Radial TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanorod-Based Mesocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications
oleh: Atsunobu Akita, Hiroaki Tada
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2021-10-01 |
Deskripsi
Radial TiO<sub>2</sub> nanorod-based mesocrystals (TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR MCs) or so-called “sea-urchin-like microspheres” possess not only attractive appearance but also excellent potential as photocatalyst and electrode materials. As a new type of TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR MCs, we have recently developed a radial heteromesocrystal photocatalyst consisting of SnO<sub>2</sub>(head) and rutile TiO<sub>2</sub> nanorods(tail) (TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR//SnO<sub>2</sub> HEMCs, symbol “//” denotes heteroepitaxial junction) with the SnO<sub>2</sub> head oriented in the central direction in a series of the studies on the nanohybrid photocatalysts with atomically commensurate junctions. This review article reports the fundamentals of TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR MCs and the applications to photocatalysts and electrodes. Firstly, the synthesis and characterization of TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR//SnO<sub>2</sub> HEMCs is described. Secondly, the photocatalytic activity of recent TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR MCs and the photocatalytic action mechanism are discussed. Thirdly, the applications of TiO<sub>2</sub>-NR MCs and the analogs to the electrodes of solar cells and lithium-ion batteries are considered. Finally, we summarize the conclusions with the possible future subjects.