Highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells with a titania thin-film electrode composed of a network structure of single-crystal-like TiO2 nanowires made by the "oriented attachment" mechanism

In this study, single-crystal-like anatase TiO(2) nanowires were formed in a network structure by surfactant-assisted self-assembling processes at low temperature. The crystal lattice planes of the nanowires and networks of such wires composed of many nanoparticles were almost perfectly aligned with each other due to the "oriented attachment" mechanism, resulting in the high rate of electron transfer through the TiO(2) nanonetwork with single-crystal-like anatase nanowires. The direction of crystal growth of oriented attachment was controlled by changing the mole ratio of acetylacetone to Ti, that is, regulating both the adsorption of surfactant molecules via control of the reaction rate and the surface energy. A single-crystalline anatase exposing mainly the [101] plane has been prepared, which adsorbed ruthenium dye over 4 times higher as compared to P-25. A high light-to-electricity conversion yield of 9.3% was achieved by applying the titania nanomaterials with network structure as the titania thin film of dye-sensitized solar cells.     

Effect of Incorporation of Silver on the Electrical Properties of Sol-Gel-Derived Titania Film

Metallic Ag nanoparticles-incorporating titania films were prepared using the sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, UV/Vis optical spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were recorded to characterize the Ag/titania composite films. Electrometer was used to estimate the resistance of Ag/titania composite film to understand the effect of the incorporation of metallic Ag nanoparticles on the electrical properties of titania film. The results showed that metallic Ag nanoparticles distributed randomly in titania film and most metallic Ag particles size was in the range of 5–15 nm. The agglomeration of a small quantity of metallic Ag particles occurred and when the amount of Ag species was increased the agglomeration was enhanced. The resistance of Ag/titania composite films decreased greatly compared with pure titania film.     

Fabrication of silica-on-titania and titania-on-silica nanoparticle assemblies

Structures of silica particles on a titania surface and titania particles on a silica surface were formed by deposition of SiO₂ or TiO₂ nanoparticles on pre-patterned substrates. Photolithography was used to create a matrix for the selective deposition of nanoparticles by immersion in a colloidal suspension. Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the topography of these inorganic assemblies. Whereas two-dimensional colloidal patches of TiO₂ nanoparticles are obtained on silica surfaces, SiO₂ nanoparticles form three-dimensional, U-shaped channels on titania surfaces.The influence of electrostatic forces on assembly structure is vital. The isoelectric points of the particles, the pre-patterned matrix and the photo-resist are key parameters and may be manipulated to achieve various microstructures. The 2D nanoparticle arrays of titania on silica and 3D channels (built of silica nanoparticles) on flat titania surfaces are of potential interest in lab-on-a-chip applications.     

The role of macroligands in regioselective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde

Summary Attention has been paid to the role of a macroligand in the regioselective catalytic hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. The macroligands tested were of ordered, regular structures and also served as catalytic supports (natural graphite, plankton based silica, latex templated titania). The active part - ruthenium - was, besides the macroligands, supported also on active charcoal and high surface area sol-gel prepared silica and titania.     

Titania-coated polystyrene hybrid microballs prepared with miniemulsion polymerization

Hybrid microballs with polystyrene cores coated by titania nanoparticles were prepared in miniemulsion polymerization. Acrylic acid was used as a comonomer to promote locating titania nanoparticles on the polymer's surface. The addition of a hydrophobic agent effectively prevents monomer diffusing into the aqueous phase. The morphology of hybrid particles was examined with the transmission electron microscope, and its change pattern with reactive conditions was observed. The infrared spectra of hybrid nanoparticles showed that there existed a certain interaction between titania nanoparticles and polymers. The crystallization morphology of hybrid particles before and after calcination was characterized with X-ray diffraction.     

New method for facile synthesis of amphiphilic thiol-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles and their redox-active ruthenium nanocomposite

The one-phase reduction of RuCl3 with lithium triethylborohydride as a reductant in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of 1-octanethiol, 1-octadecanethiol, 1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'-dithiol, or oligoethyleneoxythiol gave organic solvent- and water-soluble thiol-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles. The oligoethyleneoxythiol-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles were soluble in both water and organic solvents. The ruthenium nanoparticles were stable in the solid state and did not aggregate in solution. Transmission electron microscope images of the ruthenium nanoparticles reveal small dispersed particles with a narrow size distribution. The ligand-exchange reaction of octadecanethiol-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles (2.0 nm) with phenothiazine-linked decanethiol afforded redox-active phenothiazine-functionalized ruthenium nanoparticles (1.9 nm) that showed a reversible redox peak at +0.51 V (vs Ag/0.1 M AgNO3) in the cyclic voltammogram.     

