Preparation and characterization of Cu-doped TiO2 nanomaterials with anatase/rutile/brookite triphasic structure and their photocatalytic activity

Pure TiO₂ and Cu–doped TiO₂ containing different amounts of copper ions with anatase/rutile/brookite triphasic structure were successfully synthesized through a simple hydrothermal method. The obtained samples were characterized by X–ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV?vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analyze (BET). Both pure and Cu–doped TiO₂ show relatively high photocatalytic activity owing to their considerable surface areas. Moreover, the three–phase coexisting structure and the conversion between Cu²⁺ and Cu⁺ ions facilitate the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, which is favorable for photocatalytic performance. 1%Cu–TiO₂ exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity and the degradation degree of rhodamine B (RhB) reaches 93.5% after 30 min, which is higher than that of monophasic/biphasic 1%Cu–TiO₂. ·O₂^? radical is the main active species, and h⁺ and ·OH species are subsidiary in the degradation process.

     

Phase-pure TiO(2) nanoparticles: anatase, brookite and rutile

We report on the synthesis of phase-pure TiO(2) nanoparticles in anatase, rutile and brookite structures, using amorphous titania as a common starting material. Phase formation was achieved by hydrothermal treatment at elevated temperatures with the appropriate reactants. Anatase nanoparticles were obtained using acetic acid, while phase-pure rutile and brookite nanoparticles were obtained with hydrochloric acid at a different concentration. The nanomaterials were characterized using x-ray diffraction, UV-visible reflectance spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. We propose that anatase formation is dominated by surface energy effects, and that rutile and brookite formation follows a dissolution-precipitation mechanism, where chains of sixfold-coordinated titanium complexes arrange into different crystal structures depending on the reactant chemistry. The particle growth kinetics under hydrothermal conditions are determined by coarsening and aggregation-recrystallization processes, allowing control over the average nanoparticle size.     

Synthesis and characterization of anatase and rutile TiO2 nanorods by template-assisted method

Well-aligned anatase and rutile TiO₂ nanorods and nanotubes with a diameter of about 80–130 nm have successfully been fabricated via sol-gel template method. The prepared samples were characterized by using thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The XRD results indicated that the TiO₂ nanorods were crystallized in the anatase and rutile phases, after annealing at 400–800 °C for different periods of time from 0.2 to 10 h.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic activity of anatase TiO2 nanofiber

TiO2 nanofiber consisting of 15 +/- 5 nm anatase grains was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of fibrous hydrogen titanate precursor at 180 degrees C for 20 h. The hydrogen titanate precursor was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of commercial P25 TiO2 powder in 10 M NaOH at 200 degrees C for 20 h followed by soaking in 0.1 M HNO3 to perform ion exchange between the as-synthesized Na titanate and H. By controlling pH of the solution during hydrothermal treatment of the hydrogen titanate precursor, pure anatase TiO2 nanofiber was obtained. Its band-gap energy determined from the onset of diffused reflectance spectrum was 3.19 eV which is equal to that of anatase TiO2 powder. The TiO2 nanofiber showed higher photodecomposition efficiency than the Cotiox KA-100 TiO2 but lower than the P25 TiO2. Photodegradation is the predominant process for 'Reactive blue 171' removal.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of sea urchin-shaped rutile TiO2 nanocrystals

Sea urchin-shaped rutile nanostructures (SUR NSs) with abundant {110} surfaces are synthesized at 60 °C under atmospheric pressure. The SUR NSs were ~ 420 nm in diameter and contain a number of needle-like rutile single crystals grown parallel to the (110) face from a single nucleus in a radial fashion. The photocatalytic activity of the SUR NSs is significantly higher than that of commercial rutile nanoparticles with the same specific surface area. This demonstrates that {110} facets are effective in enhancing photoactivity.     

