Issue 13, 2018

Carbon–TiO2 hybrid dots in different configurations – optical properties, redox characteristics, and mechanistic implications

Abstract

Carbon-based hybrid nanostructures, especially carbon hybrid dots with metal oxides, are important to both fundamental studies and technological applications. In this work, carbon–TiO2 hybrid dots in two different structural configurations were prepared and investigated comparatively for their optical properties and photoinduced redox characteristics, and the results suggested major differences. In the configuration of small carbon nanoparticles each coated/doped with only a small amount of TiO2, the TiO2 played the role of enhancing the surface passivation effect in conjunction with organic surface functionalization agents for the hybrid dots to exhibit a much improved performance over that of their corresponding neat carbon dots. In the other configuration, however, the hybrid dots of TiO2 nanocrystals each composited with nanoscale carbon domains were apparently similar to dye-sensitized TiO2 nanoparticle systems, with the carbon domains providing the dye function for the harvesting of visible photons. While combining nanoscale carbon and TiO2 for various applications has been a popular topic in the recent literature, the results reported here provide new insights into the different structural configurations or arrangements between the carbon and TiO2 and their associated effects on the optical and photoinduced redox properties of the hybrid nanostructures. Significant implications of the results on an understanding of the mechanistic relationships between the hybrid nano-structures/configurations and optical/redox properties are highlighted, and opportunities in the further exploration of carbon–metal oxide hybrid dots and their applications are discussed.

Graphical abstract: Carbon–TiO2 hybrid dots in different configurations – optical properties, redox characteristics, and mechanistic implications

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Mar 2018
Accepted
15 May 2018
First published
16 May 2018

New J. Chem., 2018,42, 10798-10806

Author version available

Carbon–TiO2 hybrid dots in different configurations – optical properties, redox characteristics, and mechanistic implications

Y. Liu, Y. Liu, H. Qian, P. Wang, G. E. LeCroy, C. E. Bunker, K. A. S. Fernando, L. Yang, M. Reibold and Y. Sun, New J. Chem., 2018, 42, 10798 DOI: 10.1039/C8NJ01252K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements