WOˇˇ3ˇˇˇ photocatalysts: Influence of structure and composition

Hexagonal (h-) and monoclinic (m-) WO 3 nanoparticles with controlled composition (oxidized/yellow color or partially reduced/blue color) were prepared through annealing (NH 4) x WO 3- y . The formation, structure, composition, morphology, and optical properties of the samples were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with electron diffraction, and Raman, X-ray photoelectron, 1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visual, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic properties were tested by decomposing methyl orange in the aqueous phase and acetone in the gas phase. Oxidized m-WO 3 (m-WO 3 ox) was the most active photocatalyst both in the aqueous and in the gas phase, followed by the oxidized h-WO 3 (h-WO 3 ox) sample. Reduced h-WO 3 (h-WO 3 red) and m-WO 3 (m-WO 3 red) exhibited much lower activity. Thus, in contrast to TiO 2, where crystalline structure (rutile or anatase) plays a key effect in photocatalysis, for WO 3, it is the composition that is of greatest importance: the more oxidized the WO 3 sample, the better a photocatalyst it is. The crystal structure of WO 3 has only an indirect effect, in that it influences the composition of WO 3 samples. While oxidized m-WO 3 is completely oxidized, oxidized h-WO 3 is always in a partially reduced state due to the presence of stabilizing positive ions in its hexagonal channels. Consequently, an oxidized monoclinic WO 3 material will always provide better photocatalytic activity than an oxidized hexagonal one. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Photocatalytic and Gas Sensitive Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/TiO2-ZnO and ZnO-TiO2 Composites Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

TiO2 and ZnO single and multilayers were deposited on hydroxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes using atomic layer deposition. The bare carbon nanotubes and the resulting heterostructures were characterized by TG/DTA, Raman, XRD, SEM-EDX, XPS, TEM-EELS-SAED and low temperature nitrogen adsorption techniques, and their photocatalytic and gas sensing activities were also studied. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were uniformly covered with anatase TiO2 and wurtzite ZnO layers and with their combinations. In the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange, the most beneficial structures are those where ZnO is the external layer, both in the case of single and double oxide layer covered CNTs (CNT-ZnO and CNT-TiO2-ZnO). The samples with multilayer oxides (CNT-ZnO-TiO2 and CNT-TiO2-ZnO) have lower catalytic activity due to their larger average densities, and consequently lower surface areas, compared to single oxide layer coated CNTs (CNT-ZnO and CNT-TiO2). In contrast, in gas sensing it is advantageous to have TiO2 as the outer layer. Since ZnO has higher conductivity, its gas sensing signals are lower when reacting with NH3 gas. The double oxide layer samples have higher resistivity, and hence a larger gas sensing response than their single oxide layer counterparts

Photocatalytic and Gas Sensitive Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube/TiO2-ZnO and ZnO-TiO2 Composites Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

TiO2 and ZnO single and multilayers were deposited on hydroxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes using atomic layer deposition. The bare carbon nanotubes and the resulting heterostructures were characterized by TG/DTA, Raman, XRD, SEM-EDX, XPS, TEM-EELS-SAED and low temperature nitrogen adsorption techniques, and their photocatalytic and gas sensing activities were also studied. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were uniformly covered with anatase TiO2 and wurtzite ZnO layers and with their combinations. In the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange, the most beneficial structures are those where ZnO is the external layer, both in the case of single and double oxide layer covered CNTs (CNT-ZnO and CNT-TiO2-ZnO). The samples with multilayer oxides (CNT-ZnO-TiO2 and CNT-TiO2-ZnO) have lower catalytic activity due to their larger average densities, and consequently lower surface areas, compared to single oxide layer coated CNTs (CNT-ZnO and CNT-TiO2). In contrast, in gas sensing it is advantageous to have TiO2 as the outer layer. Since ZnO has higher conductivity, its gas sensing signals are lower when reacting with NH3 gas. The double oxide layer samples have higher resistivity, and hence a larger gas sensing response than their single oxide layer counterparts