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Aerodynamic levitated laser annealing method to defective titanium dioxide with enhanced photocatalytic performance

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Abstract

Defective TiO2 has attracted increasing attention for use in photocatalytic and electrochemical materials because of its narrowed band-gap and improved visible-light photocatalytic activity. However, a facile and efficient approach for obtaining defect-rich TiO2 still remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate such an approach to narrow its bandgap and improve visible-light absorption through implanting abundant defects by aerodynamic levitated laser annealing (ALLA) treatment. Note that the ALLA method not only provides rapid annealing, solidifying and cooling process, but also exhibits high efficiency for homogeneous and defective TiO2 nanoparticles. The laser-annealed TiO2 achieves a high hydrogen evolution rate of 8.54 mmol·h–1·g–1, excellent decomposition properties within 60 min, and outstanding recyclability and stability, all of which are superior to the corresponding properties of commercial P25.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Hehe Wei, Wenjie Si, Gang Ou, Wen Yu, Chunsong Zhao, Jiaying Li, Mingjun Song & Hui Wu

  2. National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Xiaoguang Ma, Jianqiang Li & Jiaying Li

  3. School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Liu Gu & Zhijian Peng

  4. Department of Chemistry and Collaborative Innovation Center for Nanomaterial Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Gang Ou

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  1. Hehe Wei
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  2. Xiaoguang Ma
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  3. Liu Gu
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  4. Jianqiang Li
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  7. Wen Yu
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  9. Jiaying Li
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  10. Mingjun Song
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  11. Zhijian Peng
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Correspondence to Jianqiang Li or Hui Wu.

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Wei, H., Ma, X., Gu, L. et al. Aerodynamic levitated laser annealing method to defective titanium dioxide with enhanced photocatalytic performance. Nano Res. 9, 3839–3847 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1253-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1253-0

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