Effects of Ni doping contents on photocatalytic activity of B-BiVO_4 synthesized through sol-gel and impregnation two-step method

To enhance the photocatalytic activity of B-BiVO4,Ni-doped B?BiVO4photocatalyst(Ni-B-BiVO4)was synthesized through sol-gel and impregnation method.The photocatalysts were characterized by XPS,XRD,SEM,EDS,BET and UV-Vis DRS techniques.The results showed that single or double doping did not change the crystalline structure and morphology,but the particle size decreased with Ni doping.The band gap energy absorption edge of Ni-B-BiVO4shifted to a longer wavelength compared with undoped,B or Ni single doped BiVO4.More V4+and surface hydroxyl oxygen were observed in BiVO4after Ni-B co-doping.When the optimal mass fraction of Ni is0.30%,the degradation rate of MO in50min is95%for0.3Ni-B-BiVO4sample which also can effectively degrade methyl blue(MB),acid orange(AOII)II and rhodamine B(RhB).The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effects of B and Ni doping.

Characterization and photoelectrochemical performance of Zn-doped TiO_2 films by sol-gel method

Zn-doped TiO2 (Zn?TiO2) thin films were prepared by the sol?gel method on titanium substrates with heat treatment at different temperatures. The effects of heat treatment temperatures and Zn doping on the structure, photocathodic protection and photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 thin films were investigated. It is indicated that the photoelectrical performance of the Zn?TiO2 films is enhanced with the addition of Zn element compared with the pure-TiO2 film and the largest decline by 897 mV in the electrode potential is achieved under 300 °C heat treatment. SEM?EDS analyses show that Zn element is unevenly distributed in Zn?TiO2 films; XRD patterns reveal that the grain size of Zn?TiO2 is smaller than that of pure-TiO2; FTIR results indicate that Zn - O bond forms on Zn?TiO2 surface. Ultraviolet visible absorption spectra prove that Zn?TiO2 shifts to visible light region.Mott?Shottky curves show that the flat-band potential of Zn?TiO2 is more negative and charge carrier density is bigger than that ofpure-TiO2, implying that under the synergy of the width of the space-charge layer, carrier density and flat-band potential, Zn?TiO2 with 300 °C heat treatment displays the best photocathodic protection performance.

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of dual doped spinels LiNi_xAl_yMn_(2-x-y)O_4 via facile novel chelated sol–gel method as possible cathode material for lithium rechargeable batteries

LiMnOand LiNiAlyMnO（x= 0.50;y = 0.05-0.50） powders have been synthesized via facile solgel method using Behenic acid as active cheiating agent.The synthesized samples are subjected to physical characterizations such as thermo gravimetric analysis（TG/DTA）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）,field-emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and electrochemical studies viz.,galvanostatic cycling properties,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） and differential capacity curves（dQ/dE）.Finger print XRD patterns of LiMnOand LiNiAlMnOfortify the high degree of crystallinity with better phase purity.FESEM images of the undoped pristine spinel illustrate uniform spherical grains surface morphology with an average particle size of 0.5 μm while Ni doped particles depict the spherical grains growth（50nm） with ice-cube surface morphology.TEM images of the spinel LiMnOshows the uniform spherical morphology with particle size of（100 nm） while low level of Al-doping spinel（LiNio.5Alo.05Mn1.45O4） displaying cloudy particles with agglomerated particles of（50nm）.The LiMnOsamples calcined at 850℃ deliver the discharge capacity of 130 mAh/g in the first cycle corresponds to 94%coiumbic efficiency with capacity fade of 1.5 mAh/g/cycle over the investigated 10 cycles.Among all four dopant compositions investigated,LiNiAlMnOdelivers the maximum discharge capacity of 126 mAh/g during the first cycle and shows the stable cycling performance with low capacity fade of 1 mAh/g/cycle（capacity retention of 92%） over the investigated 10 cycles.Electrochemical impedance studies of spinel LiMnOand LiNiAlMnOdepict the high and low real polarization of 1562 and 1100 Ω.

