Photoinduced reactivity of titanium dioxide

About Supramolecular Assemblies of π-Conjugated Systems

One-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures have been studied intensively and extensively over the last decade not only for their remarkable chemical and physical properties, but also for their current and future diverse technological applications. This article gives a comprehensive overview of the progress that has been made within the context of 1D ZnO nanostructures synthesized via wet chemical methods. We will cover the synthetic methodologies and corresponding growth mechanisms, different structures, doping and alloying, position-controlled growth on substrates, and finally, their functional properties as catalysts, hydrophobic surfaces, sensors, and in nanoelectronic, optical, optoelectronic, and energy harvesting devices.

/pdf/one-dimensional-zno-nanostructures-solution-growth-and-30xs4d6be7.pdf

One-dimensional ZnO nanostructures: Solution growth and functional properties

We report a highly efficient solar cell based on a submicrometer (∼0.6 μm) rutile TiO2 nanorod sensitized with CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite nanodots. Rutile nanorods were grown hydrothermally and their lengths were varied through the control of the reaction time. Infiltration of spiro-MeOTAD hole transport material into the perovskite-sensitized nanorod films demonstrated photocurrent density of 15.6 mA/cm2, voltage of 955 mV, and fill factor of 0.63, leading to a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.4% under the simulated AM 1.5G one sun illumination. Photovoltaic performance was significantly dependent on the length of the nanorods, where both photocurrent and voltage decreased with increasing nanorod lengths. A continuous drop of voltage with increasing nanorod length correlated with charge generation efficiency rather than recombination kinetics with impedance spectroscopic characterization displaying similar recombination regardless of the nanorod length.

/pdf/high-efficiency-solid-state-sensitized-solar-cell-based-on-199z0v2ru1.pdf

High Efficiency Solid-State Sensitized Solar Cell-Based on Submicrometer Rutile TiO2 Nanorod and CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Sensitizer

Phase transformation of TiO2 from anatase to rutile is studied by UV Raman spectroscopy excited by 325 and 244 nm lasers, visible Raman spectroscopy excited by 532 nm laser, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV Raman spectroscopy is found to be more sensitive to the surface region of TiO2 than visible Raman spectroscopy and XRD because TiO2 strongly absorbs UV light. The anatase phase is detected by UV Raman spectroscopy for the sample calcined at higher temperatures than when it is detected by visible Raman spectroscopy and XRD. The inconsistency in the results from the above three techniques suggests that the anatase phase of TiO2 at the surface region can remain at relatively higher calcination temperatures than that in the bulk during the phase transformation. The TEM results show that small particles agglomerate into big particles when the TiO2 sample is calcined at elevated temperatures and the agglomeration of the TiO2 particles is along with the phase transformat...

UV Raman spectroscopic study on TiO2. I. Phase transformation at the surface and in the bulk

Intense short-wavelength photoluminescence (PL) observed at room temperature from thermal SiO2 films co-implanted with Si and C is reported. A flat Si profile was first implanted, followed by 1100 °C annealing for 60 min. C ions were subsequently used to be implanted into the same depth region. PL was observed from the as-implanted samples with and without annealing. The PL intensity increases with annealing temperature. Comparing the PL spectra and the PL dynamics of the C-implanted, annealed, Si-implanted (CIASI) SiO2 films with those from Si- and C-implanted SiO2 films suggests that the interaction of Si and C in SiO2 films plays an important role in the luminescence in CIASI SiO2 films.

Intense short-wavelength photoluminescence from thermal SiO2 films co-implanted with Si and C ions

Titanium oxide films were synthesized by ion-beam-enhanced deposition. The films were prepared by depositing titanium atoms and simultaneously bombarding them with Xe+ ions at an energy of 40 keV in an O2 environment. An in vivo investigation, which entailed implanting low-temperature isotropic pyrolytic carbon (LTI carbon) cylinders, widely used to fabricate artificial heart valves, and titanium-oxide-coated LTI carbon cylinders with diameters of 5 mm and thicknesses of 0.5 mm into the ventral aorta of dogs for 14 days, showed that the amount of thrombus on the titanium-oxide-coated LTI carbon was much less than that formed on the surface of LTI carbon alone. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of thrombus. On the titanium oxide films no platelet aggregation was found, almost no red blood cells were damaged, and almost no fibrin was found on the surface. However, all three characteristics were found on the surface of LTI carbon alone, proving that the blood compatibility of titanium oxide films is better than that of LTI carbon and titanium-oxide-coated LTI carbon. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Biomed Mater Res, 42, 128–133, 1998.

In vivo investigation of blood compatibility of titanium oxide films.

Surface characterization of titanium oxide films synthesized by ion beam enhanced deposition

Interaction between carbon nanotubes and substrate and its implication on field emission mechanism

The highly ordered and aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on p-GaN substrates via a facile hydrothermal process assisted by the inverted self-assembled monolayer template, from which the ZnO nanorod/p-GaN heterojunction light emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated. The ZnO nanorod-based LEDs exhibit a stronger ultraviolet emission of 390 nm than the ZnO film-based counterpart, which is attributed to the low density of interfacial defects, the improved light extraction efficiency, and carrier injection efficiency through the nano-sized junctions. Furthermore, the LED with the 300 nm ZnO nanorods has a better electroluminescence performance compared with the device with the 500 nm nanorods.

Xianghuai Liu

Papers

Intense short-wavelength photoluminescence from thermal SiO2 films co-implanted with Si and C ions

In vivo investigation of blood compatibility of titanium oxide films.

Surface characterization of titanium oxide films synthesized by ion beam enhanced deposition

Interaction between carbon nanotubes and substrate and its implication on field emission mechanism

Ultraviolet electroluminescence from ordered ZnO nanorod array/p-GaN light emitting diodes