Study of the Photocatalytic Activity of Nitrogen-Doped Titanate Nanotubes via EPR Technique

Abstract

In recent decades the development of nanostructured materials have been increased due to theirs unique properties. After the discovery of carbon nanotubes the searches for other nanomaterials with elongated morphology have been intensified. Among these materials titanate nanotubes has emerge due to its open and mesoporous structure, high surface area, band gap energy corresponding to the UV region, ion exchange capacity, functionality, and electrical conductivity, which allows its application in energy conversion and storage devices, magnetic materials, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and others. However, these materials can be activated only by irradiating with ultraviolet light, which corresponds to only about 5% of the radiation incident from the Sun to the Earth, what influences their photocatalytic activity. This activity can be also affected by the recombination of the photogenerated electron due to the presence of vacancies in the structure.In the present project we will study the influence of nitrogen-doped titanate nanotubes in the photocatalytic activity, which would increase the absorption spectrum of these nanostructures to lowers energy region and consequently would also reduce the charge recombination rate. In addition, nitrogen-doped nanotubes will be sensitized with the 2,9,16,23-tetracarbonil phthalocyanine copper(II). The crystal structure will be investigated by several microscopy techniques and the photocatalytic activity will be evaluated by EPR (Electronic Paramagnetic Ressonance) by measuring the amount of reactive oxygen species that the material can generate.