Download or read book Investigation of Solar Energy Transfer Through Plasmonic Au Nanoparticle doped Sol derived TiO2 Thin Films in Photocatalysis and Photovoltaics written by Andrew Zelinski and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) films were elaborated using the Sol-Gel technique and subsequently used to study plasmonic photovoltaic and photocatalytic energy transfer enhancement mechanisms. TiO2 was chosen because of the unique optical and electrical properties it possesses as well as its ease of preparation and operational stability. The properties of sol-elaborated films vary significantly with processing environment and technique, and the sol formula; a systematic investigation of these variables enabled the selection of a consistent technique to produce relatively dense, crack-free TiO2 thin films. Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) energy transfer was investigated by integrating plasmonic Au nanoparticles into multi-layer wide-band gap semiconductor (TiO2) devices, and by doping strongly catalytic TiO2 anodes in a 3-electrode photochemical cell. An instant 3x photocurrent enhancement in the multilayer solar cell device was observed under 650nm light illumination, which suggests the presence of a resonant energy transfer. The focus of this work was to develop a systematic analysis of the actual mechanics of energy transfer responsible for the light-harvesting enhancements seen in previous studies of Au nanoparticle-TiO2 systems under visible illumination15−29. This mechanism remains the subject of debate and models have been proposed by various researchers. A method is developed here to pinpoint the most influential of the proposed mechanisms.
Download or read book Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy on Nanostructured Photocatalysts and Photovoltaic Thin films for Solar Energy Conversion written by Benjamin Nail and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Solar energy conversion has the potential to reduce society’s dependence on fossil fuels and to diminish the harmful effects of climate change by generating clean power from the sun. The process of solar hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting uses solar energy to generate hydrogen fuels from water and has been explored extensively in recent years as hydrogen is considered a very promising candidate for a clean and renewable solar fuel. However, only a limited number of earth-abundant photocatalysts have been shown to be active for visible-light driven H2 evolution. New advances also continue in photovoltaic (PV) technologies such as hybrid solar cells, devices composed of inorganic semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) mixed with organic conducting polymers. This dissertation will focus on the application of Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy (SPS) to study photochemical charge transfer processes in nanoscale photocatalysts and on the characterization of charge transfer dynamics occurring in inorganic-organic hybrid solar cell films. Chapter 2 explores a photocatalytic nickel oxide nanoparticle system modified with platinum co-catalyst for photochemical hydrogen generation. Nanocrystals of NiO have increased p-type character and improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution from water in the presence of methanol as sacrificial electron donor. Surface photovoltage spectroscopy of NiO and NiO–Pt films on Au substrates indicate a metal Pt-NiO junction with 30 mV photovoltage that promotes carrier separation. The increased photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance of nano-NiO is due to improved minority carrier extraction and increased p-type character, as deduced from Mott–Schottky plots, optical absorbance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. These results are relevant to the understanding of NiO-containing photocatalysts and to the electronic properties of nanoscale metal oxides and junctions. In Chapter 3, surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) was used to study the intrinsic charge transfer properties and surface states of thin films of thiol, amine, carboxylic acid supported CdSe QDs on indium tin oxide (ITO) in the absence of an external bias or electrolyte. On ITO, the QD films give positive or negative photovoltage signals (-120 to +350 mV) under sub band gap and super band gap excitation (0.1 - 0.3 mW cm−2), depending on the ligand type present at the QD surface. Experimental photovoltage values are found to correlate with the LUMO energies of the CdSe QDs, obtained from the electrochemical reduction potential in tetra-n-butylammonium hexafluorophosphate electrolyte at unadjusted pH. This suggests the possibility that the built-in potential of the ITO-QD Schottky contacts is controlled by the electronic properties of the ligands. The findings shed new light on factors controlling photochemical charge separation in films of ligand-stabilized CdSe QDs. Chapter 4 presents a study of a nanoscale doped perovskite photocatalyst, chromium-doped strontium titanate (Cr:SrTiO3). The Cr:SrTiO3 nanoparticles form as well defined cubic-shaped nanocrystals with a mean diameter of 43.5 nm (±18.8 nm) and have homogeneous composition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis shows that Cr:SrTiO3 particles synthesized at high temperature contain high concentrations of Cr6+ trap sites while hydrothermally synthesized particles contain only Cr3+. SPS data shows that photogenerated charge carriers from Cr3+ donor states can drive photochemical reactions (e.g methanol oxidation) at the particle surface and that those reaction rates are increased by previous light excitation of the film. SPS also shows a dependence of photovoltage magnitude on substrate work function that is explained by the built-in potential (V[subscript bi]) at the film-substrate interface. Photochemical hydrogen evolution experiments show rates of up to 85 [mu]mol/hr (1.56% AQE at 435 nm). Rates are strongly dependent on solution pH, Cr doping %, and particle synthesis method. A mild NaBH4 reduction treatment was shown to increase photocatalytic activity in Cr:SrTiO3 and decrease its Cr6+ concentration. Surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) also reveals an anomalously increasing photovoltage with magnitude greater than the band gap of SrTiO3. A model is proposed to show that the unusually large photovoltage, as well as charge separation in Cr:SrTiO3 in general, can be explained by a light-activated ferroelectric effect that causes ordering of electric dipoles in the non-centrosymmetric Cr:SrTiO3 unit cells.
