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TiO2 Nanofibers Resembling ‘Yellow Bristle Grass’ in Morphology by a Soft Chemical Transformation

Publication Type : Journal Article

Thematic Areas : Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine

Publisher : Dalton Transactions

Source : Dalton Transactions, Royal Society of Chemistry, Volume 44, Number 20, p.9637-9645 (2015)

Url : http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84930640283&partnerID=40&md5=be96d87414b364625415fe3681806aab

Keywords : Ambient pressures, Composite nanofibers, Dye-sensitized solar cells, Fibrous morphology, High surface area, Low-temperature sintering, Mild reaction conditions, Morphology, Nanofibers, Nanostructures, Power conversion efficiencies, Sintering, Sodium, Sodium titanates, Titanium compounds

Campus : Kochi

School : Center for Nanosciences

Center : Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine Move, Nanosciences

Department : Nanosciences

Year : 2015

Abstract : We synthesized a uniquely shaped one-dimensional (1-D) TiO2 nanostructure having the morphology of yellow bristle grass with high surface area by the titanate route under mild reaction conditions. The electrospun TiO2-SiO2 composite nanofibers upon treatment with concentrated NaOH at 80 °C under ambient pressure for 24 h resulted in sodium titanate (Na2Ti3O7) nanostructures. The Na2Ti3O7 nanostructures have an overall 1-D fibrous morphology but the highly porous fiber surfaces were decorated with layered thorn-like features (a morphology resembling that of yellow bristle grass) resulting in high surface area (113 m2 g-1) and porosity. The Na2Ti3O7 nanostructures were converted into TiO2 nanostructures of the same morphology by acidification (0.1 N HCl) followed by low temperature sintering (110°C) processes. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) constructed out of the material (cells of area 0.20 cm2 and thickness 12 μm) showed a power conversion efficiency (η) of 8.02% in comparison with commercial P-25 TiO2 (η = 6.1%). © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

Cite this Research Publication : S. Nandan, Deepak, T. G., Shantikumar V Nair, and Sreekumaran A Nair, “TiO2 Nanofibers Resembling 'Yellow Bristle Grass' in Morphology by a Soft Chemical Transformation”, Dalton Transactions, vol. 44, pp. 9637-9645, 2015.

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