1. Array of single crystalline anatase TiO2 nanotubes with significant enhancement of photoresponse
- Author
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Hu He, Wei Tian, Ke Fang, Songda Li, Yubo Li, Hangsheng Yang, Lvchao Qiu, Guanxing Li, Wentao Yuan, Yong Wang, and Huang Shutao
- Subjects
Anatase ,Materials science ,Nucleation ,law.invention ,Amorphous solid ,Single crystalline TiO2 nanotube ,Crystallization temperature gradient ,Chemical engineering ,law ,Photocatalysis ,TA401-492 ,Water splitting ,Photo response ,General Materials Science ,Grain boundary ,Crystallite ,Crystallization ,Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials - Abstract
Anatase TiO2 nanotubes array (ATONA) has attracted tremendous attention owing to its promising applications in solar cells, water splitting and organic pollutants photocatalytic degradation. However, the activity of ATONAs was greatly suppressed by the grain boundaries existed in the tube walls, which acted as carrier scattering and recombination centers. Herein, we report a novel strategy to prepare array of single crystalline anatase TiO2 nanotubes (SC-ATONAs) with significant enhancement of the photocatalytic activity and UV photo response performance compared to the polycrystalline counterparts. The growth of SC-ATONAs was achieved by establishing a crystallization temperature gradient along the tube wall, which ensured the crystallization started from the nucleation of a single nucleus at the bottom of amorphous TiO2 nanotubes prepared by Ti anodization. These findings pave the way to prepare single-crystalline nanotubes with superior performance for other materials.
- Published
- 2021