TNTZO nanotubes photocatalyst fabricated by one-step anodization method

2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K14085
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• 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)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: anodization / charge dynamics / photocatalyst / TNTZ

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

By performing electrochemical anodization on Ti29Nb13Ta4.6Zr (TNTZ) alloys, quaternary TNTZO mixed-oxide nanotube arrays with controllable geometric features were prepared. Compared with pristine TiO2, the TNTZO photoanodes exhibited noticeably enhanced photoactivity toward solar water splitting. The analytic results manifest that the superior photoactivity of TNTZO originated from the introduction of Nd, Ta, and Zr elements, which enhanced the amount of accessible charge carriers, modified the electronic structure, and improved the hole-transfer kinetics for expediting water splitting. Furthermore, reducing the water content of the electrolyte to 0.9 vol % generated TNTZO nanotubes that can be fully depleted during PEC operations, which may serve as a versatile structural backbone to construct a sophisticated photoelectrode paradigm. This work examined the realistic hydrogen evolution by employing TNTZO as the photoanode in the PEC water splitting cell. This illustration reveals that the fully depleted TNTZO nanotubes can practically perform PEC water splitting to realize solar hydrogen production. Especially, with the nontoxic and biocompatible characteristics, the present TNTZO nanotube arrays may find virtually unique yet practically viable applications in biotechnologically important fields such as PEC biomolecule sensing and PEC biofuel reforming.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Electronic Interactions and Charge-Transfer Dynamics for a Series of Yolk-Shell Nanocrystals: Implications for Photocatalysis (2022)
  • Author(s): Jhen-Yang Wu Jhen-Yang Wu Institute of Innovative Research (IIR), Tokyo InJhen-Yang Wu , Ting-Hsuan Lai, Mei-Jing Fang, Jui-Yuan Chen, Ming-Yu Kuo, Yi-Hsuan Chiu, Ping-Yen Hsieh, Chun-Wen Tsao, Huai-En Chang, Yu-Peng Chang, Chien-Yi Wang, Chun-Yi Chen, Masato Sone, Wen-Wei Wu, Tso-Fu Mark Chang, and Yung-Jung Hsu
  • Journal Title: ACS Applied Nano Materials Volume: 5 Pages: 8404-8416
  • DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.2c01529
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Anodized Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr-O Nanotubes Array and Its Application for Solar Hydrogen Production (2022)
  • Author(s): Chun-Yi Chen, Yi-Hsuan Chiu, Tso-Fu Mark Chang, Nobuhiro Matsushita, Yung-Jung Hsu2, Masato Sone1
  • Organizer: Seventh International Conference on Multifunctional, Hybrid and Nanomaterials
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Ti－Nb－Ta－Zr－O Nanotubes: Interfacial Charge Dynamics and Solar Hydrogen Production (2022)
  • Author(s): Chun-Yi Chen, Yi-Hsuan Chiu, Tso-Fu Mark Chang, Masato Sone,Yung-Jung Hsu
  • Organizer: 3-day International Conference on Materials Science
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited