Abstract
Transition metal oxides are widely used in solar cells, batteries, transistors, memories, transparent conductive electrodes, photocatalysts, gas sensors, supercapacitors, and smart windows. In many of these applications, large surface areas and pore volumes can enhance molecular adsorption, facilitate ion transfer, and increase interfacial areas; the formation of complex oxides (mixed, doped, multimetallic oxides and oxide-based hybrids) can alter electronic band structures, modify/enhance charge carrier concentrations/separation, and introduce desired functionalities. A general synthetic approach to diverse mesoporous metal oxides is therefore very attractive. Here we describe a powerful aerosol-spray method for synthesizing various mesoporous metal oxides from low-cost nitrate salts. During spray, thermal heating of precursor droplets drives solvent evaporation and induces surfactant-directed formation of mesostructures, nitrate decomposition and oxide cross-linking. Thirteen types of monometallic oxides and four groups of complex ones are successfully produced, with mesoporous iron oxide microspheres demonstrated for photocatalytic oxygen evolution and gas sensing with superior performances.
Highlights
Transition metal oxides are widely used in solar cells, batteries, transistors, memories, transparent conductive electrodes, photocatalysts, gas sensors, supercapacitors, and smart windows
Continuous efforts have been made on the synthesis of mesoporous transition metal oxides since the 1990s owing to their wide uses in various important applications as mentioned above
We recently reported on the use of Fe(NO3)[3] and Ni(NO3)[2] as oxide precursors to prepare amorphous mixed iron-nickel oxides at varying compositions through aerosol spray for efficient electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction[25]
Summary
Transition metal oxides are widely used in solar cells, batteries, transistors, memories, transparent conductive electrodes, photocatalysts, gas sensors, supercapacitors, and smart windows. The subsequent temperature increase after the solvent is completely evaporated causes the thermal decomposition of metal nitrates This prevents precipitation and crystallization of oxides in the droplets and consequent phase separation between the inorganic and organic ingredients, a notably long-lasting problem in the synthesis of mesoporous transition metal oxides with chlorides and alkoxides as oxide precursors[11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24]. Thirteen types of monometallic oxides and four groups of complex ones have been successfully produced, with mesoporous iron oxide microspheres demonstrated for photocatalytic oxygen evolution and gas sensing with superior performances
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
