Synthesis of nanosized TiO2/SiO2 particles in the microemulsion and their photocatalytic activity on the decomposition of p-nitrophenol

Nanosized pure TiO₂ particles were prepared by hydrolysis of TTIP in the sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles. TiO₂/SiO₂ nanoparticles were also prepared from TEOS as a silicon source and TTIP as a titanium source. These particles were characterized by TEM, XRD, FT-IR, BET, TGA and DTA. From thermal analysis and XRD analysis, the anatase structure of pure titania appeared in the 300–600 °C calcination temperature range and the rutile structure was showed above 700 °C. However, no rutile phase was observed for the TiO₂/SiO₂ particles up to 800 °C. The crystallite size decreased and the surface area of TiO₂/SiO₂ particles monotonically increased with an increase of the silica content. From FT-IR analysis, the band for Ti–O–Si vibration was observed and the band intensity for Si–O–Si vibration increased with an increase of the silica content. The micrographs of TEM showed that the TiO₂/SiO₂ nanoparticles had a spherical and a narrow size distribution. In addition, TiO₂/SiO₂ particles showed higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO₂ and the TiO₂/SiO₂ (90/10) particles showed the highest activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of p-nitrophenol.     

Photocatalytic activity and OH radical formation on TiO2 in the relation to crystallinity

Two types of TiO₂ samples, ST-01 (Ishihara-Sangyo, Japan) and A11 precursor (Police, Poland), were heat-treated at 400–1000 °C and characterized by the phase composition, crystallite size and lattice strain. These TiO₂ samples were tested for methylene blue (MB) decomposition and OH radical formation. Through heating TiO₂ up to 700 °C for 1 h the single anatase phase was remained, which had improved crystallinity, large crystallite size and very small lattice strain. By extending the calcination time up to 2–5 h, the anatase phase partially transformed to rutile phase, much faster by A11 precursor than by ST-01. Transformation of anatase phase to rutile reduced the rate of methylene blue decomposition, although OH radical formation was the highest in the samples having around 9 mass% of rutile. However, methylene blue decomposition not only depended on OH radical formation on TiO₂ particles, but also the content of even small amount of rutile in TiO₂ reduces markedly the rate of methylene blue decomposition.     

Local structure and photocatalytic activity of B2O3–SiO2/TiO2 ternary mixed oxides prepared by sol–gel method

The local structure and the photoactivity of B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ ternary mixed oxides (SiO₂ content was fixed as 30 at.% with respect to TiO₂) was investigated by using XRD, FT-IR, BET, UV-vis spectra, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurement. In FT-IR analysis, boron was incorporated into the framework of titania matrix with replacing Ti---O---Si with Si---O---B or Ti---O---B bonds. Also, paramagnetic species such as O⁻ and Ti³⁺ defects were formed by the boron incorporation. In SiO₂/TiO₂ mixed oxides, a blue shift in the light absorption band was observed due to the quantization of band structure. All B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ samples had pure anatase phase and no rutile phase was formed even though the calcination temperature was over 900 °C. Incorporating boron oxides of more than 10% enlarges the grain size of anatase phase and causes a red shift of the light absorption spectrum. The surface area was monotonically decreased with increasing the content of boron content. As a result, the photoactivity of B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ ternary mixed oxides was greatly influenced by the content of boron oxide. The highest photoactivity (g moles/min l) was obtained when the boron content was 5% and seven times higher than that of silica/titania binary mixed oxide. In addition, the specific photoactivity (g moles/m² l) was maximum still at 5%. It was concluded that the large reduction of surface area, the change of band structure, and more formation of bulk Ti³⁺ sites are responsible for the deterioration in the photoactivity of B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ ternary mixed oxides when the content of boron is over 10%, although their crystallinity was enhanced by increasing the calcination temperature with keeping anatase phase.     

Photoresponse and AC impedance characterization of TiO2–SiO2 mixed oxide for photocatalytic water decomposition

TiO₂–SiO₂ mixed oxides were prepared by sol–gel processes with one-stage (mix up fully hydrolyzed titania- and silica-sol), two-stage (with pre-hydrolysis) and modified two-stage synthesis routes. The photoresponse and AC impedance characterization of the derived catalysts are studied and correlated for the first time with the photocatalytic activities in water decomposition under UV illumination. Synergistic effects in terms of photocatalytic activity and electronic properties including band-gap energy, flat band potential and doping density were observed on atomically mixing TiO₂ and SiO₂ by the two-stage synthesis route. Meanwhile, the decline of photocurrent density were found on TiO₂–SiO₂ relative to bare TiO₂, which could be attributed to low quality crystalline structure of the former compared to that of the latter. The superior photocatalytic performance of TiO₂–SiO₂ is ascribed to the higher flat band potential, band-gap energy, and doping density than those of bare TiO₂.     

