Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic H2 generation over ternary indium titanate nanoparticles.

A low temperature surfactant-free solution-phase method has been successfully developed for the synthesis of ternary In2TiO5, nanoparticles using a solvothermal route. The mechanistic aspects of synthesis of In2TiO5 nanoparticles from precursors, In(acac)3 and Ti(IV) isopropoxide in benzyl alcohol at 220 degrees C under solvothermal conditions, were investigated by GC-MS and 13C{1H} NMR analysis. The N2-BET surface area of the 5-8 nm sized In2TiO5 nanoparticles was found to be 60 m2 g(-1), which decreased with increase in calcination temperature; 38 m2 g(-1) at 800 degrees C; 5 m2 g(-1) at 1200 degrees C. The High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) shows well-developed lattice fringes of the crystalline nanoparticles, and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), pattern was indexed to be orthorhombic In2TiO5. The nanoparticles show better photocatalytic hydrogen generation from water-methanol mixtures over bulk In2TiO5, anatase TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by identical route and commercial TiO2 photocatalyst (Degussa, P25) under UV-visible irradiation (16% UV + 84% visible). Photocatalytic properties as a function of crystallinity and surface area of indium titanate nanoparticles have also been investigated. The high photoactivity obtained is correlated with the electronic and crystal structure of In2TiO5.

Bis(3-methyl-2-pyridyl)ditelluride and pyridyl tellurolate complexes of zinc, cadmium, mercury: Synthesis, characterization and their conversion to metal telluride nanoparticles.

Treatment of an acetonitrile solution of metal chloride with bis(3-methyl-2-pyridyl)ditelluride, [Te(2)(pyMe)(2)], in the same solvent yielded complexes of composition [MCl(2){Te(2)(pyMe)(2)}] (M = Zn or Cd) whereas reactions of [MCl(2)(tmeda)] with NaTepyR (R = H or Me) gave tellurolate complexes of the general formula [M(TepyR)(2)] (M = Cd or Hg). When the cadmium complex [Cd(Tepy)(2)] was crystallized in the presence of excess tmeda, [Cd(Tepy)(2)(tmeda)] was formed exclusively. These complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, uv-vis, (1)H NMR data. The crystal structures of [ZnCl(2){Te(2)(pyMe)(2)}] and [Cd(Tepy)(2)(tmeda)] were established by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the former zinc is coordinated to nitrogen atoms of the pyridyl group, while in the latter the coordination environment around tetrahedral cadmium is defined by the two neutral nitrogen atoms of tmeda, and two pyridyl tellurolate ligands. Thermal behavior of some of these complexes was studied by thermogravimetric analysis. Pyrolysis of [M(Tepy)(2)] in a furnace or in coordinating solvents such as hexadecylamine/tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (HDA/TOPO) at 350 and 160 degrees C, respectively gave MTe nanoparticles, which were characterized by uv-vis, photoluminiscence, XRD, EDAX and TEM.

Synthesis of undoped and manganese-doped hgte nanoparticles using [Hg(TeCH2CH2NMe2)2] as a single source precursor.

The Reaction of [HgCl2(tmeda)] with NaTeCH2CH2NMe2 gave a mercury tellurolate, [Hg(TeCH2CH2. NMe2)2] (1) as a yellow crystalline solid, which was characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis, mass and NMR (1H, 13C, 125Te, 199Hg) spectroscopy. Thermolysis of 1 in hexadecylamine (HDA) at 90 degrees C in the absence and presence of Mn(OAc)2.4H2O gave undoped and Mn-doped HgTe nanoparticles which were characterized by XRD, EDAX, TEM, EPR and magnetic measurements. These particles could be synthesized with mean particle size of 6-7 nm (from TEM). Manganese substitution at Hg site in HgTe lead to a linear decrease in lattice parameter with increasing concentration of Mn. Magnetization measurements showed ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature with very small coercive field (Hc, 50 Oe) for Hg0.973 Mn0.027 Te sample. This sample also exhibited distinct ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) in the EPR spectrum.

Synthesis and characterization of metal selenide (ZnSe, CdSe, HgSe) nanoparticles.

Thermolysis of [M(SeCH2CH2CH2NMe2)2] (M = Zn, Cd, Hg), prepared by the reactions of sodium salt of 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propaneselenolate with metal acetates, afforded metal selenides (MSe). The metal selenides were characterized by XRD, EDAX, SEM, AFM, and TEM techniques. Nanoparticles of HgSe were prepared by pyrolysis in a quartz boat, solvothermal, and sonochemical methods. EDAX showed 1:1 Hg/Se ratio, while XRD and SAED patterns confirmed the formation of cubic HgSe. These particles are spherical in nature with an average diameter of 15 nm (from TEM).