A facile one-pot wet chemical process to prepare pure anatase TiO2 hollow structures using ammonium hexafluorotitanate as a precursor is developed. By defining the formic acid ratio, we fabricate TiO2 hollow structures containing fluorine on the surface. The TiO2 hollow sphere is composed of an anatase phase containing fluorine by various analytical techniques. A possible formation mechanism for the obtained hollow samples by self-transformation and Ostwald ripening is proposed. The TiO2 hollow structures containing fluorine exhibits 1.2 - 2.7 times higher performance than their counterparts in photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 hollow structures is attributed to the combined effects of high crystallinity, specific surface area (62 m2g-1), and the advantage of surface fluorine ions (at 8%) having strong electron-withdrawing ability of the surface ≡ Ti-F groups reduces the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes.

In this study, the effects of Sm addition (0, 0.05, 0.2, 0.5 wt%) on the microstructure, hardness, and electrical and thermal conductivity of Al-11Si-1.5Cu aluminum alloy were investigated. As a result of Sm addition, increment in the amount of α-Al and refinement of primary Si from 70 to 10 μm were observed due to eutectic temperature depression. On the other hand, Sm was less effective at refining eutectic Si because of insufficient addition. The phase analysis results indicated that Sm-rich intermetallic phases such as Al-Fe-Mg-Si and Al-Si-Cu formed and led to decrements in the amount of primary Si and eutectic Si. These microstructure changes affected not only the hardness but also the electrical and thermal conductivity. When 0.5 wt% Sm was added to the alloy, hardness increased from 84.4 to 91.3 Hv, and electric conductivity increased from 15.14 to 16.97 MS/m. Thermal conductivity greatly increased from 133 to 157 W/m·K.

F-containing TiO2 nanopowders are synthesized using simple wet processes (precipitation-based and hydrothermal) from ammonium hexafluorotitanate (AHFT, (NH4)2TiF6) as a precursor to apply as a photocatalyst for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). The surface properties of the prepared samples are evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results confirm that the synthesized anatase TiO2 has sphere-like shapes, with numerous small nanoparticles containing fluorine on the surface. The photocatalytic activity of F-containing TiO2 compared with F-free TiO2 is characterized by measuring the degradation of RhB using a xenon lamp. The photocatalytic degradation of F-containing TiO2 exhibits improved photocatalytic activity, based on the positive effects of adsorbed F ions on the surface.

Tin dioxide nanoparticles are prepared using a newly developed synthesis method of plasma-assisted electrolysis. A high voltage is applied to the tin metal plate to apply a high pressure and temperature to the synthesized oxide layer on the metal surface, producing nanoparticles in a low concentration of sulfuric acid. The particle size, morphology, and size distribution is controlled by the concentration of electrolytes and frequency of the power supply. The as-prepared powder of tin dioxide nanoparticles is used to fabricate a gas sensor to investigate the potential application. The particle-based gas sensor exhibits a short response and recovery time. There is sensitivity to the reduction gas for the gas flowing at rates of 50, 250, and 500 ppm of H2S gas.

We have investigated the washing method of as-synthesized CdSe/ZnS core/shell structure quantum dots (QDs) and the effective surface passivation method of the washed QDs using PMMA. The quantum yield (QY%) of assynthesized QDs decreases with time, from 79.3% to 21.1%, owing to surface reaction with residual organics. The decreased QY% is restored to the QY% of as-synthesized QDs by washing. However, the QY% of washed QDs also decreases with time, owing to the absence of surface passivation layer. On the other hand, the PMMA-treated QDs maintained a relatively higher QY% after washing than that of the washed QDs that were kept in toluene solution for 30 days. Formation of the PMMA coating layer on CdSe/ZnS QD surface is confirmed by HR-TEM and FT-IR. It is found that the PMMA surface coating, when combined with washing, is useful to be applied in the storage of QDs, owing to its long-term stability.

In this study, TiO2 powders are synthesized from ammonium hexafluoride titanate (AHFT, (NH4)2TiF6) as a precursor by heat treatment. First, we evaluate the physical properties of AHFT using X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analysis (PSA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Then, to prepare the TiO2 powders, is heat-treated at 300-1300oC for 1 h. The ratio of anatase to rutile phase in TiO2 is estimated by XRD. The anatase phase forms at 500oC and phase transformation to the rutile phase occurs at 1200oC. Increase in the particle size is observed upon increasing the reaction temperature, and the phase ratio of the rutile phase is determined from a comparison with the calculated XRD data. Thus, we show that anatase and rutile TiO2 powders could be synthesized using AHFT as a raw material, and the obtained data are utilized for developing a new process for producing high-quality TiO2 powder.