Tungsten nanoparticle-strengthened copper composite prepared by a sol–gel method and in-situ reaction

Tungsten nanoparticle-strengthened Cu composites were prepared from nanopowder synthesized by a sol–gel method and in-situ hydrogen reduction.The tungsten particles in the Cu matrix were well-dispersed with an average size of approximately 100–200 nm.The addition of nanosized W particles remarkably improves the mechanical properties,while the electrical conductivity did not substantially decrease.The Cu–W composite with 6 wt%W has the most comprehensive properties with an ultimate strength of 310 MPa,yield strength of 238 MPa,hardness of HV 108 and electrical conductivity of 90%IACS.The enhanced mechanical property and only a small loss of electrical conductivity demonstrate the potential of this new strategy to prepare W nanoparticle-strengthened Cu composites.

CHANGE OF CeVALENCE STATE DURING THE PREPARATION OF CeO_2 ULTRAFINE POWDER BY SOL－GEL METHOD

CeO2 ultrafine powder was prepared by sol-gel method.XRD showed that samples were amorphous when calcination temperature was below 230℃,and single phase CeO2 ultrafine powders could be obtained above 250℃.It was found that Ce(3+) and Ce(4+)coexisted in the dried gel,the content of Ce(3+)lowered gradually and that of Ce(4+)increased in samples when calcining temperature increased.Ce(3+)was converted to Ce(4+)completel at 250℃.

Photocatalytic Activity of Nanosized ZnWO_4 Prepared by the Sol-gel Method

Nanosized ZnWO4 photocatalysts were successfully synthesized via the sol-gel process in a temperature range of 450-800℃. The grain size, crystal size, and crystallinity of ZnWO4 particles increased with the increase of calcina- tion temperature and prolonging calcination time. The photocatalytic activity was measured for the degradation of an aqueous Rhodamine-B（RhB） solution and gaseous formaldehyde（FAD）. With the increase of calcination temperature and time, the activities increased to a maximum and then decreased. ZnWO4 photocatalyst prepared at 550℃ for I0 h showed the highest activity, which is similar to the photocatalytic activity of P25TiO2 for the degradation of gase-ous FAD. High crystallinity, large surface area, and good dispersion are responsible for the high photocatalytic per- formance of the prepared ZnWO4.

Encapsulation of Eu(TTA)_3 into MCM-41 Mesoporous Molecular Sieve by Sol Gel Method

The rare earth complex Eu(TTA) 3 was successfully encapsulated into MCM 41 mesoporous molecular sieve by the addition of the complex into the sol gel mixture for the synthesis of MCM 41 mesoporous material under microwave radiation. The as synthesized MCM 41 hosted Eu(TTA) 3 mesophase was confirmed to possess hexagonally ordered mesostructure and a uniform crystal size of about 30 nm with XRD and HRTEM techniques. Moreover, the IR spectrum, photoluminescence effect and fluorescence lifetime of the Eu(TTA) 3/MCM 41 hybrid were also studied. An increase in Stokes' shift and no change in luminescence lifetime were observed to the resultant mesophase in comparison with Eu(TTA) 3 in ethanol solution.

Indium doping effect on properties of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by sol–gel method

Pure ZnO and indium-doped ZnO(In–ZO) nanoparticles with concentrations of In ranging from 0 to 5% are synthesized by a sol–gel processing technique. The structural and optical properties of ZnO and In–ZO nanoparticles are characterized by different techniques. The structural study confirms the presence of hexagonal wurtzite phase and indicates the incorporation of In^(3+) ions at the Zn^(2+) sites. However, the optical study shows a high absorption in the UV range and an important reflectance in the visible range. The optical band gap of In–ZnO sample varies between 3.16 e V and 3.22 e V. The photoluminescence(PL) analysis reveals that two emission peaks appear: one is located at 381 nm corresponding to the near-band-edge(NBE) and the other is observed in the green region. The aim of this work is to study the effect of indium doping on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles.

Synthesis of Lithium-cobalt Oxides by Sol-gel Method and their Cathodical Discharge Behavior at 500 ℃

Three kinds of lithium cobalt oxides with lithium to cobalt atomic ratios of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 respectively were prepared using nitrates and citric acid by sol gel process. During the baking of the dry gel powder, two exothermic peaks occur, followed by the formation of Li 2O and Co 3O 4 and then the combination of LiCoO 2, which is testified by DTA and XRD. The powder formed from an alkaline sol is finer than that from the acidic one. There are a single phase intercalation of lithium ion and an electrochemical reduction reaction for higher valence cobalt ion when simulating the discharging process of Li B/LiCl KCl/lithium cobalt oxides at 500 ℃, and the voltage and specific capacity are not sensitive to the initial ratios of lithium to cobalt.

