Nanostructured positively charged bioactive TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> layer formed on Ti metal by NaOH,acid and heat treatments

Nanometer-scale roughness was generated on the surface of titanium (Ti) metal by NaOH treatment and remained after subsequent acid treatment with HCl, HNO₃ or H₂SO₄ solution, as long as the acid concentration was not high. It also remained after heat treatment. Sodium hydrogen titanate produced by NaOH treatment was transformed into hydrogen titanate after subsequent acid treatment as long as the acid concentration was not high. The hydrogen titanate was then transformed into titanium oxide (TiO₂) of anatase and rutile by heat treatment. Treated Ti metals exhibited high apatite-forming abilities in a simulated body fluid especially when the acid concentration was greater than 10 mM, irrespective of the type of acid solutions used. This high apatite-forming ability was maintained in humid environments for long periods. The high apatite-forming ability was attributed to the positive surface charge that formed on the TiO₂ layer and not to the surface roughness or a specific crystalline phase. This positively charged TiO₂ induced apatite formation by first selectively adsorbing negatively charged phosphate ions followed by positively charged calcium ions. Apatite formation is expected on the surfaces of such treated Ti metals after short periods, even in living systems. The bonding of metal to living bone is also expected to take place through this apatite layer.     

Ba<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ferroelectric nanofilms on silicon buffered with a TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> layer

Polycrystalline, 50- to 70-nm-thick barium strontium titanate films of composition Ba_0.8Sr_0.2TiO₃ have been grown on single-crystal silicon substrates by rf ion-beam sputtering. We have determined their structure and composition and detected impurities at the film/substrate interface in the form of titanium silicide islands. The deposition of a 4- to 6-nm-thick TiO₂ buffer layer onto Si by ion-beam sputtering before ferroelectric film growth is shown to prevent uncontrolled formation of impurities near the interface. The buffered heterostructures possess high thermal stability.     

Graphdiyne-hybridized N-doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanosheets for enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

In this study, graphdiyne (GD)-hybridized nitrogen-doped TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed (001) facets (GD-NTNS) have been prepared via a hydrothermal reaction and utilized as photocatalyst for the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light illumination. The resultant GD-NTNS composites exhibit superior visible light photocatalytic activity than that of the bare TiO₂ nanosheets (TNS) and nitrogen-doped TiO₂ nanosheets (NTNS). The enhanced photoactivity can be attributed to the synergistic effects of GD and nitrogen doping with efficient electron transfer and strong visible light absorption. It has been revealed that ^·O^2? and h⁺ are the major species for the enhanced photoactivity under visible light. Our work will facilitate the potential for future design of hybrid materials for practical applications beyond photocatalysts.     

Preparation of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/CF composites for enhanced microwave absorbing performance

To meet the demand of electromagnetic absorption, cheap and easily available microwave absorbents are urgently required. As an important functional material, carbon fibers (CFs) have been widely reported, however, too high conductivity easily leads to the impedance mismatch, which is not favorable to the microwave absorbing performance (MAP). To address this challenge, in this study, novel TiO₂/Fe₃O₄/CF composites with tunable magnetic were synthesized by hydrothermal method and characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS and VSM. As absorbents, the minimum reflection loss (R_L) value is ??41.52 dB at a thickness of 2.1 mm, and the corresponding bandwidth with effective attenuation (R_L?<???10 dB) is up to 5.65 GHz (4.54–10.19 GHz). More importantly, the plausible mechanisms for the enhanced MAP are explored.     

Fabrication of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> double layer thin films with self-cleaning and photocatalytic properties

Transparent antireflective SiO₂/TiO₂ double layer thin films were prepared using a sol–gel method and deposited on glass substrate by spin coating technique. Thin films were characterized using XRD, FE-SEM, AFM, UV–Vis spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. XRD analysis reveals that the existence of pure anatase phase TiO₂ crystallites in the thin films. FE-SEM analysis confirms the homogeneous dispersion of TiO₂ on SiO₂ layer. Water contact angle on the thin films was measured by a contact angle analyzer under UV light irradiation. The photocatalytic performance of the TiO₂ and SiO₂/TiO₂ thin films was studied by the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. The effect of an intermediate SiO₂ layer on the photocatalytic performance of TiO₂ thin films was examined. SiO₂/TiO₂ double layer thin films showed enhanced photocatalytic activity towards methylene blue dye.     

