Rod-like TiO2 Research Articles

One-Dimensional Single-Crystal Mesoporous TiO2 Supported CuW6O24 Clusters as Photocatalytic Cascade Nanoreactor for Boosting Reduction of CO2 to CH4.

Constructing nanoreactors with multiple active sites in well-defined crystalline mesoporous frameworks is an effective strategy for tailoring photocatalysts to address the challenging of CO2 reduction. Herein, one-dimensional (1-D) mesoporous single-crystal TiO2 nanorod (MS-TiO2-NRs, ≈110nm in length, high surface area of 117 m2 g-1, and uniform mesopores of ≈7.0nm) based nanoreactors are prepared via a droplet interface directed-assembly strategy under mild condition. By regulating the interfacial energy, the 1-D mesoporous single-crystal TiO2 can be further tuned to polycrystalline fan- and flower-like morphologies with different oxygen vacancies (Ov). The integration of single-crystal nature and mesopores with exposed oxygen vacancies make the rod-like TiO2 nanoreactors exhibit a high-photocatalytic CO2 reduction selectivity to CO (95.1%). Furthermore, photocatalytic cascade nanoreactors by in situ incorporation of CuW6O24 (W-Cu) clusters onto MS-TiO2-NRs via Ov are designed and synthesized, which improved the CO2 adsorption capacity and achieved two-step CO2-CO-CH4 photoreduction. The second step CO-to-CH4 reaction induced by W-Cu sites ensures a high generation rate of CH4 (420.4µmol g-1 h-1), along with an enhanced CH4 selectivity (≈94.3% electron selectivity). This research provides a platform for the design of mesoporous single-crystal materials, which potentially extends to a range of functional ceramics and semiconductors for various applications.

MXene-Derived TiO2/Starbon Nanocomposite as a Remarkable Electrode Material for Coin-Cell Symmetric Supercapacitor.

In this study, the synthesis of a MXene (Ti3C2Tx)-derivedTiO2/starbon (M-TiO2/Starbon-800°C) nanocompositeusingafacilecalcination method is explored. High-temperature exposure transforms layered Ti3C2Tx into rod-like TiO2 and starbon into amorphous carbon. The resulting M-TiO2/Starbon-800°C nanocomposite exhibits a significantly larger surface area and pore volume compared to its individual components, leading to superior electrochemical performance. In a three-electrode configuration, the nanocomposite achieved a specific capacitance (Csp) of 1352Fg⁻¹ at 1Ag⁻¹, while retaining more than 99% of its Csp after 50000 charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, when incorporated into a two-electrode symmetric coin cell, it demonstrates a Csp of 115Fg⁻¹ along with exceptional long cycle life. Moreover, the device shows an energy density (ED) of 51Whkg-1 and a power density (PD) of 7912Wkg-1 at 5Ag-1. The enhanced charge storage is attributed to the formation of a porous structure with a high specific surface area resulting from the interaction between M-TiO2 nanorods and starbon, which facilitates efficient ion penetration.

A Spike-like Self-Assembly of Polyaspartamide Integrated with Functionalized Nanoparticles.

The integration of nanoparticles (NPs) into molecular self-assemblies has been extensively studied with the aim of building well-defined, ordered structures which exhibit advanced properties and performances. This study demonstrates a novel strategy for the preparation of a spike-like self-assembly designed to enhance UV blocking. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide) (PHEA) substituted with octadecyl chains and menthyl anthranilate (C18-M-PHEA) was successfully synthesized by varying the number of grafted groups to control their morphology and UV absorption. The in situ incorporation of polymerized rod-like TiO2 within the C18-M-PHEA self-aggregates generated spike-like self-assemblies (TiO2@C18-M-PHEA) with a chestnut burr structure in aqueous solution. The results showed that the spike-like self-assemblies integrated with TiO2 NPs exhibited a nine-fold increase in UV protection by simultaneous UV absorption and scattering compared with the pure TiO2 NPs formed via a bulk mixing process. This work provides a novel method for UV protection using self-assembling poly(amino acid)s derivatives integrated with functional nanoparticles to tune their morphology and organization.

