TiO_2 nanoparticles prepared by hydrochloric acid leaching of mechanically activated and carbothermic reduced ilmenite

A new combination method consisting of ball milling, carbothermic reduction and hydrochloric acid leaching was proposed for the preparation of nanosized synthetic rutile from natural ilmenite. The ball milling was employed to grind ilmenite into small particles. The carbothermic reduction was carried out to yield a high titanium slag, which would be easily purified by subsequent leaching procedure. Factors affecting the hydrochloric acid process, namely the leaching time, temperature, and acid concentration, were studied. After leaching and calcining the milled and annealed mixture of FeTiO3/C under the optimal conditions, the TiO2 nanoparticles with size of 10-200 nm and purity〉98.0% were obtained.

Preparation and photocatalytic performance of Cu-doped TiO_2 nanoparticles

Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with different doping contents from 0 to 2.0% （mole fraction） were synthesized through sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and field emission scanning electron microscope （FE-SEM） were used to characterize the crystalline structure, chemical valence states and morphology of TiO2 nanoparticles. UV-Vis absorption spectrum was used to measure the optical absorption property of the samples. The photocatalytic performance of the samples was characterized by degrading 20 mg/L methyl orange under UV-Vis irradiation. The results show that the Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles exhibit a significant increase in photocatalytic performance over the pure TiO2 nanoparticles, and the TiO2 nanoparticles doped with 1.0% Cu show the best photocatalytic performance. The improvement in photocatalytic performance is attributed to the enhanced light adsorption in UV-Vis range and the decrease of the recombination rate of photoinduced electron-hole oair of the Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles.

Effect of sub-acute exposure to TiO_2 nanoparticles on oxidative stress and histopathological changes in Juvenile Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Increasing application of nanotechnology highlights the need to clarify and understand nanotoxicity. Mammalian and in vitro studies have raised concerns about the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles （TiO2-NPs）, but there are limited data on ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms. In this work, the sub-acute toxicity of TiO2-NPs to carp （Cyprinus carpio） was assessed. Superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT） and peroxidase （POD） activities and lipid peroxidation （LPO） levels in liver, gill and brain tissues of carps varied with concentration of TiO2-NPs suspensions and exposure time （up to 8 d）. As a result, 100 and 200 mg/L TiO2-NPs caused statistically significant decrease in SOD, CAT and POD activities and significant increase in LPO levels in tissues （P 〈 0.05）, suggesting that the fish exposed to these two concentrations of TiO2-NPs suffered from the oxidative stress. The extent of depletion of antioxidant enzymes activities and the elevation of LPO in the liver was the greatest, indicating that the liver might be the most susceptible organ to TiO2-NPs exposure. In addition, carps had gill pathologies including edema and thickening of gill lamellae as well as gill filaments, and liver pathologies including necrotic and apoptosis hepatocytes after exposed to 100 and 200 mg/L TiO2-NPs for 20 d. These results indicated a potential risk from TiO2-NPs released into the aqueous environment.

STM and STS investigations of Ce-doped TiO_2 nanoparticles

Ce-doped titanium oxide nanoparticles were investigated in the paper. The surface structures of undoped and Ce-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were observed by scanning tunneling microscopy （STM）. The experimental results of scanning tunneling spectroscopy （STS） show that the surface electronic structures of TiO2 nanoparticles are modified by introducing new electronic states in the surface band gap through cerium ion doping. The results are discussed in terms of the influence of doping concentration on the surface band gap of TiO2.

Electrochemical determination of vitamin C in the presence of uric acid by a novel TiO_2 nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode

The electrochemical behavior of vitamin C（ascorbic acid or AA） is investigated on the surface of a carbon-paste electrode modified with TiO2 nanoparticles and 2,2＇-（1,2 butanediylbis（nitriloethylidyne））-bis-hydroquinone（BBNBH）.The prepared modified electrode showed an efficient catalytic role in the electrochemical oxidation of AA,leading to remarkable decrease in oxidation overpotential and enhancement of the kinetics of the electrode reaction.This modified electrode exhibits well-separated oxidation peaks for AA and uric acid（UA）.The modified electrode is successfully applied for the accurate determination of AA in pharmaceutical preparations.

Effect of TiO_2 Nanoparticles on Photochromism of WO_3 Colloids

WO2 and TiO2 colMds were synthesized by the hydrolysis technique and part of the TiO2 colloid was treated by means of the hydrothermal method. The photochromic performances of the resulting materials obtained via combining the WO3 colloid with the treated TiO2 colloid and the non-treated TiO2 colloid, respectively, are very different. The TiO2 colloid without hydrothermal treatment can effectively improve the photochromic performance of the WO3colloid. The TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated in detail by XRD, TEM, surface photovohage spectra（SPS） and field-induced surface photovoltage spectrometry（FISPS）. The photochromism mechanism of WO3 colloid is discussed.