Preparation and properties of nanocrystal SmBO_3 by nitrate-citrate sol-gel combustion method

Nanocrystal SmBO3 powders were synthesized by nitrate-citrate sol-gel combustion method. The phase evolution, morphologies and absorbency of the synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Field emission scanning electronic microscope （FESEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FFIR） and UV-3101PC spectrophotometer （UVPC）, respectively. XRD and FESEM results showed that pure SmBO3 phase was obtained at 750 ℃, with an average original particle size of about 100 nm. FTIR showed that there were apparently concentrated absorbent peaks between 500 and 1400 cm^-1. Moreover, the reflectivity of the powders apparently decreased at the wavelength between 1.05 and 1.15 μm. Therefore, SmBO3 might be a kind of absorbent material for infrared laser.

In_2O_3 Ultrafine Powder Synthesis by Sol0Gel Method

The precursor of ultrafine In 2O 3 powder was prepared by the hydrolysis, peptization and gelation of InCl 3·4H 2O used as raw material. After calcination, ultrafine In 2O 3 powder was obtained. The particles were characterized by the methods of thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG DTA), X ray diffractometry (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively.

Grain Size and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanometer TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by the Sol-gel Method

Transparent anatase TiO2 nanometer thin films with photocatalytic activity were prepared via the sol-gel method on soda-lime glass. The thickness , crystalline phase, grain size, surface hydroxyl amount and so on were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-visible spectrophotometer ( UV-VIS). The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 thin films was evaluated for the photocatalytic decolorization of aqueous methyl orange . The effects of film thickness on the crystalline phase, grain size, transmittance and photocatalytic activity of nanometer Ti02 thin films were discussed.

Thermal Stability and Luminescence Properties of Eu^(3+) and Tb^(3+) Complexes with a Silica Matrix by Sol-Gel Method

Ternary complexes of europium and terbium with benzoic acid and 1, 10 phenanthroline [RE(BA) 3phen] (BA=benzoate phen=1,10 phenanthroline) were introduced into a silica matrix by sol gel method. The thermal stability and luminescence behavior of the complexes in silica gels were studied in comparison with the corresponding solid state complexes by thermal decomposition, excitation and emission spectra. The thermal stability of the complexes is enhanced in silica gel matrix and the luminescence remaines unchanged.

PREPARATION OF ZnO CERAMIC POWDER BY SOL-GEL METHOD AND ITS VOLTAGE SENSITIVE PROPERTIES

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Barium titanate ceramic inks for continuous ink-jet printing synthesized by mechanical mixing and sol-gel methods

Ink-jet printing of ceramic thick films is one of low cost on-site ceramic pattern fabrication methods.It is necessary to investigate the rheological behaviour of ceramic inks and drying behaviour of droplets.Two kinds of BaTiO3 ceramic inks were prepared by mechanical mixing and sol-gel methods,respectively.The effect of preparation parameters,such as quantity of polyacrylic acid(PAA)and solid content,on physicochemical and rheologic properties of the ceramic inks was investigated.The results show that they satisfy the requirements of continuous ink-jet printing.The appearances of printed dots and single printed layers were observed by SEM.The SEM images indicate that dots printed with mixing method ink are in ring shape,and dots printed with sol-gel method ink are in pancake shape,so the printed layer surface with the latter ink is smoother.The causes of these phenomena were discussed.