Download or read book Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysis written by Vladimiro Dal Santo and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2019-05-27 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although the seminal work of Fujishima et al. dates back to 1971, TiO2 still remains the most diffused and studied semiconductor, employed in photo-oxidation processes for cleantech (i.e., polluted water and air treatment), in solar fuel production (mainly hydrogen production by water photo splitting), and in Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) processes by CO2 photoreduction. The eleven articles, among them three reviews, in this book cover recent results and research trends of various aspects of titanium dioxide photocatalysis, with the chief aim of improving the final efficiency of TiO2-based materials. Strategies include doping, metal co-catalyst deposition, and the realization of composites with plasmonic materials, other semiconductors, and graphene. Photocatalysts with high efficiency and selectivity can be also obtained by controlling the precise crystal shape (and homogeneous size) and the organization in superstructures from ultrathin films to hierarchical nanostructures. Finally, the theoretical modeling of TiO2 nanoparticles is discussed and highlighted. The range of topics addressed in this book will stimulate the reader’s interest as well as provide a valuable source of information for researchers in academia and industry.
Download or read book Inorganic Metal Oxide Nanocrystal Photocatalysts for Solar Fuel Generation from Water written by Troy K. Townsend and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2014-03-19 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Troy Townsend's thesis explores the structure, energetics and activity of three inorganic nanocrystal photocatalysts. The goal of this work is to investigate the potential of metal oxide nanocrystals for application in photocatalytic water splitting, which could one day provide us with clean hydrogen fuel derived from water and solar energy. Specifically, Townsend's work addresses the effects of co-catalyst addition to niobium oxide nanotubes for photocatalytic water reduction to hydrogen, and the first use of iron oxide 'rust' in nanocrystal suspensions for oxygen production. In addition, Townsend studies a nickel/oxide-strontium titanate nanocomposite which can be described as one of only four nanoscale water splitting photocatalysts. He also examines the charge transport for this system. Overall, this collection of studies brings relevance to the design of inorganic nanomaterials for photocatalytic water splitting while introducing new directions for solar energy conversion.
Download or read book Surface Modifications and Growth of Titanium Dioxide for Photo Electrochemical Water Splitting written by John Alexander and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-05-21 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This outstanding thesis provides a wide-ranging overview of the growth of titanium dioxide thin films and its use in photo-electrochemicals such as water splitting. The context for water splitting is introduced with the theory of semiconductor-liquid junctions, which are dealt with in detail. In particular plasmonic enhancement of TiO2 by the addition of gold nanoparticles is considered in depth, including a thorough and critical review of the literature, which discusses the possible mechanisms that may be at work. Plasmonic enhancement is demonstrated with gold nanoparticles on Nb-doped TiO2. Finally, the use of temperature and pressure to control the phase and morphology of thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition is presented.
