#titanium oxide

Titanium oxide nanostructuring transcends boundaries, enabling precise formation on metal coatings

Large metal surfaces coated with precisely formed nanostructures have so far remained in the realm of fantasy. The obstacle standing in the way of their production seemed fundamental, as it resulted from the presence of crystal grains in metals: their boundaries disrupted the growth of the nanostructures. At the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the PAS, using titanium and its oxide by way of example, it has been proven that this obstacle can be overcome. Coatings made of nanostructures with precisely selected sizes and shapes make it possible to control material properties. Unfortunately, in the case of most metals, there was a serious limitation: it was impossible to produce homogeneous coatings on large surfaces due to the disturbances appearing at the boundaries of the crystal grains. This limitation has been overcome at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Cracow, where the process of large-area metal coating with nanotubes has been demonstrated using titanium and its oxide as an illustration. This achievement seems promising in the context of many applications, among which medical implants, photovoltaic cells, chemical detectors, and memristors stand out.

(No sound required, it’s only wet noises)

Using the very last remnant of the Darkiplier soap, I just wanted to demonstrate what I mean by foams black/grey.

The white part contains titanium oxide, which on the fresh bar actually bleeds white into the water.

The black part is made with charcoal, so it lathers black, but when mixed with the titanium rinses off with this smokey effect.

Clean energy plans, including the U.S. Infrastructure Investment Act's "Clean Hydrogen Road Map," are counting on hydrogen as a fuel of the future. But current hydrogen separation technology is still falling short of efficiency and sustainability goals. As part of ongoing efforts to develop materials that could enable alternative energy sources, researchers in Drexel University's College of Engineering have produced a titanium oxide nanofilament material that can harness sunlight to unlock the ubiquitous molecule's potential as a fuel source. The discovery offers an alternative to current methods that generate greenhouse gas and require a great deal of energy. Photocatalysis, a process that can split hydrogen from water using only sunlight, has been explored for several decades, but has remained a more distant consideration because the catalyst materials enabling the process can only survive it for a day or two, which limits its long-term efficiency and, as a result, its commercial viability. Drexel's group, led by College of Engineering researchers Michel Barsoum, PhD, and Hussein O. Badr, PhD, in collaboration with scientists from the National Institute of Materials Physics in Bucharest, Romania, recently reported its discovery of photocatalytic titanium oxide-based, one-dimensional nanofilament material that can help sunlight glean hydrogen from water for months at a time. Their article "Photo-stable, 1D-nanofilaments TiO2-based lepidocrocite for photocatalytic hydrogen production in water-methanol mixtures," published in the journal Matter, presents a sustainable and affordable path for creating hydrogen fuel, according to the authors.

Green hydrogen: Improving the stability of iridium catalysts with titanium oxides

Anodes for the electrolytic splitting of water are usually iridium-based materials. In order to increase the stability of the iridium catalyst, a team at HZB and a group at HI-ERN have now produced a so-called material library: a sample in which the concentration of iridium and titanium oxides is systematically varied. Analyses of the individual sample segments at BESSY II in the EMIL laboratory showed that the presence of titanium oxides can increase the stability of the iridium catalyst significantly. One option for storing energy from the sun or wind is the production of "green" hydrogen by electrolysis. Hydrogen stores energy in chemical form and releases it again when burnt, producing no exhaust gases, only water. Today, iridium is the state-of-the-art catalyst for this reaction. However, iridium increasingly dissolves in the acidic environment of the electrolysis cell so that the catalytic effect quickly wanes.

Discharged in large quantities by textile, cosmetic, ink, paper and other manufacturers, dyes carry high-toxicity and can bring potential carcinogens to wastewater. It's a major concern for wastewater treatment -- but researchers in Drexel University's College of Engineering may have found a solution, using a tiny nanofilament. A study lead Michel Barsoum, Ph.D., Distinguished University professor in the College of Engineering, and his team, including researchers from Drexel's College of Arts and Sciences, found that a one-dimensional, lepidocrocite structured titanium oxide photocatalyst material has the ability to break down two common dye pollutants -- rhodamine 6G and crystal violet -- under the visible light spectrum. The material also reduced those dye concentrations in the water by 90% and 64%, respectively, in just 30 minutes, when the starting catalyst to dye mass ratio was 1 to 1. "This is an exciting finding because it helps to address a problem that has been a real challenge for the water treatment process," Barsoum said. "We anticipate that integrating our titanium-oxide photocatalyst into the current processes could improve its effectiveness in removing these chemicals, as well as reducing the amount of energy required to do so."

Titanate Nanowire Mask Filter Can Kill Bacteria and Viruses Including SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19

Filter “paper” made from titanium oxide nanowires is capable of trapping pathogens and destroying them with light. This discovery by an EPFL laboratory could be put to use in personal protective equipment, as well as in ventilation and air conditioning systems.

As part of attempts to curtail the Covid-19 pandemic, paper masks are increasingly being made mandatory. Their relative effectiveness is no longer in question, but their widespread use has a number of drawbacks. These include the environmental impact of disposable masks made from layers of non-woven polypropylene plastic microfibres. Moreover, they merely trap pathogens instead of destroying them. “In a hospital setting, these masks are placed in special bins and handled appropriately,” says László Forró, head of EPFL’s Laboratory of Physics of Complex Matter. “However, their use in the wider world – where they are tossed into open waste bins and even left on the street – can turn them into new sources of contamination.”

Researchers in Forró’s lab are working on a promising solution to this problem: a membrane made of titanium oxide nanowires, similar in appearance to filter paper but with antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Study: Nanoparticles produced from burning coal result in damage to mice lungs, suggesting toxicity to humans

Virginia Tech scientists have discovered that incredibly small particles of an unusual and highly toxic titanium oxide found in coal smog and ash can cause lung damage in mice after a single exposure, with long-term damage occurring in just six weeks.

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The tests were headed by Irving Coy Allen, a professor with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, with collaborators from across Virginia Tech and researchers at the University of Colorado, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, and East China Normal University in Shanghai. The findings were recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Immunology.

They follow 2017 findings by Virginia Tech geoscientist Michael Hochella that burning coal — when smoke is not captured by high-end filters currently found in U.S. power plants — emits tiny particulates known as titanium suboxide nanoparticles into the atmosphere. Such nanoparticles were found by Hochella’s team of scientists in ash collected from the city streets, sidewalks, and in ponds and bays near U.S. and Chinese cities.

Scientists have created new nanocomposite from gold and titanium oxide: Scientists use lasers and gold particles to turn titanium oxide into nanocomposite for photocatalysts

Oxides of different metals often serve as photocatalysts in various systems such as air purification, reactions of water decomposition and even in the production of self-cleaning surfaces for glass and mirrors. The physical-chemical properties of such materials can be improved by adding nanoparticles, which turn an ordinary oxide into a nanomaterial with new capabilities. To successfully perform this, however, it is necessary to understand the processes going on as a nanocomposite is being formed, and to be able to control them. ITMO University researchers together with their colleagues from France and the USA have demonstrated how a femtosecond laser can be used to tune the structure and nanocomposite properties for titanium dioxide films filled with gold nanoparticles. The paper was published in ACS the Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

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Some time ago, scientists and engineers created a number of special materials capable of accelerating chemical processes when exposed to light. This discovery has a great implications for industry - such materials can be used in a wide variety of devices, from air purifiers to fuel cells. One of such promising materials is titanium dioxide, which can be infused with gold nanoparticles to improve its photocatalytic properties. Research in this field is conducted by ITMO University researchers.