Facile fabrication of hierarchical BiVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> heterostructures for enhanced photocatalytic activities under visible-light irradiation

BiVO₄/TiO₂ nanocomposites were fabricated by a facile wet-chemical process, followed by the synthesis of TiO₂ hierarchical spheres via hydrothermal method. The BiVO₄/TiO₂ nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that prepared TiO₂ presented hierarchical spherical morphology self-assembled by nanoparticles and an anatase–brookite mixed crystal phase. The introduction of monoclinic BiVO₄ components retained the hierarchical structures and expanded the light response to around 510 nm. Type II BiVO₄/TiO₂ heterostructured nanocomposites exhibited improved photocatalytic degradation towards methylene blue under visible-light irradiation, especially for the composite photocatalysts with atomic Ti/Bi?=?10, which showed double degradation rate than that of pure BiVO₄. The enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of the heterostructured BiVO₄/TiO₂ nanocomposites was discussed as well.     

SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> fibers from titanium-modified polycarbosilane

We developed a process for preparing SiO₂/TiO₂ fibers by means of precursor transformation method. After mixing PCS and titanium alkoxide, continuous SiO₂/TiO₂ fibers were fabricated by the thermal decomposition of titanium-modified PCS (PTC) precursor. The tensile strength and diameter of SiO₂/TiO₂ fibers are 2.0 GPa, 13 μm, respectively. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) measurements, the microstructure of the SiO₂/TiO₂ fibers is described as anatase–TiO₂ nanocrystallites with the mean size of ~10 nm embedded in an amorphous silica continuous phase.     

Preparation,microstructure and electrorheological property of nano-sized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> particle materials doped with metal oxides

New nano-sized TiO₂ electrorheological (ER) materials doped with different metal (M = Na, Zr, Ce, Al, Ca, Zn) oxides have been prepared. Relationships between the composition, microstructure, conductivity, dielectric property and ER effect of these materials have been studied. The results show that doping Na₂O, ZrO₂, Al₂O₃ or CeO₂ can enhance the ER performance of the TiO₂ material, whereas, doping CaO or ZnO would decrease the ER activity of the material. The shear stress (τ_E) of the suspension (25 wt%) of Na-doped TiO₂ in dimethyl silicone oil reaches 1.6 kPa at the electric field strength E = 4.2 kV/mm and shear rate γ = 300 s⁻¹, and its τ_r value of 54.6 (τ_r = τ_E/τ₀, where τ₀ is the shear stress at no electric field) is seven times higher than that of pure TiO₂ suspension. This high τ_r value is very advantageous to the use. The dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) plays a dominant role in influencing the ER performance of a particle material, and the effect of the surface area (pore volume, especially) and grain size should be taken into account.     

Fabrication and properties of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composites

Composites in the form of precipitated powders, hybrid xerogels, and SiO₂ core/TiO₂ shell particles have been produced via hydrolysis of precursors (alkoxides and inorganic derivatives of titanium and silicon) and have been characterized by differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, adsorption measurements, and macroelectrophoresis. The results demonstrate that heat treatment of the composites leads to crystallization of the titanium-containing component and, accordingly, reduces their specific surface area. Hydrothermal treatment enables the fabrication of materials in which TiO₂ nanocrystals are evenly distributed over an amorphous SiO₂ matrix.     

Electrical and optical properties of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>:Fe thin films

TiO₂ and TiO₂:Fe thin films have been grown by electron beam evaporation and the influence of doping and heat treatment on their electrical and optical properties has been studied.     

