Preparation of porous nanocrystalline TiO2 electrode by screen-printing technique

Different paste has been used for preparing porous TiO2 thin film by screen-printing technique, the main component of it comes from commercial TiO2 P25 power. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on this TiO2 thin film without further chemical treatments exhibits high overall conversion efficiency of 5.81%―6.70%, even with low TiO2 content and thin film thickness. The experimental repeatability is nice and the properties of the films are uniform.     

High conversion efficiency of pristine TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube arrays based dye-sensitized solar cells

We prepared highly-ordered titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TNAs) by anodizing Ti foils in F-containing electrolytes.The crystalline nature and morphology of the TNAs were studied using X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron microscopy.We found the morphology of TNAs affects the light-to-electricity conversion efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).The efficiency of DSSCs reached 5.95% under the condition of light illuminated from the counter electrode.The high efficiency of TNA-based DSSCs was attributed to the neat top surface of TNAs,which allows more dye molecule loading on the surface of the TiO 2 nanotubes,and fewer electron recombination centers and a low interface resistance of integrated TNAs.     

Effect of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> pigment gradation on the properties of thermal insulation coatings

This study was designed to evaluate the thermal performance and mechanical properties of coatings with different gradations of TiO₂ pigments. The solar reflectance, cooling performance, wash resistance, and film adhesion strength of the coatings were investigated. The influence of TiO₂ powder gradation on the final properties of the coatings was studed. The solar reflectance and the thermal insulation were observed to increase with increasing content of nanosized TiO₂. The mechanical properties of the coatings, such as their wash resistance and film adhesion strength, were observed to increase with increased incorporation of nanosized TiO₂. Such improvements in the properties of the coatings were attributed to the greater specific surface area and lower thermal conductivity of nanosized TiO₂ particles compared to normal TiO₂ particles.     

Nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film electrodes prepared by common pressure hydrothermal method at low temperature

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on nanocrys- talline TiO2 thin film electrodes have been widely investi- gated since they were invented by Gr?tzel et al. in 1991[1-3]. Nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film electrodes are usually pre- pared by coating TiO2 colloid with organic additives on conductive glass substrates and annealing at 400-450℃ to remove organic additives and achieve good electrical contact between TiO2 particles and between TiO2 particles and conductive substrates, which…     

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride by molecular imprinted film modified TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotubes

To enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotubes,tetracycline hydrochloride(TC) molecularly imprinted titania modified TiO2 nanotubes(MIP-TiO2) was prepared by liquid phase deposition,which improved the molecular recognition ability of the photocatalyst toward template molecules.This MIP-TiO2 photocatalyst was characterized by ESEM and XRD,which showed that the imprinted titania was deposited on the nanotube uniformly and was of well-crystalized anatase-type.In the adsorption experiments,MIP-TiO2 exhibited a high adsorption capacity(about 1.6 times higher than that of TiO2 nanotubes) for TC mainly because of its imprinted sites and high surface area.Under UV irradiation MIP-TiO2 showed enhanced photocatalytic activity with an apparent first-order rate constant 1.9-fold that of TiO 2 nanotubes.     

Photocatalytic degradation kinetics of Rhodamine B catalyzed by nanosized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> film

A fixed bed photocatalytic reactor was designed,and dynamic fast scan of UV-Vis adsorption spectrum was adopted to study the photocatalytic degradation dynamic behavior of Rhodamine B,a kind of dye generally recognized as to be degraded difficultly ,on the surface of nanosized TiO2 thin film,The results indicate that the photocatalytic degradation process of Rhodamine B does not comply with the first-order reaction kinetic process ,As a result,a kinetic model of Rhodamine B photocataly tic degradation ,reaction is brough forward ,and the model is proved by the theoretical deduction and experiment.     

