Journal article
Room-Temperature Synthesis and Length Tunability of Quantum-Confined One-Dimensional Lepidocrocite Titanate Nanofilaments
Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), e11002
08 Jan 2026
PMID: 41503961
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
Herein we report on the facile, one-pot, scalable, room-temperature (RT) synthesis of quantum-confined, 1D lepidocrocite (1DL) titanate nanofilaments (NFs)-by reacting titanium oxysulfate with tetramethylammonium hydroxide, both cheap and ubiquitous precursors-for times that are significantly shorter than previously reported synthesis methods that required 80 degrees C and, in some cases, days of reaction time. Samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, small angle X-ray scattering, SAXS, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, revealing no significant differences from the higher-temperature synthesis methods, except in the fact that the lengths of the NFs varied. A parallelepiped model, one lepidocrocite layer thick, is used to fit the SAXS patterns of colloidal suspensions, CSs. The ribbons made from material reacted for 4 h are approximate to 33 nm long and 2.7 nm wide; after 12 h reaction time their lengths are >100 nm and their widths are approximate to 3.0 nm. This is the first diffraction-based evidence that the ribbons actually lengthen with time. Powders made using this method can be dried and re-dispersed in water. The resulting CS adsorbed more rhodamine 6G than any previous 1DL-based CS tested. From Tauc plots, we obtain bandgap energies of approximate to 4.0 eV, which is only weakly dependent on reaction time. This work establishes a simple, one-pot, RT, atmospheric-pressure, inexpensive and highly scalable method to synthesize quantum-confined titanate-based nanomaterials optimized for photocatalytic, environmental, and optoelectronic applications among others.
Metrics
3 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Room-Temperature Synthesis and Length Tunability of Quantum-Confined One-Dimensional Lepidocrocite Titanate Nanofilaments
- Creators
- Mohamed A. Ibrahim - Drexel University, Materials Science and EngineeringSukanya Maity - Linköping UniversitySebastien Boukhris - Institut Charles SadronMary Qin Hassig - Drexel UniversityTreesa Reji - Drexel University, Materials Science and EngineeringJohanna Rosen - Linköping UniversityDoru Constantin - Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueMichel W. Barsoum - Drexel University, Materials Science and Engineering
- Publication Details
- Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), e11002
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 14
- Grant note
- 101087713 / European Union (ERC, MULTI2D) DMR-2211319 / Ceramics Division of NSF 2019.0433 / Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) foundation; Knut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001656182100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105027199651
- Other Identifier
- 991022153583104721