Preparation of 3D network Na2Ti2O4(OH)2 nanotube film and study on formation mechanism of nanotubes and light absorption properties

J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2012 Oct;12(10):7927-31. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2012.6611.

Abstract

The 3D network Na2Ti2O4(OH)2 nanotube film was prepared by combining interface chemical reaction with hydrothermal reaction. It can be readily indexed based on an orthorhombic system Na2Ti2O4(OH)2 (JCPDS, 47-0124), corresponding with (200), (110), (600), and (020). The nanotubes are commonly multiwalled with a diameter about 40 nm, and a length more than 2000 nm. The interlamellar space of the nanotubes is about 0.9 nm, and these nanotubes loaded with silver exhibit a strong UV-Vis-NIR absorption from 200 nm to 1000 nm, with a resonance-absorption peak at 490 nm. In addition, the formation mechanism of 3D network Na2Ti2O4(OH)2 nanotube film was investigated, the formation mechanism can be expressed as follows: Ti --> TiCl3 --> TiO2(anatase) --> Na2Ti2O4(OH)2(nanotube).