High performance of the morphologically controlled synthesis carrier of TiO2 for NH3 selective catalytic reduction of NO

TiO2 supported Ni and Ce with different morphologies (particle-like TiO2 (PT), flower-like TiO2 (FT), spherical-like TiO2 (ST), rod-like TiO2 (RT)) were prepared. Ni-Ce/flower-like TiO2 (NCFT) catalyst exhibits the best performance (NO conversion and N2 selectivity both approach to 100% approximately) in 250–450 °C and SO2 resistance (∼80%). The sequence of activities is NCFT > NCST > NCPT > NCRT. The FT carrier provides the largest specific surface area (145.9 m2 g−1), facilitating the dispersion of the active components. In addition, NCFT is abundant in Ni3+ and Ce3+ as well as Oα species, which support excellent redox properties. More weak acid and medium acid sites provided more adsorption sites for NH3-SCR reaction. This is also the main reason that NCFT catalyst has excellent denitrification activity. In-situ infrared results show that the reaction of NCFT catalyst is mainly through E-R mechanism, and NH3 (L) and -NH2 species formed on the catalyst surface were the main ammonia adsorption species and reaction species. Unfortunately, NCFT has not ideal sulfur resistance and stability due to its unique structure, which needs to be further improved.

Effects of Liquid Phase Nano Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Camphor Tree.

It is of great significance to popularize and apply nanotechnology in forest plantations for the high-quality development of such areas. Camphor trees have good ecological and environmental benefits and are economic, which makes them worthy of widespread popularization and promotion. In this paper, we successfully synthesized bulk and rod-like TiO2 powder and used it to study the influence of camphor seed germination and seedling growth. The germination rate, germination potential, germination index activity index of camphorwood seed during germination were measured by TiO2 solution with different morphology. Meanwhile, the fresh weight, root length and seedling height of seedlings, as well as the activities of CAT, SOD and POD and MDA content in the seedlings were measured in detail. The difference in the promoting effect between bulk and rod TiO2 powder was compared. The possible reasons are also explained. The results showed that bulk and rod-like TiO2 solution improved the activities of SOD, POD and CAT, and increased the resilience of camphor seedlings. Moreover, the rod-like TiO2 solution has a stronger osmotic effect on seed, and has a better effect on promoting seed germination and seedling growth. The study on the influence of nano-TiO2 concentration also further showed that the treatment of nano-TiO2 solution with appropriate concentration could effectively promote seed germination and seedling growth, and enhance its adoptability to adversity; but excessive concentration will bring some side effects, which was not conducive to seed germination and seedling growth. In general, the results of this study provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the practical application of nanotechnology in camphor seedling and afforestation production.

A pinning effect for the enhanced oxidation resistance at 1600 °C of silicoboron carbonitride ceramics with the addition of MXene

MXenes with lots of attractive mechanical and physicochemical properties have great potential in various applications. However, no mention has been made of the high-temperature properties of structural ceramics with MXenes, let alone silicoboron carbonitride (Si-B-C-N) composite ceramics over 1500 °C. The influences of MXene(Ti3C2Tx) additives on the oxidation resistance of Si-B-C-N ceramics were investigated at temperatures up to 1600 °C here for the first time. Dense, adherent scales are formed on surfaces of the oxidized ceramics at 1100 °C, and the thicknesses of scales present an overall decrease with the increased addition of Ti3C2Tx. The addition of 3.0 wt% Ti3C2Tx can improve the oxidation resistance at 1600 °C due to the pinning effect of rod-like TiO2 grains mostly buried in SiO2 scales, while less addition could probably deteriorate the anti-oxidation properties. The development of Si-B-C-N composite ceramics demonstrates that MXenes are promising additives for improving high-temperature antioxidant properties of multicomponent silicon-based ceramics at least.

Carrier transport and shielding properties of rod-like mesoporous TiO2–SiO2 nanocomposite

Synthesizing material candidates having both high ultraviolet (UV) absorbing capacity and low photoactivity is a paramount challenge. The present study reports the sonosynthesis of titanium oxide (TiO2) - silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanocomposite that possesses good UV screening efficacy but reduced photoactivity. It was observed that the synthesized TiO2–SiO2 (TS11) composite with a 1:1 M ratio of TiO2 and SiO2 precursors showed lower photoactivity (25.91% pollutant degradation in 300 min) while maintaining its UV shielding properties (20% UV transmittance in 200–400 nm region). The surface area and average pore diameter of TS11 nanocomposite was found to be 2 m2g-1 and 18.8 nm as per Barrett- Joyner- Halenda (BJH) analysis. Low photoactivity could be accounted to the reduced surface area and unique rod-like morphology of the TS11 composite that probably trapped the photoactive TiO2 particles within the SiO2 rods. The TS11 nanocomposite showed tunable band gap in comparison to that of bare TiO2 and SiO2 which is desirable for optoelectronic applications. The carrier transport properties were evaluated by fabricating an ITO/TS11/Al based Schottky diode. Lower carrier mobility, diffusion length and higher transit time under illumination in comparison to other TiO2 composites appears consistent with reduced photoactivity.