INFLUENCE OF THE ALIGNMENT OF TiO_2 NANOPARTICLES ON OPTICAL AND STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF POLY(PHENYLENEVINYLENE) FILMS

A series of poly(phenylenevinylene) (PPV)/titanium oxide (TiO_2)nanocomposites with different contents of TiO_2 nanoparticles were prepared from mixtures of PPVprecursor and titanium butoxide ethanol solution in a sol- gel process. TEM images showed theformation of the connected network of TiO_2 nanoparticles with a higher content of TiO_2, whichresulted in the titanium butoxide hydrolyzed to form Ti organic compound. Meanwhile, the conjugationof PPV polymer chains can be interrupted by the TiO_2 network structure. The PL spectra revealedthat the emitted light of the PPV/TiO_2 nanocomposites blue shifted without fine structure and thePL intensity enhanced when the TiO_2 network formed. In the lifetime spectroscopy of positronannihilation, the structural properties of the PPV dominated the character of the nanocomposites, inwhich the formation of the omicron -Ps was presented in free volume polymer, when the content ofTiO_2 was below 10 percent. Further increasing the content of TiO_2 nanoparticle introduced muchmore vacancies, vacancy clusters and grain boundaries at their interfaces, which led to thecorresponding lifetime and intensity close to that of the nano- TiO_2 bulk materials. With the TiO_2content of 50 percent of long lifetime. These phenomena suggested that the optical and structuralproperties of the PPV/TiO_2 nanocomposites are dependent on the interfacial structure between PPVand TiO_2 nanoparticles.

Fabrication and characteristics of rutile TiO_2 nanoparticles induced by laser ablation

The laser ablation technique was employed to prepare TiO2 nanoparticles by pulsed laser ablation of a titanium target immersed in the poly-(vinylpyrrolidone) solution using wavelength of 1 064 nm. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicate that the rutile TiO2 nanoparticles are synthesized at room temperature and the average size is about 35 nm with narrow size distribution. A possible formation mechanism was discussed and the UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence were measured. The optical study shows that rutile nanoparticle possesses direct optical transition with band gap of 3.15 eV.

Preparation of TiO_2 Nanoparticles Coated Cotton Fibers at Low Temperature and Their Photocatalytic Activity

TiO_2 nanoparticles coated cotton fiber composite was successfully prepared by using a sol-gel method at low temperature(about 100℃) using tetrabutyl-titanate [Ti(OBu)_4] as raw material.The preparation of the TiO_2 colloid and the composite were described.The properties of resulting materials were characterized by SEM and XRD,the photocatalytic degradation performance was tested using methylene blue(MB) as the target pollutant in aqueous solution.The results showed that the amorphous TiO_2 nanoparticles were distributed evenly on the outer surfaces of cotton fibers,which shows efficient photocatalytic properties when exposed to UV light,the degradation rate of MB reached 95.35% under the conditions of catalyst dosage 2.5 g/L,MB concentration 50 mg/L,irradiation time 120 min,and pH 10,and the photocatalytic activity of TiO_2/cotton fibers remained above 90% of its activity as-prepared after being used four times,the degradation rate of MB could reach 88.78% when irradiation time was 120 min.The photocatalytic degradation of MB could be properly described by the first-order kinetic law.By comparison of the removal rates of MB with and without UV light,it could be affirmed that the disappearance of MB was due to photodegradation rather than adsorption on cotton fibers.

Self-assembly of Ag-TiO_2 Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Application

The formation of Ag clusters on titanium oxide （TiO2） nanoparticles was achieved by self-assembly process and calcination. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy （UV-Vis）, and conventional techniques （XRD, TEM and UV-Vis） were used to identify Ag particles on the TiO2 surfaces. The results show that Ag-TiO2 particles can be applied to improve catalytic activity of the epoxidation of styrene oxides. Styrene oxide is the main product of catalytic reaction with H2O2 as the oxidant by using Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles as catalysts. High catalytic activitity of styrene oxide can be obtainable at 80 ℃. The reaction temperature, reaction time, the molar ratio of H2O2/styrene and solvent affect greatly the catalytic epoxidation of styrene.

