Design Synthesis And Discuss Of Low-Dimensionally Nanostructured ZnO And TiO₂

Nanostructured ZnO and TiO2 are functional inorganic materials, which have important applications in photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical translation. At present, one of the goals in this field is to combine ZnO and TiO2 with metals, semiconductors and magnets to form heterogeneous nanostructures, which can improve their properties. In this thesis, we demonstrate the synthesis of metal/ZnO, semiconductor/ZnO and the growth of TiO2 nanotube arrays on flexible carbon fibre sheets and investigate their electrocatalytical activity, photocatalytic activity, and photoelectrochemical activity.(1) Preparation of metal/ZnO nanoheterostructures, and their catalytical activity:We have successfully synthesized highly uniform ZnO multipods without any organic additives.Taking advantage of their open interior and large surface area, we easily fabricate well-defined Ag/ZnO and Au/ZnO hybrids by means of the good chemical affinity of Ag and Au to amino groups. Due to their prolate shape and the ability to generate strong local electromagnetic field, the Au/ZnO and Ag/ZnO hybrids are active SERS substrates. The distinct morphology of the fabricated hybrids should also make them ideal substrates to load large biomolecules for surface-enhanced spectroscopy-based sensing and characterization.(2) Preparation of semiconductor/ZnO nanoheterostructures, and their photoelectrochemical properties:we present an extremely effective approach to obtain uniform ZnO multipods with tunable tip shapes.Benefiting from their high surface-to-volume ratio, rich surface tips, and open morphology, the multipods can be readily modified with the semiconductors of ZnS, ZnSe, Bi2S3, and Cu2S to form well defined heterostructures, resulting in the chances of their photoelectrochemical properties.(3) Preparation of TiO2 nanotube arrays on flexible carbon fibre sheet and their photocatalytic activity:We have grow TiNT arrays on flexible CFSs. The resulting textile possesses mesoporosity, large surface area, and good optical properties, and as a textile possesses mesoporosity, large surface area, and good optical properties, and as a result, it exhibits efficient photocatalytic activity under weak UV light irradiation. Furthermore, the textile together with TiNT arrays can be easily recovered and the robustness of the CFS and TiNTs allows them to be reused.