Fabrication and characterization of Ag–TiO2 multiphase nanocomposite thin films with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Ag–TiO₂ multiphase nanocomposite thin films were prepared on quartz substrates by the liquid phase deposition (LPD) method from a mixed aqueous solution of ammonium hexafluouotitanate, silver nitrate and boric acid under ambient temperature and atmosphere followed by calcination at 500 °C for 1 h. The grain growth of anatase was depressed upon Ag⁺ doping. However, silver ions not only promoted (or catalyzed) the formation of brookite phase but also reduced the phase transformation temperature of anatase to rutile. With increasing AgNO₃ concentration, the transmittance and band gap of the composite thin films decreased; however, the intensity of surface plasmon absorption (SPA) peaks increased and their peak position shifted to a longer wavelength range. When AgNO₃ concentration was higher than 0.03 M, the prepared samples consisted of anatase, brookite, rutile and metal silver nanocrystal particles, and their grain size ranges were 5–30 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the Ag–TiO₂ multiphase nanocrystal composite thin films prepared by this method exceeded that of pure TiO₂ thin films by a factor of more than 6.3 when AgNO₃ concentration was kept in the range of 0.03–0.05. This was attributed to the fact that there were many hetero-junctions, such as anatase/rutile, anatase/brookite, Ag/anatase, Ag/rutile and so on, existed in the Ag–TiO₂ multiphase nanocomposite films.     

Catalytic activity of dispersed CuO phases towards nitrogen oxides (N2O, NO, and NO2)

A systematic reactivity study of N₂O, NO, and NO₂ on highly dispersed CuO phases over modified silica supports (SiO₂–Al₂O₃, SiO₂–TiO₂, and SiO₂–ZrO₂) has been performed. Different reaction paths for the nitrogen oxide species abatement were studied: from direct decomposition (N₂O) to selective reductions by hydrocarbons (N₂O, NO, and NO₂) and oxidation (NO to NO₂). The oxygen concentration, temperature, and contact time, were varied within suitable ranges in order to investigate the activity and in particular the selectivity in the different reactions studied. The support deeply influenced the catalytic properties of the active copper phase. The most acidic supports, SiO₂–Al₂O₃ and SiO₂–ZrO₂, led to a better activity and selectivity of CuO for the reactions of N₂O, NO, and NO₂ reductions and N₂O decomposition than SiO₂–TiO₂. The catalytic results are discussed in terms of actual turnover frequencies starting from the knowledge of the copper dispersion values.     

CO hydrogenation over a rhodium vanadate catalyst: Reduction and regeneration of RhVO4 on SiO2

The hydrogenation of CO over an Rh vanadate (RhVO₄) catalyst supported on SiO₂ (RhVO₄/SiO₂) has been investigated after H₂ reduction at 500°C, and the results are compared with those of vanadia-promoted (V₂O₅–Rh/SiO₂) and unpromoted Rh/SiO₂ catalysts. The mean size of Rh particles, which were dispersed by the decomposition of RhVO₄ after the H₂ reduction, was smaller (41 Å) than those (91–101 Å) of V₂O₅–Rh/SiO₂ and Rh/SiO₂ catalysts. The RhVO₄/SiO₂ catalyst showed higher activity and selectivity to C₂ oxygenates than the unpromoted Rh/SiO₂ catalyst after the H₂ pretreatment. The CO conversion of the RhVO₄/SiO₂ catalyst was much higher than that of V₂O₅–Rh/SiO₂ catalyst, and the yield of C₂ oxygenates increased. We also found that the RhVO₄/SiO₂ catalyst can be regenerated by calcination or O₂ treatment at high temperature after the reaction.     