Download or read book Clean by Light Irradiation written by Vincenzo Augugliaro and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2010 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book deals with the environmentally friendly cleaning materials functionalized with TiO2, a widely known semiconductor giving rise to redox reactions under artificial or solar irradiation. The role of titanium dioxide in the worldwide community is introduced first. The fundamental working principles of heterogeneous photocatalysis follow and a critical section on the semiconductor bulk and surface properties open the way to the differences between TiO2 blend features with respect to analogous thin film layouts. Then Follows the main section of the book which deals with the techniques applied to manufactured commercial devices, ranging from glasses to textiles and from concrete and other construction materials to paintings. Also road asphalt and other devices, such as photocatalytic air conditioning machines are outlined. Last generation materials, not yet commercialized, and the deposition techniques applied to prepare them are also widely discussed. The final part of the book covers the difficult and modern topic of standardization and comparison of performance of photocatalytic processes and in particular the guidelines proposed by various worldwide organizations for standardization are discussed. The book covers the general matters as well as the practical applications with the supporting methods discussed in detail. This book brings together a team of highly experienced and well-published experts in the field, providing a comprehensive view of the applications of supported titanium dioxide.
Download or read book Sol gel ALD Low Temperature Process written by Fatma Trabelsi and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Solar energy remains one of the most common renewable energy sources. Using photovoltaic cells, the energy of sunlight can be converted into electricity. Unfortunately, one of the main drawbacks of Si solar cells is their limited efficiency absorption of long wavelength sunlight. To address this issue, special attention is given to the upconversion luminescence process in which the sequential absorption of two or more photons leads to the emission of light at shorter wavelength (Visible) than the excitation wavelength (Near Infra Red) that can be reabsorbed by the cell. In this context, the work of this PhD thesis aims to develop coated upconversion nanopowder based thin films to extend the spectral sensitivity of solar cells to the NIR (Near Infra Red) spectrum.The idea is to investigate the efficiency of a low temperature procedure to get an efficient upconversion emission that can be used to improve the performance of Si solar cells. The structural, morphological and composition properties after every step of the proposed approach are examined in details. For the nanopowder based thin film, TiO2 is chosen as host material and Er3+/Yb3+, embedded as activator/sensitizer, to play the role of spectrum modifier. This nanopowder based thin film is formed through an optimization of the dispersion (pH, ultrasonication) and deposition (spin coating parameters) steps of the elaborated upconversion nanopowder. The Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) layer of Al2O3 material followed by thermal treatment is used as an important tool for Si passivation through defects reducing. In addition, its potential application as a barrier from the surrounding environment helps to avoid the supressing of luminescence. The influence of thickness layer and thermal treatment on upconversion luminescence and structural properties of the nanopowder-based films are studied. It is concluded that ALD reinforced nanopowder thin films retained the original functionality of the nanopowder related to upconversion phenomenon. Interestingly, by tuning the thickness of the coating layer, enhancement by 98% of the green upconversion emission can be obtained, it is proved that Al2O3 acts as a barrier to decrease the quenching of luminescence and promote the light absorption. Furthermore, the effect of ALD coating and thermal treatment on adhesion and hardness of the coated nanopowder based films is investigated. The combination of the common steps used for enhancing electrical properties with good luminescence and mechanical properties makes these films more attractive.
Download or read book Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide in Photocatalysis written by It-Meng Low and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2021-06-18 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has drawn considerable attention as an attractive inorganic raw material for various applications due to its inexpensiveness, nontoxic nature, stability, and excellent photocatalytic activity. Photocatalysis is one of the most promising route for sustainable chemistry of the 21st century. It can contribute to solving environmental, global energy, and chemical problems, as well as to the sustainable production of commodities in the near future. This book presents the fundamentals of photocatalysis in nanostructured TiO2 and describes the factors affecting the photocatalytic activity, design, and synthesis of various forms of nanostructured TiO2. It highlights the use of ion-doping and inert-atmosphere annealing to extend the light-absorption range of photocatalysts and reduce recombination between electrons and holes. It discusses numerous applications in the fields of energy and environment, such as water purification, gas sensing, storage and delivery, and energy generation. The book is an invaluable resource and useful guide for a broad readership in various fields of catalysis, materials science, environment, and energy.
