TiO 2 powder (3.6 g) was treated with 90 mL of aqueous 10 M NaOH solution in a Teflon-lined autoclave (total volume 200 mL) at 125☌ for 4 days. The TiO 2 precursor used for nanotube production was a commercial TiO 2 powder (Millennium PC500, anatase) consisting of pure anatase phase. We have demonstrated the applicability of this strategy based on exclusive use of titanium-containing materials for the hydrogen generation from water-methanol mixtures using simulated solar light, that is, a process of large interest in the context of conversion of sunlight into chemical energy.
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This synergy seems to arise from the interfacial charge transfer between the two titanium semiconductors. The interest of this research is to show the possibility that the combination of various forms of titanium-containing materials offers to optimize the photocatalytic efficiency. This synergy between titanate nanotubes and titania nanoparticles has been observed for two different types of commercial titanium dioxide nanoparticles, both in the absence and in the presence of platinum or gold as cocatalyst. The present case is also another example of optimization of the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2, in this case, by adding a different form of titanium oxide. In the present paper, we will show the synergy in the photocatalytic activity derived from combining TiO 2 nanoparticles with titanate nanotubes. While the titanium dioxide in the anatase phase or the commercial Evonik P25 having a proportion of about 20%/80% rutile/anatase is the most widely used photocatalyst, the possibility of enhancing the photocatalytic activity of this material by adding a second different form of titanium dioxide remains to be explored. The case that has been more extensively studied corresponds to the use of two different semiconductors such as quantum dots supported on titanium dioxide or transition metal oxide, including RuO 2 and WO 3, on titania. A strategy to improve the efficiency of a photocatalytic system is to combine two semiconductors in intimate contact in such a way that photoexcitation of one of the components can lead to heterojunction electron transfer between the two components. Considering the current low efficiency of the photocatalytic activity in solar fuel production enhancement of the efficiency is a continuous task. Photocatalysis applied to solar fuel production is a topic of much current interest and a long-term alternative to fossil fuels. Our results illustrate how the combination of several titanium semiconductors can result in an enhancement efficiency with respect to their individual components.
![synergy of serra review synergy of serra review](https://cardgameduelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/dom-76-zahid-djinn-of-the-lamp.jpg)
This synergy is proposed to derive from the interfacial electron transfer from titanate nanotubes undergoing photoexcitation at wavelengths in which Millennium PC500 does not absorb this form of titania nanoparticles. The best efficiency under simulated sunlight irradiation was for a combination of 12 wt.% titanate nanotubes containing 0.32 wt.% platinum in 88 wt.% Millennium PC500, where a two-time increase in the hydrogen generation is observed versus the activity of Millennium PC500 containing platinum. This synergy between the two titanium semiconductors has an optimum for a certain proportion of the two components and is observed in both the absence and the presence of platinum or gold nanoparticles. Combination of titanate nanotubes with commercial titanium dioxide nanoparticles, either Evonik P25 or Millennium PC500, results in an enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation from water-methanol mixtures.
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One salient change in the formation of titanate nanotubes is the observation of an extended visible absorption band up to 550 nm, responsible for their brown colour. Alkali digestion of titanium nanoparticles leads, after neutralization, to the formation of titanate nanotubes with long aspect ratio.