Mesostructured SiO2-doped TiO2 with enhanced thermal stability prepared by a soft-templating sol–gel route

Mesostructured SiO₂–TiO₂ mixed oxides have been prepared by a soft-templating sol–gel route, using a non-ionic triblock copolymer as structure-directing agent. Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) have been employed as Si and Ti sources, respectively. Using a prehydrolysis TEOS step allows mixed oxides to be produced with a homogeneous porosity and with no phase segregation, in a wide range of Si/Ti compositions. Both the hydrolysis molar ratio and the silicon content have been found to be important factors determining the final properties of these materials. For instance, mixed oxides containing low silicon concentrations exhibit N₂ physisorption isotherms typical of mesoporous materials, although with an important contribution of microporosity. On the other hand, increasing the hydrolysis molar ratio makes more difficult to reach a total dispersion of SiO₂ through the TiO₂ matrix. Even with low SiO₂ loadings, the thermal stability is effectively enhanced, when compared to the equivalent pure TiO₂ materials, as a consequence of a delay in the titania crystallization to anatase. Thus, after calcination at 300 °C for 3 h, mixed oxides containing low Si/Ti ratios (20/80) show BET surface area in the range 290–346 m²/g, while pure TiO₂ materials largely collapse under the same treatment and their BET surface area drop strongly to values around 125 m²/g. This synthesis route, therefore, provides mesoporous TiO₂-rich materials with enhanced stability and textural properties, which is of high interest for applications as catalysts and supports.     

Processing of hot pressed Al2O3–Cr2O3/Cr-carbide nanocomposite prepared by MOCVD in fluidized bed

Nanosized particles dispersed uniformly on Al₂O₃ particles were prepared from the decomposition of precursor Cr(CO)₆ by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in a fluidized chamber. These nanosized particles consisted of Cr₂O₃, CrC_1−x, and C. A solid solution of Al₂O₃–Cr₂O₃ and an Al₂O₃–Cr₂O₃/Cr₃C₂ nanocomposite were formed when these fluidized powders were pre-sintered at 1000 and 1150 °C before hot-pressing at 1400 °C, respectively. In addition, an Al₂O₃–Cr₂O₃/Cr-carbide (Cr₃C₂ and Cr₇C₃) nanocomposite was formed when the particles were directly hot pressed at 1400 °C. The interface between Cr₃C₂ and Al₂O₃ is non-coherent, while the interface between Cr₇C₃ and Al₂O₃ is semi-coherent.     

Highly porous TiO2 films from anodically deposited titanate hybrids and their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activity

Hybrid films of TiO₂ and benzoquinone, its derivative 2-methyl-benzoquinone or the dye 2,9,16,23-tetrasulfophthalocyaninatonickel(II) were prepared by anodic electrodeposition from titanium alkoxide solutions. Calcination of the films at 450 °C led to removal of the organics and the formation of crystalline and highly porous TiO₂ films as seen in XRD and Kr adsorption measurements, respectively. In dye-sensitized solar cells the films achieved an overall light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 0.8% despite a low film thickness of 0.55 μm. In the photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue the films showed photonic efficiencies of up to 0.09% for film thicknesses around 0.5 μm, which is much higher than those of comparable TiO₂ films prepared by sol–gel method.     

Spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of TiO2 thin films prepared by the sol–gel method

TiO₂ thin films were prepared on SiO₂/Si(100) substrates by the sol–gel process. XRD results indicate that the major phase of TiO₂ thin films is anatase. The surface morphology and cross-section are observed by FE-SEM. The surface of thin films is dense, free of cracks and flat. The average grain size is about 60–100 nm in diameter. The thickness of single layer TiO₂ thin films is about 60 nm, which increases with the concentration of solution. Ellipsometric angles ψ, Δ are investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical constant and the thickness of TiO₂ thin films are fitted according to Cauchy dispersion model. The results reveal that the refractive index and the extinction coefficient of TiO₂ thin films in wavelength above 800 nm are about 2.09–2.20 and 0.026, respectively. The influences of processing conditions on the optical constants and thicknesses of TiO₂ thin films are also discussed.     

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/ZSM-5 composites in the presence of SO4 ion

TiO₂/ZSM-5 composites were prepared from SiO₂ of rice husk ash and TiO₂ sol from hydrolyzed TiOSO₄ salt. The combined effect of these two materials greatly enhanced the photocatalytic decolorization of methylene blue dye solution. The instant decolorization of the dye solution in the dark by the composite, TiO₂/ZSM-5 (wt ratio 1:1), resulted from the combination of the adsorption by ZSM-5 zeolite and TiO₂ nano-particles, and of Na₂SO₄ salt adhering to the composite surface. As a strong flocculating agent, the SO₄²⁻ ion caused the precipitation of the dye onto the composite surface which consequently enhanced the photocatalytic decolorization of the dye under UV irradiation. The composite, TiO₂/ZSM-5 (wt ratio 1:5), completely decolorized the methylene blue dye in 2.5 h, giving an equivalent performance to that of TiO₂, P-25 powder.     