Controlled synthesis of anatase TiO2 octahedra with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanocrystals with specific exposed crystal facet have attracted considerable interest due to their promising applications in the fields of energy and environment. In this paper, we report on a simple solvothermal approach for the synthesis of anatase TiO₂ octahedra with high yield, using titanium(IV) sulfate and hydrazine hydrate as the starting materials. The formation mechanism of anatase TiO₂ octahedra is suggested. The samples were characterized with XRD, Raman, SEM, TEM, FTIR, XPS, and UV/vis techniques, and further tested as a candidate in photocatalysis to decompose methyl orange in aqueous solution at room temperature. The results show that SO₄²⁻ ions not only benefit the formation of octahedral nanocrystals, but also inhibit nitrogen doping into TiO₂ matrix. More importantly, it is found that the octahedral TiO₂ nanocrystals show enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to TiO₂ P25 and anatase TiO₂ counterparts.     

Photocatalytic activity of La, Y Co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized by ultrasonic assisted sol-gel method

Bare TiO2 (T), La-doped TiO2 (LT), Y-doped TiO2 (YT), La, Y co-doped TiO2 (LYT) were successfully prepared by facile ultrasonic assisted sol-gel synthesis using Ti(OC4H9)4 as the precursor. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The photocatalytic activities of anatase samples, with the average particle diameters ranging from 14 nm to 21 nm, were evaluated for photodegradation of methyl orange (MO). The XPS results indicated that Y atoms were incorporated into titania lattice, while La atoms existed on the crystal surface. Due to doping, the optical absorption edges of LT, YT, and LYT shifted to the visible light region by 21 nm, 29 nm and 35 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic performances of the doped samples, such as LT, YT and LYT, were much higher than that of bare TiO2 under UV-visible light irradiation. And the photoreactivity efficiency of the LYT was the highest. It indicated that a strong La-Y synergistic interaction appeared to play a decisive role in driving the excellent photocatalytic performance of titania.     

La、Y掺杂金红石相TiO_2光催化活性研究

以钛酸丁酯为钛源,La2O3和Y2O3作为掺杂物,掺杂比例为0、0.50%、1.00%、1.50%和2.00%(质量分数)。采用一步合成法制备金红石相TiO2粉体、La/Y掺杂金红石相TiO2粉体。利用XRD、UV-Vis、Zeta电位和粒度等手段表征了光催化剂的晶体结构、光吸收能力等方面的物理化学性质。以甲基红为降解模型,其反应动力学结果表明,1.00%(质量分数)La掺杂金红石相TiO2吸附效果最好,其与实验结论相吻合。     

锐钛矿/TiOz(B)异质纳米线制备、表征及其光催化性能研究

通过简单的水热反应,和后续的退火处理得到锐钛矿/TiO2(B)异质结构纳米线.通过XRD、SEM和TEM对其进行表征.并对锐钛矿/TiO2 (B)进行甲基橙紫外光降解性能测试,探究和讨论了H2O2对其光催化性能的影响,实验表明当加入1.6mL H2O2时对体系光催化促进效果最优,只需要8min分解率达到99％,降解时间只为无H2O2时的1/5.     

Improved photocatalytic activity of zeolite- and silica-incorporated TiO2 film

Porous TiO2 film was prepared by sol-gel method from TiO2 sol containing polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP). Photocatalytic activity of the film was evaluated by the elimination rate of ethylene. Several adsorbents including zeolite and silica powders were incorporated into the TiO2 film. All the adsorbents enhanced the activity. The optimum adsorbent content was 0.005-0.01 g/ml of the coating sol solution. Silica provided better activity than zeolite. At high humidity and in dry air the activity decreased.     

