ABSTRACT
In this study, we synthesised the Ni/single-walled carbon nanotube prepared by the super-growth method (SG-SWCNTs). In this approach, the Ni nanoparticles were immobilised by an impregnation method using the SG-SWCNTs with high specific surface areas (1144 m2g-1). The scanning electron microscopy images confirmed that the SG-SWCNTs exhibit the fibriform morphology corresponding to the carbon nanotubes. In addition, component analysis of the obtained samples clarified that the Ni nanoparticles were immobilised on the surface of the SG-SWCNTs. Next, we evaluated the activity for the reduction of 4-nitoropenol in the presence of the Ni/SG-SWCNTs. Additionally, the Ni/graphene, which was obtained by the same synthetic method, was utilised in this reaction. The rate of reaction activity of the Ni/SG-SWCNTs finished faster than that of the Ni/GPs. From this result, the pseudo-first-order kinetic rate constantkfor the Ni/SG-SWCNTs and the Ni/GPs was calculated respectively at 0.083 and 0.070 min-1, indicating that the Ni/SG-SWCNTs exhibits higher activity.
ABSTRACT
Obtaining highly efficient photoluminescence with Mn4+-activated phosphors, which have been extensively studied in diverse lighting devices, requires the precise control of the manganese valence states. However, this control is difficult to achieve because manganese ions can have various valence states ranging from divalent to heptavalent. Additionally, the concentrations of Mn ions in each valence state, especially the effective Mn4+ concentration, have never been quantitatively determined in a phosphor crystal lattice. The relationship between the effective Mn4+ concentration and the luminescence properties of Mn4+-activated phosphors is of current interest for improving the phosphor properties. In the present study, the effective Mn4+ concentration in Li2TiO3:Mn4+ (LTO:Mn) phosphors prepared by the sol-gel method with heating at various temperatures was quantitatively analyzed by X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. Moreover, the effect of the existence of Mn2+, Mn3+, and Mn4+ ions on the photoluminescence efficiency was investigated. The effective Mn4+ concentration was found to be over 60% in all phosphor samples. The quantum efficiencies (QEs) of all LTO:Mn phosphors strongly depend on the effective Mn4+ concentration. In particular, the LTO:Mn phosphor prepared by heating at 800 °C (LTO:Mn@800) contained the highest effective Mn4+ concentration of 98.1% and exhibited the highest internal QE of 31.6%. The results of this work provide new and important insights for the development of Mn4+-activated phosphors with high efficiency.
ABSTRACT
A high intensity bluish-white emitting Ba2TiP2O9 phosphor was synthesized by a conventional solid-state reaction method and the precise crystal structure was investigated for the first time by Rietveld refinement analysis. Ba2TiP2O9 has a monoclinic crystal structure with a space group C2/c (no. 15), which is built out of PO4 tetrahedra and TiO5 pyramidal polyhedra connected to form a chain structure along the c-axis. The emission of Ba2TiP2O9 is due to a charge transfer transition between Ti(4+)-O(2-) in the pyramidal TiO5. The obtained Ba2TiP2O9 was excited efficiently by UV and VUV and displayed a bright bluish-white luminescence.