Construction of low-frequency and high-efficiency electromagnetic wave absorber enabled by texturing rod-like TiO2 on few-layer of WS2 nanosheets

As a novel 2D transition metal sulfide material, WS2 has been proven to possess potential electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) property due to its peculiar electronic structure. However, the intrinsic weak impedance match and single dielectric loss domination of this material only produce high-frequency electromagnetic absorption (EMA), which is seemingly futile for the prevalent low-band 4G and 5G EMW. In this study, efforts have been made to effectively texture rod-like TiO2 semiconductor with different mass ratios on the a few layers of WS2 nanosheets via a simple step-by-step hydrothermal method. It is found that the WS2/TiO2 hybrids loaded with 10% TiO2 at a sample thickness of 5.30 mm, the minimum RL is −43.90 dB at 5.12 GHz. When the thickness of the sample is 2.00 mm, the bandwidth with RL value less than −10 dB can reach 4.70 GHz, and the effective EMA band could be adjusted in a range of 13.84 GHz (4.16–18 GHz) by increasing the thickness from 1.0 mm to 5.5 mm. It was found that the introduction of TiO2 nanosheets with high dielectric loss into the dielectric WS2 nanosheets can produce a synergistic effect. The benefits of such synergestic effect include, optimization of the EMA strength and bandwidth, and a reduction of the effective EMA frequency band from high frequency to low frequency. This study paves a new avenue for the future design of low-frequency EMA materials with high efficiency.

One-pot synthesis of nano titanium dioxide in supercritical water

Abstract Supercritical hydrothermal synthesis of nanosized metal oxides is of great interest for scholars due to its one-pot and readily realizing commercial production process. Hydrothermal synthesis of nanosized TiO2 in subcritical and supercritical water was investigated with different reaction temperatures (250–450°C), time (3–10 min), precursor species (Ti(SO4)2, TiCl4), and the addition of a surfactant (CH3(CH2)5NH2). TiO2 synthesized under supercritical state has a higher degree of crystallinity when compared with TiO2 obtained from subcritical state, which is attributed to a higher reaction rate. Extending reaction time from 3 to 10 min leads to the growth of crystal and broader size distribution (36.66 ± 8.5 nm). More uniform products can be obtained when Ti(SO4)2 acting as the precursor compared with TiCl4 being the precursor. The application of surfactant CH3(CH2)5NH2 in the synthesis makes chemical bonding between the particle surface and organic ligand. It affects the growth direction of TiO2 crystal; as a result, rod-like TiO2 crystal is obtained.

Enhanced omniphobicity of mullite hollow fiber membrane with organosilane-functionalized TiO2 micro-flowers and nanorods layer deposition for desalination using direct contact membrane distillation

In this study, a novel omniphobic mullite hollow fiber membrane (HFM) was successfully fabricated to reduce the fouling and wetting propensity of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The surface of the mullite hollow fiber membrane was functionalized with flower-like (FL) and rod-like (RL) TiO2 rough layer. Then, surface fluorination was carried out using 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (97%) (C8). The modified mullite hollow fiber membrane, which was initially hydrophilic in nature, exhibited high liquid repellency towards water and low surface tension liquids such as ethylene glycol (47.3 mN/m) and olive oil (32 mN/m). The order of the membranes in terms of wetting resistance for low surface tension liquids is as follows: C8-FL/TiO2-HFM > C8-RL/TiO2-HFM > C8-HFM. The omniphobic membrane that was fabricated with TiO2 micro-flowers (C8-FL/TiO2-HFM) was the only membrane that exhibited superomniphobic properties towards ethylene glycol (~150°) and was nearly superomniphobic towards olive oil (~140°). In addition, the formation of air layers was observed on submerged C8-FL/TiO2-HFM and C8-RL/TiO2- HFM, which was proven to significantly reduce organic fouling even after 500 min of DCMD with an aqueous NaCl (3.5%) feed solution containing humic acid (10 mg/L). At the macroscopic level, no significant fouling was observed for the C8-FL/TiO2-HFM. This could be attributed to the hierarchical structure induced by TiO2 micro-flowers, which played a critical role in achieving excellent anti-fouling properties. This has also translated into the high flux stability of the C8-FL/TiO2-HFM. Rise in permeate conductivity was observed for the C8-HFM but not for C8-FL/TiO2-HFM and C8-RL/TiO2- HFM. These results suggest that the fabricated omniphobic mullite hollow fiber membrane with flower-like structure is promising for a robust DCMD process, even for the desalination of real seawater that contains organic contaminants.