Luminescence properties of red-emitting Ca_2Al_2SiO_7:Eu^(3+) nanoparticles prepared by sol-gel method

A series of red-emitting Ca2_xA12SiOT：xEu^3＋ （x = 1 mol.%-10 tool.%） phosphors were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The effects of annealing temperature and doping concentration on the crystal structure and luminescence properties of Ca2A12SiO7：Eu^3＋ phosphors were investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） profiles showed that all peaks could be attributed to the tetragonal Ca2A12SiO7 phase when the sample was annealed at 1000℃. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） micrographs indicate that the phosphors have an irregularly rounded mor- phology with particles of about 200 nm. Excitation spectra showed that the strong broad band at around 258 nm and weak sharp lines in 350-490 nm were attributed to the charge transfer band of Eu^3＋-O^2- and f-f transitions within the 4f^6 configuration of Eu^3＋ ions, respectively. Emission spectra implied that the red luminescence could be attributed to the transitions from the ^5D0 excited level to the 7Fj （J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4） levels of Eu3＋ions with the main electric dipole transition ^5D0→^7F2 （618 and 620 nm）, and Eu^3＋ ions prefer to occupy a lower symmetry site in the crystal lattice. Moreover, the photoluminescence （PL） intensity was strongly dependent on both the sintering temperature and doping concentration, and the highest PL intensity was observed at an Eu^3＋ concentration x = 7 mol.% after annealing at ll00℃. The obtained Ca2A12SiO7：Eu^＋3＋ phosphor may have potential application for the red lamp phosphor.

Preparation of Crack-free 3Y-TZP/Al_2O_3 Composite Ceramic Fiber by Electrolysis-sol-gel Method

Polycrystalline 3Y-TZP/Al2O3 tetragonal zirconia fiber was obtained by the pyrolysis of gel fibers using zirconium oxychloride octahydrate（ZOC） as the raw material. The spinnable zirconia sol was prepared by electrolyzing the zirco-nium oxychloride octahydrate（ZOC） solution in the presence of acetic acid and sugar（ sucrose, glucrose or fructose） , in which the molar ratios of CH3 COOH/ZOC and sugar/ZOC were 1.0-4.0 and 0.2-0.4, respectively. The pre- pared tetragonal zireonia fibers sintered at different temperatures showed smooth and crack-free surfaces with diame, ters of 5-10 μm. The addition of Al2O3 enhanced the sintering process and prevented the crystals from growing. Thermogravimetric analysis（TG）, X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）, and scanning electron microscope（SEM） techniques were used to characterize the prepared fibers.

A NEW METHOD TO PREPARE CHITOSAN MEMBRANE AS A BIOMEDICAL MATERIAL

This paper reports a new method to prepare chitosan membrane which could be used as a biomedical material. Addition of a fixation agent composed of alcohol, glycerol and potassium hydroxide can accelerate the sol-gel transformation process and hence shorten the preparation period. The present method takes about 6 h to get a flexible membrane with fine appearance, The physical and biological properties of the membrane were also investigated and compared with the membrane prepared by conventional method.

Nanostructured Yb:GGG polycrystalline powders via gel combustion method

Gadolinium gallium gamet （GGG） nanopowders doped with ytterbium ions （Yb：GGG） were synthesized with citric acid as a fuel via gel combustion method. The optimized conditions for preparing yb^3＋：Gd3Ga5O12 nanopowders were discussed. The heat behavior, structure and morphology of powders were analyzed with thermal analysis （TG-DTA）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, infrared spectra OR） and transmission electron microscope （TEM）. TG-DTA analysis revealed that the weight loss of the precursor occured below 800 ℃ and its crystallization temperature was 830.6℃. XRD and IR analysis showed that the precursor converted directly into pure GGG at a relatively lower temperature （900 ℃） without any other intermediate phase. The lattice constant was 1.2377 calculated by extrapolation method. TEM results indicated that the spherical powders showed good dispersity and had a relatively narrow size distribution with average particle size of approximately 40-50 ran, which was favorable for good sinterability of Yb：GGG laser ceramic.

Effects of sol-gel method and lanthanum addition on catalytic performances of nickel-based catalysts for methane reforming with carbon dioxide

The nickel-based catalysts were prepared by the sol-gel method and used for the CH4 reforming with CO2. The effects of the sol-gel method on the specific surface area, catalytic activity, desorption, and reduction performances of catalysts were investigated with BET, TPR, and TPD. Compared with the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method, the results indicated that the catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method had larger specific surface area, showing higher catalytic activities and exhibiting perfect desorption and reduction performances. In addition, the modification effects of adding La were studied, and it was found that the 0.75NLBT catalyst constituted of 5wt.%Ni-0.75wt.%La was optimal.