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High-concentration niobium (V) doping into TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized by thermal plasma processing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2011

Chenning Zhang ,
Masashi Ikeda ,
Tetsuo Uchikoshi ,
Ji-Guang Li ,
Takayuki Watanabe  and
Takamasa Ishigaki
Chenning Zhang
Affiliation:
Nano Ceramic Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan; and Department of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8502, Japan
Masashi Ikeda
Affiliation:
Nano Ceramic Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan; and Department of Materials Chemistry, Hosei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8584, Japan
Tetsuo Uchikoshi
Affiliation:
Nano Ceramic Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
Ji-Guang Li
Affiliation:
Nano Ceramic Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
Takayuki Watanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8502, Japan
Takamasa Ishigaki*
Affiliation:
Nano Ceramic Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan; and Department of Chemical Science and Technology, Hosei University, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8584, Japan
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ishigaki@hosei.ac.jp
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Abstract

High-concentration niobium (V)-doped titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles of the nonequilibrium chemical composition have been synthesized via Ar/O2 radio-frequency thermal plasma oxidation of mist precursor solutions with various Nb5+ concentrations (Nb/(Ti + Nb) = 0–25.0 at.%). The solubility as high as ∼25.0 at.% has not been achieved before by wet-chemical techniques. The preferable anatase formation was attained in the plasma-synthesized powders and was enhanced by the niobium doping. All the powders were heated at high temperatures (600–800 °C) to investigate their phase transformation, band gap variation, inter-particulate binding behavior, and photocatalytic stability. The transformation from anatase to rutile was effectively inhibited by increasing the Nb5+ content. The Nb5+ doping prevented the band gap of TiO2 from narrowing after the heating. At high temperatures, Nb5+ doping could not only preserve particle size but also prevent inter-particulate binding. High concentration (25.0 at.%) Nb5+ doping retained the photocatalytic performance almost invariably irrespective of being thermally treated.

Keywords

Plasma-enhanced CVD (chemical reaction)NanoscalePhase transformation

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Articles
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Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 5 , 14 March 2011 , pp. 658 - 671
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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References

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