An EELS study of the O-K and Ti L2,3 edges for anatase-, rutile-, and titanate nanotubes (NaTiNTs) showed that NaTiNTs are composed of Ti4+ ions in an octahedral symmetry with the oxygen ligands, however the electronic structure does not correspond to that of either of the titania precursors. Crystal-field splitting is comparable with anatase but the 3d occupation number is closer to that of rutile. In addition, Ti L2,3 spectroscopic signatures indicate that the octahedron connectivity of the tubes is different to that of the reference titania.
COBISS.SI-ID: 22770471
Resutls show that the rate performance of anatase TiO2 can be significantly improved by addition of a small amount (fewpercent) of carefully selected oxides such as silica or RuO2. Specifically, silica serves primarily as a suppressant of particle growth during heating of anatase precursor—in our case titania nanotubes. The addition of RuO2 is supposed to enhance the electronic conductivity. The beneficial impact of thecombined use of silica and RuO2 in the preparation of anatase-based electrodes is also demonstrated ona commercially available sample of anatase.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4071706