A facile route to a highly stabilized hierarchical hybrid of titania nanotube and gold nanoparticle

A hierarchical hybrid of gold nanoparticles and titania nanotubes with high metal loading was prepared by a one-pot approach using a natural cellulosic substance as template. Gold nanoparticles were uniformly anchored onto titania nanotubes, and particle fusion at high temperature was suppressed by surface coating with an ultrathin titania layer.     

A Facile Route to Reassemble Titania Nanoparticles Into Ordered Chain‐like Networks on Substrate

A facile route to reassemble titania nanoparticles within the titania‐block copolymer composite films has been developed. The titania nanoparticles templated by the amphiphilic block copolymer of poly(styrene)‐block‐poly (ethylene oxide) (PS‐b‐PEO) were frozen in the continuous PS matrix. Upon UV exposure, the PS matrix was partially degraded, allowing the titania nanoparticles to rearrange into chain‐like networks exhibiting a closer packing. The local structures of the Titania chain‐like networks were investigated by both AFM and SEM; the lateral structures and vertical structures of the films were studied by GISAXS and X‐ray reflectivity respectively. Both the image analysis and X‐ray scattering characterization prove the reassembly of the titania nanoparticles after UV exposure. The mechanism of the nanoparticle assembly is discussed.     

Hierarchical‐Structured Anatase‐Titania/Cellulose Composite Sheet with High Photocatalytic Performance and Antibacterial Activity

Bulk hierarchical anatase‐titania/cellulose composite sheets were fabricated by subjecting an ultrathin titania gel film pre‐deposited filter paper to a solvo‐co‐hydrothermal treatment by using titanium butoxide as the precursor to grow anatase‐titania nanocrystallites on the cellulose nanofiber surfaces. The titanium butoxide specie is firstly absorbed onto the nanofibers of the cellulose substance through a solvothermal process, which was thereafter hydrolyzed and crystallized upon the subsequent hydrothermal treatment, leading to the formation of fine anatase‐titania nanoparticles with sizes of 2–5 nm uniformly anchored on the cellulose nanofibers. The resulting anatase‐titania/cellulose composite sheet shows a significant photocatalytic performance towards degradation of a methylene blue dye, and introduction of silver nanoparticles into the composite sheet yields an Ag‐NP/anatase‐titania/cellulose composite material possessing excellent antibacterial activity against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria.     

Soft Template Strategy to Synthesize Iron Oxide–Titania Yolk–Shell Nanoparticles as High‐Performance Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Battery Applications

Yolk–shell‐structured nanoparticles with iron oxide core, void, and a titania shell configuration are prepared by a simple soft template method and used as the anode material for lithium ion batteries. The iron oxide–titania yolk–shell nanoparticles (IO@void@TNPs) exhibit a higher and more stable capacity than simply mixed nanoparticles of iron oxide and hollow titania because of the unique structure obtained by the perfect separation between iron oxide nanoparticles, in combination with the adequate internal void space provided by stable titania shells. Moreover, the structural effect of IO@void@TNPs clearly demonstrates that the capacity retention value after 50 cycles is approximately 4 times that for IONPs under harsh operating conditions, that is, when the temperature is increased to 80 °C.     

Preparation and characterization of positively charged ruthenium nanoparticles

Positively charged ruthenium nanoparticles were prepared by NaBH(4) reduction at room temperature and at pH values lower than 4.9. The ruthenium nanoparticles were characterized by zeta potential measurement, TEM, XPS, and XRD. Particles with a mean diameter of 1.8 nm and a standard deviation of 0.40 nm could be obtained under the experimental conditions. The surface charge on the particles is believed to originate from hydrated proton adsorption. The positively charged ruthenium nanoparticles could be used as the starting material for further functionalization by PVP, ethylenediamine, and dodecylamine.     

