Search

Abstract: The one-dimensional (1D) Sandia octahedral molecular sieves (SOMS) Na2Nb2O6·H2O nanowires were prepared by the reaction of Nb powder with NaOH via a one-step hydrothermal methods. The products were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, IR and EDX. A plausible sprouting growth mechanism is proposed for the formation of Na2Nb2O6·H2O nanowires based on the systematic investigation. Na2Nb2O6·H2O nanoribbons-based complex flowerlike structure were first grew on the metallic niobium surface, the growth process of SOMS nanowire is similar to the plant seed sprouting and growing, Na2Nb2O6·H2O nanowires were finally formed at the depletion of metallic niobium powder. In the end, we showed that Na2Nb2O6·H2O nanowires is hydrothermally synthesized in the 15M NaOH solution at 423K, which can be easily converted into NaNbO3 nanowires by calcination, while the NaNbO3 cubes were obtained through the same hydrothermal process at a higher temperature of 453K. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, TiO2 wedgy nanotubes with rectangular cross-sections were fabricated on transparent conductive substrates by using TiO2 nanorods as the precursor via the anisotropic etching route. TiO2 nanotubes with V-shaped hollow structure and the special crystal plane exposed on the tube wall possess nature of high surface area for more dye molecules absorption, and the strong light scattering effects and dual-channel for effective electron transport of the TiO2 V-shaped nanotubes based dye-sensitized solar cell exhibit a remarkable photovoltaic enhancement compared with the TiO2 nanorods. The photoanode based on our V-shaped TiO2 nanotubes with a length of 1.5μm show a 123% increase of the dye loading and a 182% improvement in the overall conversion efficiency when compared with 4μm rutile TiO2 nanorods photoanode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]