Tailored Hydrothermal Synthesis of Specific Facet-Dominated TiO2 Nanocrystals from Lepidocrocite-Type Layered Titanate Nanosheets: Systematical Investigation and Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

A series of samples including leaf-like and rod-like rutile TiO2 nanoparticles with various facets exposed on the surface, parallelepiped-shaped anatase nanoparticles with [111] vertical facet exposed on the surface, irregular anatase nanoparticles, microsized six-point star-like anatase aggregates, and almond-like brookite aggregates had been hydrothermally synthesized from lepidocrocite-type layered titanate nanosheets. A systematical investigation was established to uncover the phase transition and morphological evolution from nanosheets to TiO2 polymorphs, and a phase diagram was determined by adjusting the synthesis parameters of the pH value and temperature. Two kinds of mechanisms composed of the dissolution-deposition process following Ostwald's ripening mechanism and the in situ topochemical conversion process following Ostwald's step rule had been proposed based on the time-dependent hydrothermal experiments. Briefly, the formation of the single-crystalline rutile phase appeared only at high temperatures with very low pH values, and similarly, the brookite phase strictly formed at high temperatures with a very high pH value. Nevertheless, the anatase phase could moderately appear in a wide range of temperatures and pH values. In addition, the single-crystalline rutile adopted a leaf-like morphology at low temperatures with high pH values and a rod-like morphology at high temperatures with low pH values, while the morphological evolution of anatase particles proceeded from irregular to parallelepiped-shaped and finally to six-point star-like morphology, and the crystal size was reduced from 1000 to 5 nm with decreasing pH values. Meanwhile, with the prolongation of the hydrothermal time, the layered titanate nanosheets first dissolved into the amorphous state and further converted into small anatase nanoparticles and finally to rutile or anatase nanoparticles based on the dissolution-deposition process, or the {010}-faceted layered titanate structure first converted into the [111]-vertical faceted anatase nanosheets by the topochemical transformation reaction and then split into the [111]-vertical faceted anatase nanoparticles. More importantly, the mesoporous [111]-vertical faceted anatase nanoparticles exhibited enhanced photocatalytic performance compared to that of Degussa P25, which was ascribed to its superior electronic band structure and effective charge separation. The systematical investigation in this work would be significant for consummating the preparation of the TiO2 polymorphs from layered titanate nanosheets and provided some reference values and guide schemes for the preparation of TiO2 nanoparticles with outstanding photocatalytic performance.

Robust TiO2 nanorods-SiO2 core-shell coating with high-performance self-cleaning properties under visible light

Photocatalytic SiO2–TiO2 composite coatings with excellent self-cleaning properties have attracted much attention in recent years due to their promising applications in many areas such as automobile windshields, window glasses, and solar cell panel covers, etc. However, most of these coatings are of low self-cleaning capability in the visible light region due to TiO2 only absorbing ultraviolet light, which limit their practical application. Here, highly transparent coatings of the rod-like TiO2–SiO2 nanoparticles on glass substrates were prepared by a simple dip-coating process. The photocatalytic activity and self-cleaning property of the coatings were evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl stearate (MS) under visible light irradiation. It was found that the coatings exhibited ~4% enhancement in the optical transmission of glass and a good mechanical stability. The as-prepared and annealed rod-like TiO2–SiO2 nanoparticle coatings show excellent self-cleaning properties. The results mean that the coatings have a high potential for self-cleaning applications in removal of organic pollutants under visible light such as solar cell panels, architectural glasses and optical devices, etc.

