Plasma-electrolysis synthesis of TiO2 nano/microspheres with optical absorption extended into the infra-red region.

A novel plasma-electrolysis method is introduced to synthesize high-quality TiO(2) nano/microspheres that exhibited excellent optical absorption covering the range from ultraviolet to infra-red. Both experimental and theoretical results show that the oxygen vacancies in the TiO(2) spheres are primarily responsible for this wide absorption.

Preparation, characterization and catalytic property of CuO nano/microspheres via thermal decomposition of cathode-plasma generating Cu2(OH)3NO3 nano/microspheres.

CuO nano/microspheres with a wide diametric distribution were prepared by thermal decomposition of Cu(2)(OH)(3)NO(3) nano/microspheres formed in a simple asymmetric-electrode based cathodic-plasma electrolysis. The morphological, componential, and structural information about the two kinds of spheres were characterized in detail by SEM, TEM, EDX, XPS and XRD, and the results revealed that the morphology of the spheres were well kept after the componential and structural transformation from Cu(2)(OH)(3)NO(3) into CuO. The TGA/DSC study showed that the CuO nano/microspheres could be explored to be a promising additive for accelerating the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP).

Synthesis of methane in nanotube channels by a flash.

Inorganic synthesis of organic molecules is a significant step for the primordial life. Generally, inorganic synthesis of methane necessitates, in addition to catalyst, a high-temperature and high-pressure environment. Here we will show that such an environment could be locally and instantly realized in the channels of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) even under room temperature and ultrahigh vacuum conditions just by a visible-light flash, owing to the ultra-photothermal effect of nanomaterials.

Visible-light-induced water-splitting in channels of carbon nanotubes.

The visible-light-induced split of water confined in channels of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was experimentally studied. Arc-discharging synthesized SWNTs were used to adsorb water vapor and then were irradiated in a vacuum by using light from a camera flash. It was found that a great amount of hydrogen-rich gases could be repeatedly produced under several rapid flashes of light, occasionally accompanying evident charge emission phenomena.