2018 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
TNTZO nanotubes photocatalyst fabricated by one-step anodization method
| Project/Area Number |
18K14085
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
陳 君怡 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 特任助教 (90707473)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | anodization / nanotubes / photocatalyst / TNTZ |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
I have successfully prepared Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O nanotubes by anodization of Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr alloys. Through control of the electrochemical parameters, Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O with various composition and morphology can be prepared. The Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O nanotubes prepared with electrolyte containing 0.9 vol% of water have an average wall thickness of 3.5 ± 0.5 nm, porosity of 71.5%, and apparent bandgap of 3.27 eV. In evaluation of the photocatalytic activity, the photocurrent reaches 0.28 mA per squrecentimeter. Under AM 1.5G illumination, the obtained maximum efficiency is approximately 0.22%. In generation of hydrogen gas, 411.2 μmol per hour of hydrogen can be generated using these nanotubes. The results are published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and selected as the cover page.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
I started my maternity leave from June of 2018, and I am still not back to work yet. Although I still have a student helping me with the research now, the progress is not as good as when I was working as a full-time researcher.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Further optimization of properties of the titanium oxide based mixed oxide is still possible to further improve the photocatalytic activity. The first priority will be controlling composition of the mixed oxide through control of dissolution rate of each elements in the alloy. Of course, this might also affect the morphology which is also an important factor affecting the performance. Another strategy will be controlling the composition from the raw material, which is the TNTZ alloy.
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