Fabrication of tunable 1D rod-like and 3D yolk-like TiO2 hierarchical architectures for efficient photocatalysis

TiO2 has attracted significant interest owning to their excellent photocatalytic properties. However, controlled preparation of TiO2 with satisfactory morphology is still an urgent challenge in this field. In this work, tunable one-dimensional (1D) rod-like and three-dimensional (3D) yolk-like N-doped TiO2 hierarchical architectures were successfully fabricated by one-step solvothermal route. A comparative study on morphological, structural and optical behavior of 1D and 3D TiO2 is conducted by SEM, TEM, BET, XPS, UV–Vis DRS, photoelectrochemical and photodegradation experiments. The resultant N-doped TiO2 with specific surface area of 190.8 m2 g−1 and 166.6 m2 g−1 for rod-like structure and yolk-like structure, respectively, exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance using rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB) and phenol as the degraded pollutants under visible-light irradiation. Benefiting from the direct electrical path, multiple internal reflections of light and high specific surface area, the rod-like N-doped TiO2 possessed higher photocatalytic efficiency. Specifically, for rod-like N-doped TiO2, the reaction rate constant of the photodegradation for RhB, MB and phenol reached 12.1, 6.9 and 76.0 times, respectively, compared with P25. In comparison with yolk-like N-doped TiO2, the rate constant raised 1.5, 1.3 and 1.3 times. In addition, the formation mechanism of such controllable-morphology structure was also analyzed. This work suggests that the proper hierarchical structure combined with a large specific surface area plays a significant role on photocatalytic performance.

Green synthesis of 3D tripyramid TiO2 architectures with assistance of aloe extracts for highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic ciprofloxacin

The large consumption and discharge of antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) force us to find an effective technology to removal of CIP. Herein, three dimensional (3D) tripyramid TiO2 architectures were eco-friendliness and facile synthesized with the assistance of aloe extracts and hydrothermal method and then were used in the photocatalytic removal of CIP pollutants. It’s found that residual biologically active components on the surface of TiO2 induced to the formation of 3D tripyramid architectures. The optimized composite showed a removal efficiency of 90% within 60 min. Compared to rod-like TiO2, 3D tripyramid TiO2 architectures displayed 3.4 times for photocatalytic degradation of CIP under UV–vis light irradiation. The present investigation initiates a green and eco-friendliness path for the construction of high-performance hierarchical catalysts in the application of wastewater purification.

Facile preparation and enhanced dielectric performance of rod-like TiO2/P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) composites

In this study, rod-like TiO2 filler was synthesized one-step hydrothermal method and was incorporated into P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) polymer matrix to obtain composites with high dielectric constant. It is found that the morphology and content of TiO2 fillers play a vital role in tailoring the performance of the as-fabricated composites. The rod-like TiO2 assembled by numerous nanoparticles maintained its primary shape and homogenously distributed in the matrix, thus achieved sophisticated interface and strong interfacial adhesion with P(VDF-TrFE-CFE) polymer, which together contributed to a dramatic improvement in permittivity of composites. Typically, the dielectric constant of composite with 10 vol% rod-like TiO2 reaches 160 at 100 Hz, in contrast to 102.5 for the composite with 10 vol% commercial TiO2 and 47 for pristine P(VDF-TrFE-CFE). This study provides a solution for obtaining high-k dielectric composites with low dielectric loss, which is highly desired for advanced electronic devices.

Morphology-controlled synthesis of 3D flower-like TiO2 and the superior performance for selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3

Morphology of 3D TiO2 support was regulated by modulating the hydrothermal time. Notably, the increase of hydrothermal time could greatly promote the transformation of rod-like TiO2 to flower-like TiO2, while the continuous increase of hydrothermal time damaged the integrity of flower-like TiO2 and led to the appearance of large TiO2 particles. After that, a series of CeO2-WO3/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by a typical impregnation method. The catalytic performance of these CeO2-WO3/TiO2 catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NH3-SCR) verified that NOx conversion was greatly related to morphological integrity of flower-like TiO2. Prominently, activity of CeO2-WO3/TiO2-8 catalyst was still excellent after introducing H2O and SO2, and thus the combined CeO2-WO3/TiO2-8 catalyst showed high catalytic activity and good resistance to H2O and SO2. Various characterizations indicated that the integrity of flower-like structure could evidently alter the surface atomic ratio of Ce3+/(Ce3+ + Ce4+) as well as acid sites. With the increase of surface atomic ratio of Ce3+/(Ce3+ + Ce4+), the SCR performance of the catalysts was obviously improved. In short, the superior catalytic performance of CeO2-WO3/TiO2 for the SCR of NOx was related to the morphology of TiO2 support, the highly dispersed active species, the valence of Ce, acid sites and lots of surface adsorbed oxygen.