Methylammonium cation deficient surface for enhanced binding stability at TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>PbI<Subscript>3</Subscript> interface

Heterojunction interfaces in perovskite solar cells play an important role in enhancing their photoelectric properties and stability.Till date,the precise lattice arrangement at TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3 heterojunction interfaces has not been investigated clearly.Here,we examined a TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3 interface and found that a heavy atomic layer exists in such interfaces,which is attributed to the vacancies of methylammonium (MA) cation groups.Further,first-principles calculation results suggested that an MA cation-deficient surface structure is beneficial for a strong heterogeneous binding between TiO2 and CH3NH3PbI3 to enhance the interface stability.Our research is helpful for further understanding the detailed interface atom arrangements and provides references for interfacial modification in perovskite solar cells.     

Fabrication and luminescence properties of europium oxysulfide/(ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> + TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>)/Ti composites

Combining plasma electrolytic oxidation and extract pyrolysis, we have produced composite oxide coatings on titanium, which exhibit bright luminescence in the red spectral region. The present results and data in the literature suggest that combining these approaches is potentially attractive for the ability to produce composite coatings with various properties on the surface of valve metals and alloys.     

IR protection property and color performance of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Cu/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> coated polyester fabrics

Both humans and objects can emit infrared (IR) wavelengths which generate thermal emissions that can be detected with an IR camera. Therefore, highly IR reflective materials have been the subject of interest recently, for example, in achieving IR stealth. In this work, IR reflective coatings on polyester fabric in the form of a titanium dioxide/copper/titanium dioxide (TiO₂/Cu/TiO₂; TCT) sandwich-like structure are fabricated by using magnetron sputtering. The coated fabric samples are then examined by using an energy dispersive X-ray detector, a scanning electron microscope and an X-ray diffractometer. The reflection of IR wavelengths which range from 8 to 14 µm of the TCT coated fabric is evaluated. The bending stiffness, and mechanical and adhesion strengths of the coated fabric samples are also investigated. The results show that the TCT sandwich-like structure on the polyester fabric sputtered for 30 min with Cu which results in a Cu film of 200 nm in thickness is observed to have the maximum reflection of IR wavelengths. The color of the TCT coated polyester fabric samples sputtered for 5, 10, 20, and 30 min with Cu is green, yellow, brown and purple, respectively. The TCT coated fabric therefore has potential applications as IR protection textiles for military purposes.     

Occurrence and stability of ferromagnetism in chemically synthesized cobalt doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

We report the development of ferromagnetism in ∼30 nm sized well-characterized Ti_1−x Co _x O₂ powders with x = 0.00015–0.006 and its absence for x > 0.006. In addition, these studies show the effect of Co doping on the structural stability and anatase to rutile phase transformation. X-ray diffraction data of samples synthesized by a wet chemical method and annealed at 450 °C indicate a limited solubility of ∼1.2% for Co in the anatase TiO₂ matrix, and with further increase, the CoTiO₃ phase is formed along with increased presence of rutile TiO₂. The bandgap (∼3.23 eV) of the anatase TiO₂ remained almost unchanged for x < 0.006, but decreased rapidly for x ≥ 0.006 approaching 2.8 eV for x = 0.03. The magnetic data from Ti_1−x Co _x O₂ samples with x = 0.006 showed a coercivity H _c ∼ 150 Oe and a weak magnetic moment of 0.2 μ_B/ion at 300 K. The ferromagnetism of Ti_0.994Co_0.006O₂ with open hysteresis loops continue up to a high superparamagnetic blocking temperature T _B ∼ 675 K, above which a superparamagnetic behavior was observed. Systematic changes in the structural, magnetic and optical properties suggest that Co doping is an excellent method to tailor the physical properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles.     