不同形貌TiO2的水热合成及对苯酚的降解研究

采用水热合成法, 通过对溶液的pH值、反应物配比、陈化温度及陈化时间等条件的控制, 合成出不同晶型及形貌的TiO2纳米粒子. 结果表明, 溶液的pH＝11, n(钛酸丁酯):n(三乙醇胺)＝1:2, 陈化温度为150 ℃, 陈化时间为48 h时, 能得到较规则的、长径比约为4:1的棒状TiO2. 当溶液pH<10时, 得到球形的TiO2纳米粒子; 陈化时间为24 h时, 得到纺锤形TiO2纳米晶. 以上合成的纳米粒子均为锐钛矿型, 但当溶液的pH>12时, 则得到板钛矿型TiO2粒子. 以苯酚为降解模型, 考察了不同形貌TiO2的光催化活性.     

Hydrogen liberation from the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of dimethylamine-borane at room temperature by using a novel ruthenium nanocatalyst

Herein we report the discovery of an in situ generated, highly active nanocatalyst for the room temperature dehydrogenation of dimethylamine-borane in water. The new catalyst system consisting of ruthenium(0) nanoparticles stabilized by the hydrogenphosphate anion can readily and reproducibly be formed under in situ conditions from the dimethylamine-borane reduction of a ruthenium(III) precatalyst in tetrabutylammonium dihydrogenphosphate solution at 25 ± 0.1 °C. These new water dispersible ruthenium nanoparticles were characterized by using a combination of advanced analytical techniques. The results show the formation of well-dispersed ruthenium(0) nanoparticles of 2.9 ± 0.9 nm size stabilized by the hydrogenphosphate anion in aqueous solution. The resulting ruthenium(0) nanoparticles act as a highly active catalyst in the generation of 3.0 equiv. of H(2) from the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of dimethylamine-borane with an initial TOF value of 500 h(-1) at 25 ± 0.1 °C. Moreover, they provide exceptional catalytic lifetime (TTO = 11,600) in the same reaction at room temperature. The work reported here also includes the following results; (i) monitoring the formation kinetics of the in situ generated ruthenium nanoparticles, by using the hydrogen generation from the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of dimethylamine-borane as a catalytic reporter reaction, shows that sigmoidal kinetics of catalyst formation and concomitant dehydrogenation fits well to the two-step, slow nucleation and then autocatalytic surface growth mechanism, A → B (rate constant k(1)) and A + B → 2B (rate constant k(2)), in which A is RuCl(3)·3H(2)O and B is the growing, catalytically active Ru(0)(n) nanoclusters. (ii) Hg(0) poisoning coupled with activity measurements after solution infiltration demonstrates that the in situ generated ruthenium(0) nanoparticles act as a kinetically competent heterogeneous catalyst in hydrogen generation from the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of dimethylamine-borane. (iii) A compilation of kinetic data depending on the temperature and catalyst concentration is used to determine the dependency of reaction rate on catalyst concentration and the activation energy of the reaction, respectively.     

Ruthenium nanoparticles in ionic liquids: structural and stability effects of polar solutes

Ionic liquids are a stabilizing medium for the in situ synthesis of ruthenium nanoparticles. Herein we show that the addition of molecular polar solutes to the ionic liquid, even in low concentrations, eliminates the role of the ionic liquid 3D structure in controlling the size of ruthenium nanoparticles, and can induce their aggregation. We have performed the synthesis of ruthenium nanoparticles by decomposition of [Ru(COD)(COT)] in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [C(1)C(4)Im][NTf(2)], under H(2) in the presence of varying amounts of water or 1-octylamine. For water added during the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles, a decrease of the solubility in the ionic liquid was observed, showed by nanoparticles located at the interface between aqueous and ionic phases. When 1-octylamine is present during the synthesis, stable nanoparticles of a constant size are obtained. When 1-octylamine is added after the synthesis, aggregation of the ruthenium nanoparticles is observed. In order to explain these phenomena, we have explored the molecular interactions between the different species using (13)C-NMR and DOSY (Diffusional Order Spectroscopy) experiments, mixing calorimetry, surface tension measurements and molecular simulations. We conclude that the behaviour of the ruthenium nanoparticles in [C(1)C(4)Im][NTf(2)] in the presence of 1-octylamine depends on the interaction between the ligand and the nanoparticles in terms of the energetics but also of the structural arrangement of the amine at the nanoparticle's surface.     