Download or read book Plasmonics Fundamentals and Applications written by Stefan Alexander Maier and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-05-16 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Considered a major field of photonics, plasmonics offers the potential to confine and guide light below the diffraction limit and promises a new generation of highly miniaturized photonic devices. This book combines a comprehensive introduction with an extensive overview of the current state of the art. Coverage includes plasmon waveguides, cavities for field-enhancement, nonlinear processes and the emerging field of active plasmonics studying interactions of surface plasmons with active media.
Download or read book Chromium Doped Tio2 Sputtered Thin Films written by Anouar Hajjaji and published by . This book was released on 2015-01-31 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Chemical Solution Deposition of Functional Oxide Thin Films written by Theodor Schneller and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2014-01-24 with total page 801 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first text to cover all aspects of solution processed functional oxide thin-films. Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) comprises all solution based thin- film deposition techniques, which involve chemical reactions of precursors during the formation of the oxide films, i. e. sol-gel type routes, metallo-organic decomposition routes, hybrid routes, etc. While the development of sol-gel type processes for optical coatings on glass by silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide dates from the mid-20th century, the first CSD derived electronic oxide thin films, such as lead zirconate titanate, were prepared in the 1980’s. Since then CSD has emerged as a highly flexible and cost-effective technique for the fabrication of a very wide variety of functional oxide thin films. Application areas include, for example, integrated dielectric capacitors, ferroelectric random access memories, pyroelectric infrared detectors, piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems, antireflective coatings, optical filters, conducting-, transparent conducting-, and superconducting layers, luminescent coatings, gas sensors, thin film solid-oxide fuel cells, and photoelectrocatalytic solar cells. In the appendix detailed “cooking recipes” for selected material systems are offered.
Download or read book Solar Energy Conversion Via Low Cost Nanostructured Thin Films written by Ibrahim A. I. Hassan and published by LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2012 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Photo-electrochemical water splitting is a part in solar energy harvesting to produce hydrogen, which can be used as a carrier of energy in fuel cells. All techniques for electrochemistry, surface analysis and conditions employed for experimental are reported.The formation and investigation of photo-active thin nanostructured WO3 films were studied. The time dependence of photo-currents is studied by impedance, light pulse, and light modulation techniques and also electron transport are discussed. Evidence for trapping of diffusing electrons is obtained from intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy. Layer-By-Layer assembly is employed to form films from hematite nanoparticles and photo-electrochemical responses are observed. Hematite is formed by CVD from a ferrocene precursor in variable thickness on FTO and ITO substrates. The efficiency is improved by a factor of 4 due to higher density. Spray-pyrolysis of hematite is used to study doping effect on efficiency and morphology of its films. Addition of TMS to hematite precursor is investigated and the dramatic effect on the photo-current is discussed. A solid solution SrTi1-xFexO3-y (STF) is studied giving efficiency up to 11%
Download or read book Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering written by Zhong-Qun Tian and published by John Wiley & Sons Incorporated. This book was released on 2010-06-14 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy: Principles, Experiments, and Applications is a comprehensive, up to date, and balanced treatment of the theoretical and practical aspects of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), a useful branch of spectroscopy for several areas of science. This book describes the basic principles of SERS, including SERS mechanisms, performing SERS measurements, and interpreting data. Also emphasized are applications in electrochemistry; catalysis; surface processing and corrosion; Self-Assemble-Layer and L-B Films; polymer science; biology; medicine and drug analysis; sensors; fuel cells; forensics; and archaeology. It is an essential guide for student and professional analytical chemists.
Download or read book Fundamentals of Solar Cell Design written by Inamuddin and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-08-24 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Solar cells are semiconductor devices that convert light photons into electricity in photovoltaic energy conversion and can help to overcome the global energy crisis. Solar cells have many applications including remote area power systems, earth-orbiting satellites, wristwatches, water pumping, photodetectors and remote radiotelephones. Solar cell technology is economically feasible for commercial-scale power generation. While commercial solar cells exhibit good performance and stability, still researchers are looking at many ways to improve the performance and cost of solar cells via modulating the fundamental properties of semiconductors. Solar cell technology is the key to a clean energy future. Solar cells directly harvest energy from the sun’s light radiation into electricity are in an ever-growing demand for future global energy production. Solar cell-based energy harvesting has attracted worldwide attention for their notable features, such as cheap renewable technology, scalable, lightweight, flexibility, versatility, no greenhouse gas emission, environment, and economy friendly and operational costs are quite low compared to other forms of power generation. Thus, solar cell technology is at the forefront of renewable energy technologies which are used in telecommunications, power plants, small devices to satellites. Aiming at large-scale implementation can be manipulated by various types used in solar cell design and exploration of new materials towards improving performance and reducing cost. Therefore, in-depth knowledge about solar cell design is fundamental for those who wish to apply this knowledge and understanding in industries and academics. This book provides a comprehensive overview on solar cells and explores the history to evolution and present scenarios of solar cell design, classification, properties, various semiconductor materials, thin films, wafer-scale, transparent solar cells, and so on. It also includes solar cells’ characterization analytical tools, theoretical modeling, practices to enhance conversion efficiencies, applications and patents.