Biologically synthesized titanium oxide nanostructures combined with morphogenetic protein as wound healing agent in the femoral fracture after surgery

The aim of the present study is to develop novel approach for the green synthesis of titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) using Eichhornia crassipes extract and calcined at different temperatures for evaluate the wound healing activity in the femoral fracture. The synthesized TiO2 are formed different (plate and rod-like) nanostructures at various calcination temperatures. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Microscopic studies of TiO2 NPs revealed that the synthesized TiO2 NPs are formed well-defined rod-like structures at 400 °C with size ranged from 200 nm to 500 nm. The characterized plate and rod-like TiO2 NPs are combined with human morphogenetic protein (HbMP) to improving its wound healing activity and osteoblast properties on femoral fractures. The biocompatibility was tested by using human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) cells and antibacterial efficacy analyzed using human pathogenica bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli through agar well diffusion assay. The green synthesized rod-like TiO2 NPs combined with HbMP has been exhibited effective bone fusion behaviors with biomechanical properties and also improved antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria. From this study results, it is suggested that green synthesized TiO2NPs could be used effectively in biomedical application.

P.3.d.036 - Are there differences in the antipsychotic load between deficit and non-deficit syndrome in first-episode schizophrenia?

The aim of the present study is to develop novel approach for the green synthesis of titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) using Eichhornia crassipes extract and calcined at different temperatures for evaluate the wound healing activity in the femoral fracture. The synthesized TiO2 are formed different (plate and rod-like) nanostructures at various calcination temperatures. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Microscopic studies of TiO2 NPs revealed that the synthesized TiO2 NPs are formed well-defined rod-like structures at 400 °C with size ranged from 200 nm to 500 nm. The characterized plate and rod-like TiO2 NPs are combined with human morphogenetic protein (HbMP) to improving its wound healing activity and osteoblast properties on femoral fractures. The biocompatibility was tested by using human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) cells and antibacterial efficacy analyzed using human pathogenica bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli through agar well diffusion assay. The green synthesized rod-like TiO2 NPs combined with HbMP has been exhibited effective bone fusion behaviors with biomechanical properties and also improved antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria. From this study results, it is suggested that green synthesized TiO2NPs could be used effectively in biomedical application.

Preparation and capacitance properties of Al-doped hierarchical TiO2 nanostructure by oxidation of Ti–8Al alloy

We reported a facile route for the fabrication of Al-doped TiO2 nanostructure for supercapacitor electrode materials through an in-situ oxidation of Ti–8Al alloy. Ti–8Al alloy was prepared through solidification route. After high-temperature oxidation, rod-like and wall-like Al-doped TiO2 composites were formed on the surface of Ti–8Al alloy flake. This kind of novel structure consisted of numerous nanorods and nanosheets, exhibiting large open space. When applied for supercapacitor, Al-doped TiO2 composites electrode materials exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. After oxidation at 650 °C for 100 h, the electrode can deliver the highest capacitance of 4650 μF cm−2 at the current density of 10 μA cm−2 as well as long-term cycling stability of 98.5% of the initial specific areal capacitance after 6000 cycles.

Multi-Scale-Porosity TiO2 scaffolds grown by innovative sputtering methods for high throughput hybrid photovoltaics.

We propose an up-scalable, reliable, contamination-free, rod-like TiO2 material grown by a new method based on sputtering deposition concepts which offers a multi-scale porosity, namely: an intra-rods nano-porosity (1–5 nm) arising from the Thornton’s conditions and an extra-rods meso-porosity (10–50 nm) originating from the spatial separation of the Titanium and Oxygen sources combined with a grazing Ti flux. The procedure is simple, since it does not require any template layer to trigger the nano-structuring, and versatile, since porosity and layer thickness can be easily tuned; it is empowered by the lack of contaminations/solvents and by the structural stability of the material (at least) up to 500 °C. Our material gains porosity, stability and infiltration capability superior if compared to conventionally sputtered TiO2 layers. Its competition level with chemically synthesized reference counterparts is doubly demonstrated: in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells, by the infiltration and chemisorption of N-719 dye (∼1 × 1020 molecules/cm3); and in Perovskite Solar Cells, by the capillary infiltration of solution processed CH3NH3PbI3 which allowed reaching efficiency of 11.7%. Based on the demonstrated attitude of the material to be functionalized, its surface activity could be differently tailored on other molecules or gas species or liquids to enlarge the range of application in different fields.