Photocatalytic activity of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> sensitized by CdS quantum dots under visible-light irradiation

In this paper, CdS quantum dots sensitized TiO2 composite powders (QD-CdS/TiO2) were synthesized by impregnating TiO2 powder into CdS sol with different concentrations. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) shows the crystal structures of CdS and TiO2 are cubic phase and anatase phase separately in QD- CdS/TiO2 powder samples; the crystal size of CdS in QD- CdS/TiO2 is about 3-7 nm, while TiO2 crystal size is about 20 nm. With increasing CdS content in QD-CdS/TiO2 composite, the UV-Vis absorption spectrum shifted to the longer wavelength lines, exhibiting obvious quantum size effect. The fluorescence intensity of QD-CdS/TiO2 irradiated by blue light is weaker than that of pure CdS. When the molar ratio of CdS and TiO2 is about 1∶2, the QD-CdS/TiO2 powder has the best catalytic properties under visible-light irradiation, and the degradation rate of rhodamine B (RhB) is up to 92.2% within 60 min.     

Preparation and luminescence properties of YeO3：Er^3＋/TiO2 with high specific surface area

The three composites Y2O3 :Er3+ , Y2O3 :Er3+ /Yb 3+ andY2O3 :Er3+ /TiO2 were prepared using coprecipitation and sol-gel techniques. Their morphology, specific surface area, porosity, UV-vis. absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra were measured using SEM, TEM, surface analysis, UV-vis. absorption and photoluminescence spectrophotometry. SEM and TEM showed that samples prepared using coprecipitation were dispersed, while Y2O3 :Er3+ /TiO2 particles possessed a mesoporous surface and average diameter of ab...     

Photocatalytic oxidation of gaseous benzene over nanosized TiO2 prepared by solvothermal method

Nanosized TiO2 particles were prepared by solvothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate as precursor,ethanol and water as solvents,and a facile immobilization method of nanosized TiO2 particles on woven glass fabric was developed. The samples obtained under various preparation conditions were charac-terized by means of thermo gravimetric analysis(TG) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) ,X-ray diffraction(XRD) ,transmission electron microscopy(TEM) ,high resolution-transmission electron mi-croscopy(HR-TEM) ,and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET) . The results show that the cube-shape of TiO2 prepared by solvothermal method has good crystallinity of(101) surface,higher thermal stability and large specific surface area. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) images confirmed that the immobi-lized TiO2 film was uniformly distributed and clung to the substrate firmly. The photocatalytic activity of the catalysts was tested using photocatalytic oxidation of gaseous benzene. The results show that the TiO2 calcined after solvothermal treatment suffers from lower specific surface area,and hence de-creases its photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activities of the TiO2 by solvothermal treatment with or without calcination in degradation 400 mg/m3 benzene are 3.7 and 4.1 times as high as catalyst without solvothermal treatment,respectively.     

A review of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles

Climate change and the consumption of non-renewable resources are considered as the greatest problems facing humankind.Because of this,photocatalysis research has been rapidly expanding.TiO2 nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for photocatalytic applications including the decomposition of organic compounds and production of H2 as a fuel using solar energy. This article reviews the structure and electronic properties of TiO2,compares TiO2 with other common semiconductors used for photocatalytic applications and clarifies the advantages of using TiO2 nanoparticles.TiO2 is considered close to an ideal semi- conductor for photocatalysis but possesses certain limitations such as poor absorption of visible radiation and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron/hole pairs.In this review article,various methods used to enhance the photocatalytic characteristics of TiO2 including dye sensitization,doping,coupling and capping are discussed.Environmental and energy applications of TiO2, including photocatalytic treatment of wastewater,pesticide degradation and water splitting to produce hydrogen have been summarized.     

Mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of dye MG by TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-film electrode with cathodic bias potential

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of malachite green (MG) under visible light irradiation with TiO2-film electrode has been investigated to reveal the mechanism for TiO2 photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The supported TiO2 electrode was prepared in laboratory and detected by scanning electron micros-copy and X-ray diffractometry. We have examined the degradation kinetics, change in degradation rate of MG and photocurrent change with the bias potential, voltage-induced adsorption of dyes, accumu-lation of ...     

Structure and photocatalytic properties of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Graphene Oxide intercalated composite

TiO2-Graphene Oxide intercalated composite (TiO2-Graphene Oxide) has been successfully prepared at low temperature (80°C) with graphite oxide (GO) and titanium sulfate (Ti(SO4)2) as initial reactants.GO was firstly exfoliated by NaOH and formed single and multi-layered graphite oxide mixture which can be defined as graphene oxide,[TiO]2+ induced by the hydrolysis of Ti(SO4)2 diffused into graphene oxide interlayer by electrostatic attraction.The nucleation and growth of TiO2 crystallites took place at low temperature and TiO2-Graphene Oxide composite was successfully synthesized.Furthermore,the photocatalytic properties of TiO2-Graphene Oxide under the irradiation of UV light were also studied.The results show that the degradation rate of methyl orange is 1.16 mg min-1 g-1(refer to the efficiency of the initial 15 min).Compared with P25 powder,this kind of intercalation composite owns much better efficiency.On the other hand,the reusable properties and stable properties of TiO2-Graphene Oxide intercalated composite are also discussed in this paper.At last,crystalline structure,interface status,thermal properties and microscopic structure of TiO2-Graphene Oxide were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),thermogravimetric analysis (TGA),field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM).Also,we have analyzed major influencing factors and mechanism of the composite structures which evidently improve the photocatalytic properties.     

Effects of MgO and TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on the viscous behaviors and phase compositions of titanium-bearing slag

The effects of MgO and TiO₂ on the viscosity, activation energy for viscous flow, and break-point temperature of titanium-bearing slag were studied. The correlation between viscosity and slag structure was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Subsequently, main phases in the slag and their content changes were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Factsage 6.4 software package. The results show that the viscosity decreases when the MgO content increases from 10.00wt% to 14.00wt%. Moreover, the break-point temperature increases, and the activation energy for viscous flow initially increases and subsequently decreases. In addition, with increasing TiO₂ content from 5.00wt% to 9.00wt%, the viscosity decreases, and the break-point temperature and activation energy for viscous flow initially decrease and subsequently increase. FTIR analyses reveal that the polymerization degree of complex viscous units in titanium-bearing slag decreases with increasing MgO and TiO₂ contents. The mechanism of viscosity variation was elucidated. The basic phase in experimental slags is melilite. Besides, as the MgO content increases, the amount of magnesia–alumina spinel in the slag increases. Similarly, the sum of pyroxene and perovskite phases in the slag increases with increasing TiO₂ content.     

Comparison between P25 and anatase-based TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> quasi-solid state dye sensitized solar cells

Pure anatase TiO2 films have been made via hydration of titanium isopropoxide using a sol-gel tech-nique, while mixed TiO2 films which contained both anatase and rutile TiO2 were made from commercial P25 powder. Quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated with these two kinds of mesoporous films and a comparison study was carried out. The result showed that the open-circuit photovoltages （Voc） for both kinds of cells were essentially the same, whereas the short-circuit photo-currents （1sc） of the anatase-based cells were about 33% higher than that of the P25-based cells. The highest photocurrent intensity of the anatase-based cell was 6.12 mA/cm^2 and that of the P25-based cell was 4.60 mA/cm^2. Under an illumination with the light intensity of 30 mW/cm^2, the corresponding energy conversion efficiency was measured to be 7.07% and 6.89% for anatase-based cells and P25-based cells, respectively.     

I-doping of anodized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotubes using an electrochemical method

In order to obtain TiO2 with high photocatalytic activity, a cathode reduction was used to dope I⁷⁺ and I⁵⁺ into TiO₂ nanotubes of anodized Ti in C₂H₂O₄•2H₂O + NH₄F electrolyte. SEM images show that the anodization method integrated the preparation with the doping process, which for nonmetals-doping is advantageous to maintain the morphological integrity of TiO₂ nanotubes. I⁷⁺-I⁵⁺-doping enhances the UV response of TiO₂ and result in a red-shift. Under UV/visible irradiation, a I⁷⁺-I⁵⁺-doped sample (400°C) showed the highest I_ph and photocatalytic efficiency. A part of I^– in the I⁷⁺-I⁵⁺-doped sample is involved in the UV response, the red-shift and the higher I_ph.     