Download or read book Thin Film Solar Technology written by Alan Edward Delahoy and published by SPIE-International Society for Optical Engineering. This book was released on 2009 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proceedings of SPIE present the original research papers presented at SPIE conferences and other high-quality conferences in the broad-ranging fields of optics and photonics. These books provide prompt access to the latest innovations in research and technology in their respective fields. Proceedings of SPIE are among the most cited references in patent literature.
Download or read book Structural and Morphological Modification of TiO2 Doped Metal Ions and Investigation of Photo induced Charge Transfer Processes written by Jesus Vargas Hernandez and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The thesis work is focused on the synthesis methods of titanium dioxide nanostructures and their physico-chemical studies in order to point out the correlations between the morphology, metal doping, structural features with the photocatalytic efficiency. The great interest on TiO2 nanomaterials deals with new sources of energy or in the environment preservation through the photocatalytic properties. However, the main limitations is due to the wide band gap (~3.2 eV) of the anatase polymorph. Thus, a major objective for improvement of the performance of TiO2 nanomaterials is to increase theirphotoactivity by shifting the onset of the electron-hole pairs creation from UV to the visible range. Moreover, it was found that using onedimensional (1-D) TiO2 (nanotubes) improved the charge collection by 1D nanostructures which consequently minimizes the recombination and prolongate the electron lifetimes. The first part of this work is focused on the synthesis of TiO2 nanopowders doped with metallic ions (Ag, Cu, Eu) prepared by Solgel. Even with different doping elements which apparently can adopt the same valence state (2+) such as (Cu2+, Ag2+,Eu2+), different behaviors were demonstrated for the effective incorporation of these ions in the host structure of TiO2. The discrepancy between ionic radii of the different used elements modulates the ratio of the substitutional doping. This is indeed achieved for Cu2+ but in less extent for Ag2+ while Europium ions form segregated phase as Eu2Ti2O7. The experiments on the degradation of methylene blue (MB)dyes have shown slight improvement with Ag-doped samples. The reason was tentatively attributed to the Ag clusters which were indeed demonstrated through their plasmon optical band. The second part of the work concerns thin films of TiO2 doped (Cu, Ag, and Eu) which were elaborated by spin coating and dip coating. The optimal parameters were obtained to achieve crystalline films but presenting mesoporous organisation which also depends on the doping process. Photocatalysis investigations were also realized and the efficiency of the films compared as function of the doping elements.The third part of the thesis is related to the morphological modification from nanoparticles to nanotubes by using the hydrothermal method with controlled pressure. An experimental design based on Taguchi Method was employed for the determination of the optimal parameters. TiO2 nanotubes increase the surface area in comparison with TiO2nanoparticles. TiO2 nanotubes were tested for the methylene blue degradation and show a higher photocatalytic efficiency than TiO2 nanopowders and TIO2 doped with Ag.