Effects of hydrothermal temperature and time on the photocatalytic activity and microstructures of bimodal mesoporous TiO2 powders

Bimodal nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO₂ powders with high photocatalytic activity were prepared by a hydrothermal method using tetrabutylorthotitanate (TiO(C₄H₉)₄, TBOT) as precursor. The as-prepared TiO₂ powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N₂ adsorption–desorption measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared TiO₂ powders was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of acetone (CH₃COCH₃) under UV-light irradiation at room temperature in air. The effects of hydrothermal temperature and time on the microstructures and photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ powders were investigated and discussed. It was found that hydrothermal treatment enhanced the phase transformation of the TiO₂ powders from amorphous to anatase and crystallization of anatase. All TiO₂ powders after hydrothermal treatment showed bimodal pore-size distributions in the mesoporous region: one was intra-aggregated pores with maximum pore diameters of ca. 4–8 nm and the other with inter-aggregated pores with maximum pore diameters of ca. 45–50 nm. With increasing hydrothermal temperature and time, the average crystallite size and average pore size increased, in contrast, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas, pore volumes and porosity steadily decreased. An optimal hydrothermal condition (180 °C for 10 h) was determined. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared TiO₂ powders under optimal hydrothermal conditions was more than three times higher than that of Degussa P25.     

Crystallization and Photoactivity of Tio2 Films Formed on Soda Lime Glass by a Sol-Gel Dip-Coating Process

Transparent nanophase TiO₂ thin films on soda lime glass were prepared from titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) by a sol-gel dip-coating method. The TiO₂ films had amorphous phase up to 400°C and anatase phase at 500°C. The amorphous TiO₂ films obtained at 300-400°C showed considerable photoactivity for the degradation of formic acid. The photoactivity of the TiO₂ films was enhanced with increasing calcination temperature from 300° to 500°C. The crystallinity of the anatase films at 500°C was improved with increasing calcination time up to 2 h and reduced with a further increase in calcination time to 4 h due to the significant formation of sodium titanate phase as a result of sodium diffusion. The four-time-dipping anatase films at 500°C exhibited the greatest photoactivity at the calcination time of 2 h. Sodium diffusion into TiO₂ films was retarded by a SiO₂ underlayer of 50 nm in thickness.     

Characterization and photocatalytic activity of N-doped TiO2 prepared by thermal decomposition of Ti–melamine complex

Nitrogen doped spherical TiO₂ has been prepared by thermal decomposition of Ti–melamine complex in air atmosphere. A clear shift in the onset light absorption from UV region (<400) to visible region (>520 nm) has been observed for the N-doped samples. It has been deduced from the optical absorption spectra that the higher calcination temperature results in the decrease in the amount of N-doping. The XRD results revealed the phase transition of TiO₂ from anatase to rutile crystalline phase, starting at calcination temperature ≥600 °C. The electron microscopic images reveal the formation of spherical and flakes of TiO₂ nanocrystals (25 nm). The chemical nature of N in the N-TiO₂ has been evolved through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The presence of different types of N species have been observed corresponding to different oxidation states and the presence of Ti–N and O–Ti–N have been confirmed from the observed binding energy values. Photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue has been carried out both in the visible region and UV + visible region. In the visible region, N-TiO₂ showed higher activity compared to the undoped commercial TiO₂ (Degussa P25).     

Photoactivity of anatase–rutile TiO2 nanocrystalline mixtures obtained by heat treatment of homogeneously precipitated anatase

Nanosized titanium dioxide photocatalysts with varying amount of anatase and rutile phases have been synthesized. Homogeneous precipitation of aqueous solutions containing TiOSO₄ with urea was used to prepare porous spherical clusters of anatase TiO_2. Photoactive titania powders with variable amount of anatase and rutile phases were prepared by heating of pure anatase in the temperatutre range 800–1150 °C. The structure evolution during heating of the starting anatase powders was studied by XRD analysis in overall temperature range of phase transformation. The morphology and microstucture characteristics were also obtained by HRTEM, BET and BJH. The spherical particle morphology of TiO₂ mixtures determined by SEM was stable in air up to 900 °C. The photocatalytic activity of the sample titania TIT85/825 heated to 825 °C in air, contained 77.4% anatase and 22.6% rutile was higher than that nanocrystalline anatase powder. Titania sample TIT85/825 reveals the highest catalytic activity during the photocatalyzed degradation of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous suspension.     

