Abstract
AbstractMany applications of TiO2 nanoparticles, such as photocatalytic water splitting or water remediation, occur in aqueous environment. However, the impact of solvation on TiO2 electronic structure remains unclear because only few experimental methods are currently available to probe nanoparticle–water interface. Soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy has been extensively used to characterize the electronic structure of TiO2 materials, but so far only in vacuum conditions. Here, oxygen K edge and titanium L edge X‐ray absorption spectroscopy characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles measured directly in aqueous dispersion is presented. For this purpose, a new method to probe nanomaterials in liquid using a holey membrane‐based flow cell is introduced. With this approach, the X‐ray transmission of the membrane is increased, especially in the water window, compared to solid membranes.
Highlights
TiO2 nanoparticles are interacting with water molecules for most of their applications in photocatalysis[1] and water remediation,[2] either as a solvent or as an active catalytic reagent
The impact of solvation on TiO2 electronic structure remains unclear because only few experimental methods are currently available to probe nanoparticle-water interface
We characterized TiO2 nanoparticles dispersed in water by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in total fluorescence yield (TFY) using a holey membrane-based flow cell (HMFC)
Summary
TiO2 nanoparticles are interacting with water molecules for most of their applications in photocatalysis[1] and water remediation,[2] either as a solvent or as an active catalytic reagent. We present oxygen K edge and titanium L edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles measured directly in aqueous dispersion.
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