Self-Modification of Defective TiO under Controlled H/Ar Gas Environment and Dynamics of Photoinduced Surface Oxygen Vacancies.

In recent years, defective TiO has caught considerable research attention because of its potential to overcome the limits of low visible light absorption and fast charge recombination present in pristine TiO photocatalysts. Among the different synthesis conditions for defective TiO, ambient pressure hydrogenation with the addition of Ar as inert gas for safety purposes has been established as an easy method to realize the process. Whether the Ar gas might still influence the resulting photocatalytic properties and defective surface layer remains an open question.

A novel method for the synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles for functional applications based on long-term confinement in a radio frequency plasma.

A novel combined setup of a Haberland type gas aggregation source and a secondary radio frequency discharge is used to generate, confine, and coat nanoparticles over much longer time scales than traditional in-flight treatment. The process is precisely monitored using localized surface plasmon resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy as diagnostics. They indicate that both untreated and treated particles can be confined for extended time periods (at least one hour) with minimal losses.