ABSTRACT
Single-crystalline uniform Ta(2)O(5) nanowires are prepared by a novel synthetic route. The formation of the nanowires involves an oriented attachment process caused by the reduction of surface energy. The nanowires are successfully applied to photocatalytic H(2) evolution, contaminant degradation, and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The Ta(2)O(5)-based DSCs reveal a significant photovoltaic response, which has not been reported. As a photocatalyst, the Ta(2)O(5) nanowires possess high H(2) evolution efficiency under Xe lamp irradiation, nearly 27-fold higher than the commercial powders. A better performance of photocatalytic contaminant degradation is also observed. Such improvements are ascribed to better charge transport ability for the single-crystalline wire and a higher potential energy of the conduction band. This new synthetic approach using a water-soluble precursor provides a versatile way to prepare nanostructured metal oxides.
ABSTRACT
Doping structures of Ce(3+) into the refractory α-sialon crystal lattice have been examined via an atom-resolved Cs-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. The location and coordination of the rare-earth ions are well-defined through direct observation in conjunction with structural modeling and image simulation. The stability and solubility of Ce(3+) ions could be remarkably enhanced via congregation into the planar defects formed by a 1/3 (210)-type lattice displacement along with an inversion operation. The formation of cylindrical chambers near the defects is believed to provide effective structural relaxation upon doping of large rare-earth ions into the interstices in their neighborhoods. The as-revealed structural information could be useful for understanding the luminescence properties of the promising rare-earth doped sialon materials.