Visible light photocatalytic decoloration of methylene blue on novel N-doped TiO2

Novel N-doped TiO2 (denoted as N-NTA600) was prepared by treating nanotube titanic acid (NTA) in NH3 flow. Its visible light photocatalytic activity,evaluated by decoloration reaction of methylene blue,is higher than that of N-P25(600) prepared by treatment of P25-TiO2 in the same condition. It is suggested that the origin of visible-light photocatalytic activity is single-electron-trapped oxygen vacancy (Vo·) modified by chemisorbed NO.     

搅拌方法对阳极氧化法制备TiO2纳米管阵列的影响

将Ti箔在电压为40 V、温度为60℃,超声搅拌或磁力搅拌下质量分数0.25%的NH4F+体积分数2.5%的蒸馏水+乙二醇电解液中进行阳极氧化,以制备TiO2纳米管阵列;所制备的样品在空气中经450℃退火3 h。用场发射扫描电镜、透射电镜对所制得的样品表面形貌和晶体结构进行表征。结果发现:磁力搅拌制得的样品表面被严重腐蚀;而超声搅拌下可制备出完整的TiO2纳米管,无腐蚀现象;阳极氧化后的TiO2纳米管为非晶态结构,经退火处理后转变为锐态矿结构。对不同搅拌方式影响TiO2纳米管阵列的形成机制进行了分析讨论。     

CdTe包覆TiO2纳米棒壳核结构有序阵列与P3HT杂化太阳电池研究

采用水热法在含氟二氧化锡导电玻璃(FTO)上制备了有序的金红石型TiO2纳米棒阵列,在TiO2纳米棒阵列上电沉积CdTe纳米晶构成了CdTe包覆TiO2壳核式纳米棒阵列(CdTe/TiO2),然后将聚3-己基噻吩(P3HT)的氯苯溶液旋涂到CdTe/TiO2壳核式纳米棒阵列上构成P3HT包覆CdTe/TiO2壳核式纳米棒阵列的复合结构(P3HT/CdTe/TiO2),在P3HT/CdTe/TiO2壳核式纳米棒阵列复合结构上使用离子溅射法喷镀Au膜构制Au-P3HT/CdTe/TiO2结构的杂化太阳电池,实验测得以Au-P3HT/CdTe/TiO2结构组装的杂化太阳电池的能量转换效率为0.91%。     

UV-辐照TiO_2纳米管阵列脱色甲基橙废水研究

在近中性的电解液中,采用恒电压阳极氧化法制备了TiO2纳米管阵列膜催化剂,研究了阳极氧化电压、氧化时间、电解液中氟离子浓度等对二氧化钛纳米管阵列表观形貌的影响,并分析了其晶型.以甲基橙模拟废水为目标物,测试了催化剂的光催化脱色效率.结果表明:催化剂的制备条件影响其表观形貌和晶型,进而影响其光催化效率;本实验制备的TiO2纳米管阵列的孔内径约为30~50 nm,壁厚约20~25 nm;热处理前催化剂为无定形型,550℃下热处理后的催化剂晶型以锐钛矿为主;同直接光解相比,光催化脱色甲基橙废水的效率提高了40%.     

Fabrication and structural characterization of large-scale uniform SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube arrays by sol-gel method

Semiconductor SnO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated by sol-gel method based on highly ordered nanoporous anodic alumina membrane. Their microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy, selective electron diffraction spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results indicated that SnO2 nanotubes have a thickness of about 20-30 nm,and a diameter of about 100-200 nm. The length of the nanotubes is about 1 μn, XRD and SEDS indicated that these SnO2 nanotubes are polycrystalline.