Study on the reduction of highly porous TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> precursors and thin TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> layers by the FFC-Cambridge process

Reduction of porous titanium oxide precursors by the FFC-Cambridge process is reported in this paper. Porous TiO₂ precursors were prepared by mixing the powder with different concentrations of graphite and polyethylene as fugitive agents and sintered at 1,073 K. The maximum porosity achieved before the mixture saturation was approximately 75%. After the electro-deoxidation by the FFC-Cambridge process, shrinkage of approximately 40% in volume and increase in porosity were observed, which might be due to atomic rearrangement, change of density and subsequent grain growth during reduction. The potential applied (below the decomposition potential of CaCl₂) had a direct effect on the minimum level of oxygen achieved, which was approximately 3,000 ppm for 48 h at 3.00 V and the same level at half the time (24 h) when increasing potential to 3.15 V. On the other hand, thin layers (300 μm thickness) screen-printed on titanium foils showed shorter reduction time than that observed for thicker porous pellets. This led to the conclusion that cathode geometry (porosity and thickness of the pellet) might have an effect on the rate of reduction by increasing the surface area available and improving the mass diffusion of oxygen ions.     

Oxidizing catalysts supported on nanostructured TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

This paper compares the catalytic performance of platinum catalysts supported on different forms of TiO₂. A composite material in the form of Pt supported on titanium dioxide nanotubes is shown to possess the highest catalytic performance for CO oxidation. It exhibits stable catalytic activity at temperatures from 65 to 300°C.     

Conductivity of Sm<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> and Sm<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>

The oxygen-ion conductivity of porous materials, the coarse-grained pyrochlore-like Sm₂Ti₂O₇ and fine-grained Sm₂TiO₅ compounds, produced by mechanical activation of initial oxides is studied at 400–1000 °C. The Sm₂TiO₅ samples contain ～15 wt % of the nanosized pyrochlore-like Sm₂TiO₅ phase in addition to the rhombic phase. As determined by impedance spectroscopy, the ionic conductivities of Sm₂TiO₅ and Sm₂Ti₂O₇ at 1000°C are 1.3 × 10^?3 and 1.8 × 10^?4 S cm^?1, and the activation energies of the bulk and grainboundary conductivities of the materials are 1.04 and 1.24 eV for Sm₂TiO₅ and 1.69 and 1.80 eV for Sm₂Ti₂O₇.     

Fabrication of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/ZnO composite nanofibers with enhanced photocatalytic activity

TiO₂/ZnO composite nanofibers have been successfully prepared by electrospinning technique. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, were used to characterize the as-synthesized nanofibers. The photocatalytic studies revealed that the TiO₂/ZnO nanofibers exhibited enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of photodegradation. Additionally, the recycling experiment of TiO₂/ZnO nanofibers had been done, demonstrating that TiO₂/ZnO nanofibers have high efficiency and stability.     

Enhanced apatite formation on Ti metal heated in PO2-controlled nitrogen atmosphere

The oxynitridation of biomedical titanium metal under a precisely regulated oxygen partial pressure (P_O2) of 10^? 14 Pa in nitrogen atmosphere at 973 K for 1 h strongly enhanced apatite formation compared with that on Ti heated in air. The factors governing the high apatite-forming ability are discussed from the viewpoint of the surface properties of Ti heated under a P_O2 of 10^? 14 Pa in nitrogen atmosphere determined from X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and zeta potential measurements. Nitrogen (N)-doped TiO₂ (interstitial N) was formed on pure Ti heated under a P_O2 of 10^? 14 Pa in nitrogen atmosphere at 973 K. The XPS O1s main peak shifted toward a lower binding energy upon heating under a P_O2 of 10^? 14 Pa. This shift may be due to the formation of oxygen vacancies. This Ti surface had a positive zeta potential of approximately 20 mV. According to time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy results, PO₄^3 ? ions were predominantly adsorbed on Ti soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) after heat treatment, followed by calcium ions. It was concluded that the apatite formation kinetics can be described using the Avrami–Erofeev equation with an Avrami index of n = 2, which implies the instantaneous nucleation of apatite on the surface of Ti soaked in SBF after heat treatment at 973 K under a P_O2 of 10^? 14 Pa.