), co-deposited with Fe and N, is first implanted with Fe by a metal plasma ion implantation (MPII) process and then annealed in N₂ atmosphere at a temperature regime of 400-600 °C. First-principle calculations show that the (Fe, N) co-deposited TiO₂ films produced additional band gap levels at the bottom of the conduction band (CB) and on the top of the valence band (VB). The (Fe, N) co-deposited TiO₂ films were effective in both prohibiting electron-hole recombination and generating additional Fe-O and N-Ti-O impurity levels for the TiO₂ band gap. The (Fe, N) co-deposited TiO₂ has a narrower band gap of 1.97 eV than Fe-implanted TiO₂ (3.14 eV) and N-doped TiO₂ (2.16 eV). A significant reduction of TiO₂ band gap energy from 3.22 to 1.97 eV was achieved, which resulted in the extension of photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ from UV to Vis regime. The photocatalytic activity and removal rate were approximately two-fold higher than that of the Fe-implanted TiO₂ under visible light irradiation.     

二氧化钛与针铁矿复合光催化材料的制备与光催化性能

以四氯化钛为钛源,针铁矿(α-FeOOH)为载体,采用水解沉淀法制备了金红石相二氧化钛(Ti₂O)与α-FeOOH的复合光催化材料,并采用X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、X射线能量散射谱和X射线光电子能谱对样品进行了表征.结果表明,低温下,金红石相Ti₂O包覆于α-FeOOH表面,并形成复合结构;较高温下,铁离子进入金红石相Ti₂O晶格,并形成铁掺杂金红石相Ti₂O纳米管;中温下,样品兼有复合和掺杂两者特征.在室温下以甲基橙为降解对象,采用钨灯+氘灯(波长200~800nm)为光源,对样品的光催化活性进行了测试.结果表明,样品对甲基橙的光催化降解效果良好;与纯α-FeOOH和金红石相Ti₂O相比,不同结构样品的光催化活性均有所提高,其中,复合兼掺杂型样品的光催化活性最高.由此可见,与α-FeOOH复合和铁掺杂是提高Ti₂O光催化活性的有效途径.