Effect of Nd3+doping on structure,microstructure,lattice distortion and electronic properties of TiO_2 nanoparticles

Doped and undoped TiCh nanoparticles were prepared by Stober method and thermally treated at 600 ℃.The effect of Nd^（3＋） ion on the structure and micro structure of anatase-phase TiCh nanocrystals was studied by Rietveld refinement method using X-ray powder diffraction data.Bond lengths,bond angles,and edges distances were analyzed.The phase formation was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.The adjustment of Ti-0 bond length induced by the addition of Nd^（3＋） ions,reduced the octahedral distortion and altered the octahedral array in the anatase-phase TiCh nanocrystal.The changes of structure and microstructure were mainly observed for TiCh nanoparticles doped with 0.1 at.%of Nd^（3＋） ions and attributed to the cationic substitution of Ti^（4＋） ions which promoted changes in the density of states and gap band of TiCh.The dopant insertion resulted in a better structural stability of the nanocrystals that enhanced their charge transference and photocatalytic efficiency.

Homogeneous and nanomolar detection of hydrazine by indigocarmine as a mediator at the surface of TiO_2 nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode

The homogeneous electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrazine（HZ） has been studied by indigocarmine（IND） as a mediator at the surface of TiO_2 nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode（TNMCPE）.Cyclic voltammetry was used to study the electrochemical behavior of IND at different scan rates.The voltammetric response of the modified electrode was linear against the concentration of HZ in the ranges of 3.0×l0^（-8）-7.0×10~6 mol/L with differential pulse voltammetry method.The detection limit（3σ） was determined as 27.3 nmol/L.To evaluate the applicability of the proposed method to real samples,the modified CPE was applied to the determination of HZ in water samples.

SYNTHESIS OF HIGH PURITY TiO_2 NANOPARTICLES FROM Ti(SO_4)_2 IN PRESENCE OF EDTA AS COMPLEXING AGENT

TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a homogeneous controlled precipitation method using industrial titanium sulfate （Ti（SO4）2）. The obtained powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） and ICP plasma spectrometer. EDTA was used as complexing agent to improve the purity and the formation of TiO2 nanoparticles. Experimental results indicated that the high-purity TiO2 nanoparticles were 20 nm in mean size and nearly monodispersed.

Effects of TiO_2 nanoparticles on the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrrhiza: Evaluation of growth parameters, pigment contents and antioxidant enzyme activities

Plants are essential components of all ecosystems and play a critical role in environmental fate of nanoparticles. However, the toxicological impacts of nanoparticles on plants are not well documented. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles（TiO2-NPs） are produced worldwide in large quantities for a wide range of purposes. In the present study, the uptake of TiO2-NPs by the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrrhiza and the consequent effects on the plant were evaluated.Initially, structural and morphological characteristics of the used TiO2-NPs were determined using XRD, SEM, TEM and BET techniques. As a result, an anatase structure with the average crystalline size of 8 nm was confirmed for the synthesized TiO2-NPs. Subsequently, entrance of TiO2-NPSto plant roots was verified by fluorescence microscopic images. Activity of a number of antioxidant enzymes, as well as, changes in growth parameters and photosynthetic pigment contents as physiological indices were assessed to investigate the effects of TiO2-NPs on S. polyrrhiza. The increasing concentration of TiO2-NPs led to the significant decrease in all of the growth parameters and changes in antioxidant enzyme activities. The activity of superoxide dismutase enhanced significantly by the increasing concentration of TiO2-NPs. Enhancement of superoxide dismutase activity could be explained as promoting antioxidant system to scavenging the reactive oxygen species. In contrast, the activity of peroxidase was notably decreased in the treated plants. Reduced peroxidase activity could be attributed to either direct effect of these particles on the molecular structure of the enzyme or plant defense system damage due to reactive oxygen species.

Green-chemistry Compatible Approach to TiO_2-supported PdAu Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Solvent-free 1-Phenylethanol Oxidation under Mild Conditions

Ti O2-supported Pd Au bimetallic nanoparticles(NPs) with small size and good dispersity were prepared by the room-temperature ionic liquid-assisted bimetal sputtering, which is simple, environmentally friendly, and free of additives and byproducts. Pd/Au atomic ratio can be tuned by controlling the sputtering conditions simply. High catalytic activity was found in Pd Au–NPs–Ti O2 hybrids for solvent-free selective oxidation of 1-phenylethanol using O2 as the oxidant at the low temperature of 50 °C and low pressure of 1 atm. It was found that Pd/Au ratio strongly affected the catalytical activity, and the highest conversion of about 35 % and turnover frequency of about 421 h-1were achieved at 1:1 of Pd/Au atomic ratio. The synergistic effect in Pd Au NPs was also discussed based on the comprehensive characterization results.The present approach may offer an alternative platform for future development of green-chemistry compatible bimetallic nanocatalysts.