Synergistic manipulation of micro-nanostructures and composition: anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO2 hollow micro-nanospheres with hierarchical mesopores for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications

The construction of nanocrystals with controllable composition and desirable micro-nanostructures is a well-known challenge. A combination of favorable composition and optimized micro-nanostructures can enhance the performance of a material significantly. Using TiO(2) as an example, we demonstrate here a facile approach to prepare anatase/rutile mixed-phase TiO(2) hollow micro-nanospheres with hierarchical mesopores. Our strategy relies on polymer-assisted assembly of ～ 5 nm nano-building blocks into three-dimensional hierarchical hollow micro-nanospheres in a mixed alcohol-water solution. This superior micro-nanostructure endows the sample with hierarchical mesopores and a high surface area of 106 m(2) g(-1). We also show that, due to the synergetic effects of the mixed-phase composition and the micro-nanostructures, the sample exhibited significantly improved photovoltaic performance and similar photocatalytic performance compared with the commercial Degussa P25. These results suggested that our sample has great potential for future photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications.     

Photoelectrochemical properties of sol–gel-derived anatase and rutile TiO2 films

Anatase and rutile film electrodes with comparable porosities were prepared by the sol–gel dip-coating method, and the photoelectrochemical properties were studied based on photocurrent measurement and impedance analysis in a three-electrode wet cell. The photocurrent was found to increase with the donor density, both in anatase and rutile electrodes. For the same donor density, however, rutile electrodes exhibited higher photocurrents than anatase electrodes, which was ascribed to the more beneficial bandgap structure of the former.     

Low-temperature fabrication of porous anatase TiO2 film with tiny slots and its photocatalytic activity

The films consisting of 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl propane (BPA) and anatase TiO₂ colloidal particles were prepared by a dip-coating method. The BPA in the films was preferentially dissolved in anhydrous ethanol and thus eliminated from the films, so the porous anatase TiO₂ films were obtained. The surface morphology and the properties of the films were studied. The results show that the co-continuous morphology of the blends is favorable to the formation of porous surface structure with homogeneous and continuous tiny slots. The porosity induces the effective adsorption of Rhodamine B (RB) on the catalyst surface, and thus the photocatalytic activity is enhanced.     

Improved photocatalytic activity of polymer-modified TiO2 films obtained by a wet chemical route

Porous TiO₂ films, exhibiting improved photocatalytic activity compared with commercial materials, have been deposited on glass. The films were dipcoated from a polymer-modified TiO₂ precursor solution, containing about 90 vol% water as solvent. The addition of water-soluble polymers such as polyethyleneglycol and polyvinylalcohol has produced TiO₂ films with different morphologies, exhibiting RMS roughnesses of up to 60 nm and increased porosity. We studied the effect of the polymers on the morphology and surface topography of a series of polymer-modified TiO₂ films and evaluated how their presence in the precursor influences the crystallinity, optical transmittance and most importantly, the photocatalytic activity of the films. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that all films exhibit the anatase crystal structure after calcining for 2 h at 500 °C. We find that the presence of polyethyleneglycol inhibits the crystallization of the TiO₂ films. Transmittance spectra show that most of the polymer-modified TiO₂ films obtained in this work are transparent although high polymer content can lead to opaque films because of increased porosity and surface roughness. The surface morphology of the films was studied by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Their photocatalytic efficiency was studied by following the decomposition of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The activity of the reference TiO₂ film obtained from a precursor without polymers is comparable to that of Saint-Gobain (SG) self-cleaning Bioclean glass, while some of the polymer-modified films show efficiencies that can be up to seven times higher.     

Influence of Fe catalytic doping on the properties of TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized by microwave method

The present work focus on the development of an effective process for undoped and Fe doped TiO₂ powders production by microwave technique. The influence of Fe doping on the structure, phase, vibrational bands and optical properties of TiO₂ were discussed. The X-ray diffraction patterns of nanoparticles revealed a preferentially oriented (101) anatase phase for TiO₂ and transforms to rutile TiO₂ with Fe doping. Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis confirmed the phase transformation from anatase to rutile TiO₂ with Fe doping. The UV–visible spectra showed the increase in absorption band with Fe doping when compared with undoped TiO₂ nano particles, and optical band gap decreased slightly with Fe doping. SEM micrographs revealed spherical shaped grains of TiO₂ with high homogeneity, with a subsequent reduction in the agglomeration of particles with Fe doping suggesting its potential application for better photo catalytic activity.