Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/150086

Title

Tubular titania nanostructures via layer-by-layer self-assembly

Author(s)

Yu, Aimin;  Lu, Gao Qing Max;  Drennan, John;  Gentle, Ian R.

Abstract

Nanostructured titania-polyelectrolyte composite and pure anatase and rutile titania tubes were successfully prepared by layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of a water-soluble titania precursor, titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato) dihydroxide (TALH) and the oppositely charged poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) to form multilayer films. The tube structure was produced by depositing inside the cylindrical pores of a polycarbonate (PC) membrane template, followed by calcination at various temperatures. The morphology, structure and crystal phase of the titania tubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis absorbance measurements. The as-prepared anatase titania tubes exhibit very promising photocatalytic properties, demonstrated by the degradation of the azodye methyl orange (MO) as a model molecule. They are also easily separated from the reaction system by simple filtration or centrifugation, allowing for straightforward recycling. The reported strategy provides a simple and versatile technique to fabricate titania based tubular nanostructures, which could easily be extended to prepare tubular structures of other materials and may find application in catalysis, chemical sensing, and nanodevices.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 17, no. 14 (Sep 2007), pp. 2600-2605

Publication year

2007

FOR Code(s)

0303 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry;  0904 Chemical Engineering;  0912 Materials Engineering

Keyword(s)

Enzyme kinetics;  Layer-by-layer deposition;  LbL deposition;  Multilayer films;  Nanostructured materials;  Nanostructured titania-polyelectrolyte composites;  PEI;  Poly(ethylenimine);  Polycarbonates;  Polyelectrolytes;  Rutile titania tubes;  Self assembly;  Titanium compounds

Publisher

Wiley

ISSN

1616-301X

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.200700022

Copyright

Copyright © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. The copyright policy of the publisher allows the accepted manuscript of the paper to be reproduced here after a publisher-imposed embargo period.

Peer reviewed