Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties, Modifications, and Applications

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) offer the possibilities to design solar cells with a large flexibility in shape, color, and transparency. DSC research groups have been established around the worl ...

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Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The interest in nanoscale materials stems from the fact that new properties are acquired at this length scale and, equally important, that these properties * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone, 404-8940292; fax, 404-894-0294; e-mail, mostafa.el-sayed@ chemistry.gatech.edu. † Case Western Reserve UniversitysMillis 2258. ‡ Phone, 216-368-5918; fax, 216-368-3006; e-mail, burda@case.edu. § Georgia Institute of Technology. 1025 Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 1025−1102

Chemistry and properties of nanocrystals of different shapes.

Recent developments have greatly improved the sensitivity of optical sensors based on metal nanoparticle arrays and single nanoparticles. We introduce the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensor and describe how its exquisite sensitivity to size, shape and environment can be harnessed to detect molecular binding events and changes in molecular conformation. We then describe recent progress in three areas representing the most significant challenges: pushing sensitivity towards the single-molecule detection limit, combining LSPR with complementary molecular identification techniques such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and practical development of sensors and instrumentation for routine use and high-throughput detection. This review highlights several exceptionally promising research directions and discusses how diverse applications of plasmonic nanoparticles can be integrated in the near future.

Biosensing with plasmonic nanosensors

2.3. Evaluation of Photocatalytic Water Splitting 6507 2.3.1. Photocatalytic Activity 6507 2.3.2. Photocatalytic Stability 6507 3. UV-Active Photocatalysts for Water Splitting 6507 3.1. d0 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6507 3.1.1. Ti-, Zr-Based Oxides 6507 3.1.2. Nb-, Ta-Based Oxides 6514 3.1.3. W-, Mo-Based Oxides 6517 3.1.4. Other d0 Metal Oxides 6518 3.2. d10 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6518 3.3. f0 Metal Oxide Photocatalysts 6518 3.4. Nonoxide Photocatalysts 6518 4. Approaches to Modifying the Electronic Band Structure for Visible-Light Harvesting 6519

Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

Hydrogenated surface disorder enhances lithium ion battery performance

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been deemed as a promising metal-free catalyst for solar energy utilization toward water splitting. In the present work, homogeneous n/n junctioned g-C3N4/g-C3N4 is prepared by in situ annealing of two different precursors and its photocatalytic activity is studied for hydrogen generation. It exhibits a superior photocatalytic performance over its individual pure g-C3N4 moieties. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is explained by the synergistic effects between the two g-C3N4 in the homogeneous nanostructures, where a better charge separation is achieved in the homogeneous g-C3N4/g-C3N4 with many n/n junctions. Previously, synergistic effects were reported in the heterostructures of different materials or different phases. This study thus broadens the meaning of synergistic effects and demonstrates that synergistic effects can be obtained using the same materials of the same phase but made by different methods. Therefore, this finding is of general interest to the materials, chemistry, and renewable energy communities and will trigger a wide attention in the related research fields.

n/n junctioned g-C3N4 for enhanced photocatalytic H2 generation

Developing an inexpensive and high-efficiency hydrogen-production cocatalyst to replace the noble metal Pt remains a big challenge in the fields of sustainable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. He...

Carbon Nanotube-Supported Cu3P as High-Efficiency and Low-Cost Cocatalysts for Exceptional Semiconductor-Free Photocatalytic H2 Evolution

Cu1.8S quantum dots were prepared by using a single-source-precursor type method and investigated in the light of opto-electronic applications. With femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption measurements, the electron relaxation as well as their trapping dynamics could be evaluated. The measurements reveal that the largest and the smallest QD samples prepared exhibit the longest mobility lifetimes, and that the electron-hole relaxation dynamics is strongly dependent on the occurrence of trapping sites. Based on the argument of optical response, it appears that the largest prepared Cu1.8S QDs with band gap energy of 2.35 eV are preferred candidates for opto-electronic device fabrication.

Xiaobo Chen

Papers

Hydrogenated surface disorder enhances lithium ion battery performance

n/n junctioned g-C3N4 for enhanced photocatalytic H2 generation

Carbon Nanotube-Supported Cu3P as High-Efficiency and Low-Cost Cocatalysts for Exceptional Semiconductor-Free Photocatalytic H2 Evolution

Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties, Modifications, and Applications

Evaluation of the photoinduced electron relaxation dynamics of Cu1.8S quantum dots