Local structure of titania decorated double-walled carbon nanotube characterized by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy was demonstrated to deliver detailed local structure and chemical composition of a complicated system with titania nanoparticles dispersed inside and outside the double-walled carbon nanotube (DWNT) channels. Areas with inhomogeneous distribution of titania and the associated water were particularly investigated at the C K-edge, Ti L-edge, and O K-edge. The results show that titania nanoparticles located inside DWNTs are present as amorphous, while those unsuccessfully introduced into the channels behave more like bulk materials in forms of anatase and rutile. Strong interaction was detected between the confined titania and DWNTs, as evidenced by up to 0.6 eV energy shift at the Ti L-edge. Strong hydration was observed for the as-prepared samples. Functionalization due to reduction and oxidation between titania and carbon layer is observed upon heat-treatment. This detailed structural information of specific areas cannot be provided by other techniques such as HRTEM, XRD, and XANES.     

Effect of AOT Microemulsion Composition on the Hydrodynamic Diameter and Electrophoretic Mobility of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles

Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A - The hydrodynamic diameter and electrophoretic mobility of titania nanoparticles in AOT microemulsions are studied depending on their water content (from 0...     

SYNTHESIS OF POLYSTYRENE/TiO_2 CORE-SHELL MATERIALS

TiO_2-coated polystyrene nanoparticles were prepared in a simple way.First,functional PS particles were synthesized by copolymerizing one kind of polymerizable surfactant with styrene.Then the stable dispersions of polystyrene nanoparticles were used as templates,and polystyrene nanoparticles were coated with titania by in situ hydrolysis of tetra-n- butyl titanate (TBT).No surface treatment and centrifugation/redispersion cycle process were needed during the whole experiment.Isolated PS spheres with uni...     

Ruthenium-catalyzed Heck-type olefination and Suzuki coupling reactions: studies on the nature of catalytic species

Ruthenium-catalyzed Heck olefination and Suzuki cross coupling reactions have been developed. When starting with a ruthenium complex [RuCl(2)(p-cymene)](2) as a homogeneous catalyst precursor, induction periods were observed and ruthenium colloids of zero oxidation state were generated under catalytic conditions. Isolated ruthenium colloids carried out the olefination, implying that active catalytic species are ruthenium nanoclusters. To support this hypothesis, ruthenium nanoparticles stabilized with dodecylamine were independently prepared via a hydride reduction procedure, and their catalytic activity was subsequently examined. Olefination of iodobenzene with ethyl acrylate was efficiently catalyzed by the ruthenium nanoparticles under the same conditions, which could be also reused for the next runs. In poisoning experiments, the conversion of the olefination was completely inhibited in the presence of mercury, thus supporting our assumption on the nature of catalytic species. No residual ruthenium was detected from the filtrate at the end of the reaction. On the basis of the postulation, a heterogeneous catalyst system of ruthenium supported on alumina was consequently developed for the Heck olefination and Suzuki cross coupling reactions for the first time. It turned out that substrate scope and selectivity were significantly improved with the external ligand-free catalyst even under milder reaction conditions when compared to results with the homogeneous precatalyst. It was also observed that the immobilized ruthenium catalyst was recovered and reused up to several runs with consistent efficiency. Especially in the Suzuki couplings, the reactions could be efficiently carried out with as low as 1 mol % of the supported catalyst over a wide range of substrates and were scaled up to a few grams without any practical problems, giving coupled products with high purity by a simple workup procedure.     

Synthesis of PVP-stabilized ruthenium colloids with low boiling point alcohols

A route to the preparation of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP)-stabilized ruthenium colloids by refluxing ruthenium(III) chloride in low boiling point alcohols was developed. Deep purple colloids with shuttle-like ruthenium particles were also synthesized. XPS measurement verified the nanoparticles were in the metallic state. The morphology of metal nanoparticles was characterized by UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry, TEM and XRD.     

High-density arrays of titania nanoparticles using monolayer micellar films of diblock copolymers as templates

Highly dense arrays of titania nanoparticles were fabricated using surface micellar films of poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymers (PS-b-P2VP) as reaction scaffolds. Titania could be introduced selectively within P2VP nanodomains in PS-b-P2VP films through the binary reaction between water molecules trapped in the P2VP domains and the TiCl(4) vapor precursors. Subsequent UV exposure or oxygen plasma treatment removed the organic matrix, leading to titania nanoparticle arrays on the substrate surface. The diameter of the titania domains and the interparticle distance were defined by the lateral scale present in the microphase-separated morphology of the initial PS-b-P2VP films. The typical diameter of titania nanoparticles obtained by oxygen plasma treatment was of the order of approximately 23 nm. Photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated for films before and after plasma treatment. Both samples showed PL properties with major physical origin due to self-trapped excitons, indicating that the local environment of the titanium atoms is similar.