TiO_2 nanoparticles' effects on properties of concrete using ground granulated blast furnace slag as binder

In the present study, compressive strength, pore structure, thermal behavior and microstrncture characteristics of concrete containing ground granulated blast furnace slag and TiO2 nanoparticles as binder were investigated. Portland cement was replaced by different amounts of ground granulated blast furnace slag and the properties of concrete specimens were investigated. Al- though it negatively impacts the properties of concrete at early ages, ground granulated blast furnace slag up to 45 wt% was found to improve the physical and mechanical properties of concrete at later ages. TiO2 nanoparticles with the average particle size of 15 nm were partially added to concrete with the optimum content of ground granulated blast furnace slag and physical and mechanical properties of the specimens were measured. TiO2 nanoparticle as a partial replacement of cement up to 3 wt% could accelerate C-S-H gel formation as a result of increased crystalline Ca（OH）2 amount at the early age of hydration and hence increase compressive strength of concrete. The increased TiO2 nanoparticles＇ content of more than 3 wt% may cause reduced compressive strength because of the decreased crystalline Ca（OH）2 content required for C-S-H gel formation and unsuitable dispersed nanoparticles in the concrete matrix. TiO2 nanoparticles could improve the pore structure of concrete and shift the distributed pores to harmless and less-harm pores.

Impact and mechanism of TiO_2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis in vitro

The impact of TiO2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis in vitro in the dark and the molecular mechanism of such impact were studied. The impact of TiO2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis was investigated by adding TiO2 nanoparticles in different sizes and at various concentrations into the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system. TiO2 nanoparticles were premixed with the DNA polymerase, the primer or the template, respectively and then the supernatant and the precipitation of each mixture were added into the PCR system separately to observe the impact on DNA synthesis. Sequentially the interaction be- tween TiO2 nanoparticles and the DNA polymerase, the primer or the template was further analyzed by using UV-visible spectroscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results suggest that TiO2 nanoparticles inhibit DNA synthesis in the PCR system in the dark more severely than mi- croscale TiO2 particles at the equivalent concentration and the inhibition effect of TiO2 nanoparticles is concentration dependent. The molecular mechanism of such inhibition is that in the dark, TiO2 nanoparticles interact with the DNA polymerase through physical adsorption while TiO2 nanoparticles do with the primer or the template in a chemical adsorption manner. The disfunction levels of the bio-molecules under the impact of TiO2 nanoparticles are in the following order: the primer > the tem- plate > the DNA polymerase.

Investigation on composite Au/TiO_2 nanoparticles (Ⅰ)——Synthesis and characterization

Nanometer sized Au/TiO\-2 particles were synthesized by irradiation of a HAuCl\-4 solution containing colloidal TiO\-2 with light of wavelength (λ)>330 nm. The absorption maximum attributed to the surface plasmon band of gold was observed at 540 nm, a red shift of about 20 nm from the position in aqueous solution. The Au clusters are situated on the surface of TiO\-2 in terms of microcrystallite, which was confirmed by HRTEM, EDS and XRD. The electronic interfaction between the metal and the suport was discussed.

TiO_2 composite nanotubes embedded with CdS and upconversion nanoparticles for near infrared light driven photocatalysis

We report a colloidal process to coat a layer of TiO2onto SiO2composite nanofibers containing embedded CdS and upconversion nanoparticles(UCNPs).The SiO2composite nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning.To improve the energy transfer efficiency,UCNPs and CdS nanoparticles were bound in close proximity to each other within the SiO2matrix.β‐NaYF4:Yb(30%),Tm(0.5%)@NaYF4:Yb(20%),Er(2%)core–shell nanoparticles were used as nanotransducers for near infrared light.These nanoparticles exhibited enhanced upconversion fluorescence compared withβ‐NaYF4:Yb(30%),Tm(0.5%)orβ–NaYF4:Yb(30%),Tm(0.5%)@NaYF4nanoparticles.The morphologies,size and chemical compositions have been extensively investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X‐ray diffraction(XRD)and X‐ray photoelectron spectra(XPS),respectively.The TEM images showed that the TiO2composite nanotubes were embedded with a large amount of UCNPs and CdS nanoparticles.The composite TiO2nanotubes degraded more than90%of rhodamine B(RhB)dye during20min of irradiation by simulated solar light.In particular,more than50%of RhB was decomposed in70min,under irradiation of near infrared light(NIR).This high degradation was attributed to the full spectrum absorption of solar light,and the enhanced transfer efficiency for near infrared light.The as‐prepared nanostructures can harness solar energy,and provide an alternative to overcome energy shortages and environmental protection.