Zr4+-Doped Anatase TiO2 Nanotube Array Electrode for Electrocatalytic Reduction of L-cystine

Weizhen Wang,Yuming Tang,Xuhui Zhao,Guangxin Wang,Xiaofeng Zhang,Yu Zuo

doi:10.3390/ma13163572

Abstract

A Zr4+-doped anatase TiO2 nanotube array electrode was prepared using a process that included Ti anodizing, chemical immersion, and heat treatment. The compositions, microstructure, and electrochemical properties of the prepared electrodes were characterized. The results show that Zr4+ was successfully introduced into the TiO2 nanotube array electrodes. Because Zr4+ was doped into the crystal structure of the TiO2and replaced a part of Ti4+ to form more oxygen vacancies and Ti3+, the electrocatalytic activity of the prepared electrodes, for the reduction of L-cystine, was significantly improved.

Highlights

L-cysteine is widely used in many fields, such as medicine, cosmetics, and biochemical research.The typical industrial production of L-cysteine is achieved through the electrocatalytic reduction ofL-cystine
Skúlason et al [12] discussed the role of transition metal oxides in the electrocatalytic reduction of N2 by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the anatase Zr/TiO2 electrode has a tubular structure, with tube diameters and lengths of about 100 and 650 nm, respectively (Figure 1b,c)

Summary

Introduction

L-cysteine is widely used in many fields, such as medicine, cosmetics, and biochemical research.The typical industrial production of L-cysteine is achieved through the electrocatalytic reduction ofL-cystine. Developing alternative materials with stable performance, that are environmentally friendly and have a high catalytic reduction activity, are one of the current research hotspots [2,3,4]. As one of the most studied catalytic materials, TiO2 has an important role in the field of catalysis [5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. Skúlason et al [12] discussed the role of transition metal oxides in the electrocatalytic reduction of N2 by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Hirakawa et al [13] reported the role of oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ in TiO2 in the photocatalytic reduction of N2. Cao et al [18,19] reported in detail that a

Methods

Results

Conclusion