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Flammable gases produced by TiO2 nanoparticles under magnetic stirring in water

Friction volume 10, pages 1127–1133 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

The friction between nanomaterials and Teflon magnetic stirring rods has recently drawn much attention for its role in dye degradation by magnetic stirring in dark. Presently the friction between TiO2 nanoparticles and magnetic stirring rods in water has been deliberately enhanced and explored. As much as 1.00 g TiO2 nanoparticles were dispersed in 50 mL water in 100 mL quartz glass reactor, which got gas-closed with about 50 mL air and a Teflon magnetic stirring rod in it. The suspension in the reactor was magnetically stirred in dark. Flammable gases of 22.00 ppm CO, 2.45 ppm CH4, and 0.75 ppm H2 were surprisingly observed after 50 h of magnetic stirring. For reference, only 1.78 ppm CO, 2.17 ppm CH4, and 0.33 ppm H2 were obtained after the same time of magnetic stirring without TiO2 nanoparticles. Four magnetic stirring rods were simultaneously employed to further enhance the stirring, and as much as 30.04 ppm CO, 2.61 ppm CH4, and 8.98 ppm H2 were produced after 50 h of magnetic stirring. A mechanism for the catalytic role of TiO2 nanoparticles in producing the flammable gases is established, in which mechanical energy is absorbed through friction by TiO2 nanoparticles and converted into chemical energy for the reduction of CO2 and H2O. This finding clearly demonstrates a great potential for nanostructured semiconductors to utilize mechanical energy through friction for the production of flammable gases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Pengcheng Li, Chongyang Tang, Xiangheng Xiao & Wanping Chen

  2. School of Science, Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Yanmin Jia

Authors
  1. Pengcheng Li
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  2. Chongyang Tang
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  3. Xiangheng Xiao
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  4. Yanmin Jia
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  5. Wanping Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wanping Chen.

Additional information

Pengcheng LI. He received his B.E. degree in materials physics from Hubei University in 2016 and his M.S. degree in materials engineering from Wuhan University in 2018. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at School of Physics and Technology in Wuhan University. His current research interest focuses on applications of new energy materials.

Wanping CHEN. He obtained his B.S. from Tsinghua University in 1989, his M.S. from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1992, and his Ph.D. from Tsinghua University in 1998. He worked as a researcher in Tohoku University, Japan from 1998 to 2001, and a researcher in Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 2001 to 2004. He joined Wuhan University in 2005 and is currently a professor in School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University. His research areas cover a variety of metal oxide functional materials.

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Li, P., Tang, C., Xiao, X. et al. Flammable gases produced by TiO2 nanoparticles under magnetic stirring in water. Friction 10, 1127–1133 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-021-0505-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-021-0505-5

Keywords

  • friction
  • magnetic stirring
  • catalysis
  • CO2 reduction
  • TiO2