Visible-light-driven reversible and switchable hydrophobic to hydrophilic nitrogen-doped titania surfaces: correlation with photocatalysis.
Visible-light-responsive nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide nanorods have been synthesized by a hydrothermal method at low temperature. X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements were used to obtain the crystal structures, morphologies, visible-light absorbance, and hydrophobicity, respectively, of the prepared nanorods. The surface wettability of the samples could be reversibly tuned from hydrophobic to hydrophilic upon visible-light illumination. This switchable surface wettability is crucial since the photocatalytic activity of this nanoscaled catalyst for the decomposition of organic molecules exhibits a strong dependence on the surface wettability.
Wang
Junwei
J
Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Mao
Baodong
B
Gole
James L
JL
Burda
Clemens
C
D002384:Catalysis; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008027:Light; D008422:Materials Testing; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D014025:Titanium; D009584:Nitrogen; D008751:Methylene Blue