Phase diagram of the system: Al2O3–ZrO2

The system Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ was studied by differential thermal analysis in inert atmosphere and in vacuum. The eutectic was located at 1866°C and 40% mass of ZrO₂. Zirconia solid solution at the eutectic temperature is up to 1.1±0.3% mass of Al₂O₃. Enthalpy of melting of this eutectic is 1080±90 J/g. Pure ZrO₂ transforms from monoclinic to tetragonal at 1162±7°C, but the saturated solid solution of ZrO₂, with 0.7±0.2% mass Al₂O₃ at this temperature, transforms at 1085±5°C. Inverse transitions occur with hysteresis correspondingly at 1055±5 and 995±5°C. Enthalpy of transformation of pure ZrO₂ from monoclinic to tetragonal phase is 42±5 J/g (5.2±0.6 J/mol) but only 30±5 J/g for a ZrO₂ saturated solid solution.     

Preparation and characterization of surface bond-conjugated TiO2/SiO2 and photocatalysis for azo dyes

Surface bond-conjugated TiO₂/SiO₂ was prepared by means of the impregnation method. Based on the results of XRD, FTIR, XPS and BET measurements, the growth of titania (predominantly anatase) on the silica substrate seems to occur by anchoring of the TiO₂ phase through Ti–O–Si cross-linking bonds. The structure model of TiO₂/SiO₂ was proposed. Compared to B–TiO₂, the most efficient catalyst is 30 wt.% TiO₂/SiO₂ (Ims30), which showed three times higher photoactivity for the degradation of reactive 15 (R15). In addition, the catalyst had a higher photoactivity on a silica of smaller particle size than on the silica of larger particles. Silica gel plays the basic role of dispersion and support for power TiO₂. The isoelectric point of the catalyst was 3.0 pH units by the measurement of zeta-potential, indicating the presence of the surface acidity of the catalyst. The photodegradation and the adsorption of R15 and cationic blue X-GRL (CBX) were investigated with the change of initial aqueous pH.     

Dielectric behavior of Nb2O5-doped TiO2/epoxy thick films

TiO₂/epoxy composite thick films containing the TiO₂ powders doped with 4 and 10 vol% Nb₂O₅ heat treated under vacuum at 1050 and 1150 °C, were prepared by the screen printing and curing steps. The Nb₂O₅-doped TiO₂ ceramic bulks demonstrated a higher effective dielectric constant at different densification environments, as compared with pure TiO₂. The dielectric properties of the TiO₂/epoxy thick films were improved if the heat-treated 4 vol% Nb₂O₅-doped TiO₂ powder was incorporated instead of the un-doped and heat-treated 10 vol% Nb₂O₅-doped TiO₂ powders. The disadvantage of the doped TiO₂ having higher dielectric loss tangent could be minimized after its powder was properly treated and mixed with epoxy to form the TiO₂/epoxy composite. A best result with the dielectric constant of 23 and the loss tangent of 0.046 was obtained for the 40 vol% TiO₂/epoxy composite thick films, where the TiO₂ powder was doped with 4 vol% Nb₂O₅ followed by calcination at 1000 °C in air and heat treatment at 1150 °C under vacuum.     

硅藻土负载La~(3+)/TiO_2光催化剂的制备及其光催化性能

以钛酸四丁酯为前驱体,硅藻土为载体,采用溶胶-凝胶法制备TiO_2/硅藻土负载型光催化剂。以硝酸镧为镧源,采用等体积浸渍-焙烧法制备La~(3+)/TiO_2硅藻土光催化剂。通过XRD和SEM对制备的催化剂进行表征,以亚甲基蓝溶液模拟有机废水,考察n(Ti)∶n(Si)及La3+掺杂量对催化剂光催化性能的影响,结果表明,硅藻土可提高TiO_2分散性,降低TiO_2晶粒尺寸,并抑制其由锐钛矿相向金红石相的转变。在n(Ti)∶n(Si)=1∶1、焙烧温度550℃和La3+掺杂质量分数1%条件下,La~(3+)/TiO_2硅藻土光催化剂的光催化活性较好,紫外光连续照射180 min,亚甲基蓝降解率可达99.9%。