Download or read book Synthesis of TiO2 based nanoparticles for photocatalytic applications written by Kranthi Kumar Akurati and published by Cuvillier Verlag. This book was released on 2008-10-27 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Various gas phase synthesis routes have been employed to produce TiO2 based nanoparticles for photocatalytic applications. Synthesis routes have been selected depending up on the feasibility/constraints of the particular process to produce a given kind of material. The first attempt at producing the photocatalysts involved the synthesis of pure TiO2 nanoparticles by a flame aerosol process. The growth behaviour of TiO2 particles which has significant influence on their crystallinity and surface area, has been controlled by varying the process parameters and selecting suitable flame configurations. An existing method to determine the crystallinity of the powder has been modified which facilitates comparison of the degree of crystallinity of the nanoparticles synthesized by various methods. Resultant TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen physisorption to determine the degree of crystallinity quantitatively and surface area, respectively, and the decomposition rate of an industrial dye, methylene blue, has been taken as the measure of the photocatalytic activity (PCA). The importance of an optimum combination of crystallinity and surface area for improved PCA has been shown by comparing the PCA of the as-synthesized nanoparticles with commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25). By depositing another semiconductor material on TiO2, PCA of the resultant composite photocatalyst can be improved due to the effective separation of the charge carriers. The deposited semiconductor has been chosen by virtue of its conduction band potential which should be higher than that of the TiO2. Accordingly, SnO2/TiO2 composite nanoparticles have been synthesized in a single-step by feeding evaporated precursor mixtures into an atmospheric pressure diffusion flame. For the lowest concentration (3.4 mol %) of SnO2 employed in this study anatase phase of TiO2 is stabilized, while segregation of SnO2 is seen at medium (6.9 to 12.4 mol %) and high concentrations (20.3 mol %). Though the equilibrium phase diagram predicts complete solubility of one oxide in another at all compositions, segregation of SnO2 phase is observed which is explained by the usage of diffusion flame in the present study. A particle formation mechanism of SnO2/TiO2 composites is proposed based on the single component aerosol formation. Photocatalytic activity of the composite particles is tested for the degradation of methylene blue and is compared with pure TiO2 synthesized under similar conditions. Improved photocatalytic activity of the composite particles is attributed to the stabilized anatase phase and better charge separation due to the coupling of TiO2 and SnO2 within the composite nanoparticles. The adsorption properties of the SnO2/TiO2 particles are similar to the pure TiO2 particles and the PCA can be further improved coupling the advantages of adsorption properties and charge carrier separation in a single system. WO3 is the kind of semiconductor material that has suitable conduction band potential and surface acidity to perform the dual function mentioned above. Due to the non-availability of the suitable volatile precursor for WO3, WO3/TiO2 composite nanoparticles have been synthesized by using flame spray synthesis. W and Ti precursors were dissolved in a suitable solvent and sprayed into the high temperature acetylene flame using an atomizing gas. Particles with controlled W:Ti ratios were produced at various flow rates of precursor solution and the resulting powders were characterized by BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area analysis, XRD, TEM (Transmission electron microscopy), Raman and ATR-IR (Attenuated total reflection infrared) spectroscopy. Two-dimensional coordinatively unsaturated wolframyl species were well dispersed on the TiO2 surface for the samples equal to or less than 3.6 mol% WO3 and contributed to increase the surface acidity. Crystalline WO3 was formed for the samples above 3.6 mol% WO3. The formation of crystalline WO3 is attributed to the enhanced rate of condensation of W species with increasing loading of tungsten. The variation of lambda (defined as the ratio of the actual oxygen-to-fuel ratio of the reactants to the stoichiometric fuel-to-oxygen ratio) affects the type of surface species dispersed on TiO2 particles and thereby the resultant acidity. The improved photocatalytic activity of the composite particles is attributed to the increased surface acidity and better charge separation due to the coupling of WOx species and TiO2 within the composite nanoparticles. The development of a practical photocatalytic system focuses on the cost effectiveness of the process. The usage of the expensive solar concentrators and artificial ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for photocatalytic reactions has negative influences on the cost effectiveness. In addition to the cost effectiveness resulting from using solar energy, abundance of the visible light (55 % compared to 6 % of UV) motivates to synthesize TiO2 nanoparticles that absorb visible light. Nitrogen doped TiO2 nanoparticles that absorbs visible light have been synthesized by hot-wall reactor synthesis. The extent of doping of nitrogen is controlled by varying the hot-wall reactor temperature and the flow rate of the gaseous reactants. Increasing the nitrogen concentration above a certain value reduces the PCA and is attributed to the formation of Ti3+ that act as recombination centre for the charge carriers. The concentration of nitrogen at which significant Ti3+ formation takes place has been systematically investigated by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) measurements.
