Structural and photoelectrochemical properties of porous TiO2 nanofibers decorated with Fe^sub 2^O3 by sol-flame

The hybrid structure of Fe^sub 2^O3 nanoparticles/TiO2 nanofibers (NFs), combines the merits of large surface areas of TiO2 NFs and absorption in ultraviolet light-visible light range. This structure can be used for many applications such as photoelectrochemical water splitting and photo-catalysis....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology 2014-08, Vol.16 (8), p.1
Main Authors: Sobti, N, Bensouici, A, Coloma, F, Untiedt, C, Achour, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption
Catalysis
Nanoparticles
Titanium dioxide
Ultraviolet radiation
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The hybrid structure of Fe^sub 2^O3 nanoparticles/TiO2 nanofibers (NFs), combines the merits of large surface areas of TiO2 NFs and absorption in ultraviolet light-visible light range. This structure can be used for many applications such as photoelectrochemical water splitting and photo-catalysis. Here, a sol-flame method is used for depositing Fe^sub 2^O3 on TiO2 NFs that were prepared by hydrothermal on Ti sheets. The obtained materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance, Raman, and XPS. The results revealed the formation of rutile and anatase crystalline phases together with Fe^sub 2^O3. This process moves the absorption threshold of TiO2 NFs support into visible spectrum range and enhances the photocurrent in comparison to bare TiO2 NFs, although no hole scavenger was used. The impedance measurement at low and high frequencies revealed an increase in series resistance and a decrease in resistance of charge transfer with sol-flame treatment time. A mechanism for explaining the charge transfer in these TiO2 NFs decorated with Fe^sub 2^O3 nanoparticles was proposed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:1388-0764
1572-896X
DOI:10.1007/s11051-014-2577-x