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“Zinc and copper oxides functionalized with metal nanoparticles : an insight into their nano-organization”. Maccato C, Simon Q, Carraro G, Barreca D, Gasparotto A, Lebedev OI, Turner S, Van Tendeloo G, Journal of advanced microscopy research 7, 84 (2012). http://doi.org/10.1166/jamr.2012.1101
Abstract: Ag/ZnO and Au/CuxO (x = 1, 2) nanocomposites supported on Si(100) and polycrystalline Al2O3 were synthesised by hybrid approaches, combining chemical vapor deposition (either thermal or plasma-assisted) of host oxide matrices and subsequent radio frequency-sputtering of guest metal particles. The influence of the adopted synthetic parameters on the nanocomposite morphological and compositional features was investigated by field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results confirm the synthesis of ZnO and CuxO nanoarchitectures, characterized by a tailored morphology and an intimate metal/oxide contact. A careful control of the processing conditions enabled a fine tuning of the mutual constituent distribution, opening thus attractive perspectives for the engineering of advanced nanomaterials.
Keywords: A1 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
DOI: 10.1166/jamr.2012.1101
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“Multi-functional copper oxide nanosystems for H2 sustainable production and sensing”. Gasparotto A, Barreca D, Fornasiero P, Gombac V, Lebedev O, Maccato C, Montini T, Tondello E, Van Tendeloo G, Comini E, Sberveglieri G, ECS transactions 25, 1169 (2009)
Abstract: This work focuses on the use of tailored copper oxide nanoarchitectures as multi-functional materials for the sustainable production of hydrogen and its on-line detection. An innovative copper(II) precursor, Cu(hfa)2TMEDA, was adopted in the CVD of CuxO (x=1,2) nanosystems under both O2 and O2+H2O atmospheres on Si(100) and Al2O3 substrates. A multi-technique characterization indicates that both the phase composition (from Cu2O to CuO) and morphology (from continuous films to entangled quasi-1D nanosystems) can be tailored by varying the growth temperature and reaction atmosphere. The obtained CuxO nanodeposits are active in the photocatalytic H2 production from aqueous solutions under UV-Vis irradiation and display interesting gas sensing performances towards hydrogen detection even at moderate temperatures.
Keywords: A2 Journal article; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)
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“Surface Functionalization of Grown-on-Tip ZnO Nanopyramids: From Fabrication to Light-Triggered Applications”. Gasparotto A, Maccato C, Carraro G, Sada C, Štangar UL, Alessi B, Rocks C, Mariotti D, La Porta A, Altantzis T, Barreca D, Acs Applied Materials &, Interfaces 11, 15881 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b22744
Abstract: We report on a combined chemical vapor deposition (CVD)/radio frequency (RF) sputtering synthetic strategy for the controlled surface modification of ZnO nanostructures by Ti-containing species. Specifically, the proposed approach consists in the CVD of grown-on-tip ZnO nanopyramids, followed by titanium RF sputtering under mild conditions. The results obtained by a thorough characterization demonstrate the successful ZnO surface functionalization with dispersed Ti-containing species in low amounts. This phenomenon, in turn, yields a remarkable enhancement of photoactivated superhydrophilic behavior, self-cleaning ability, and photocatalytic performances in comparison to bare ZnO. The reasons accounting for such an improvement are unravelled by a multitechnique analysis, elucidating the interplay between material chemico-physical properties and the corresponding functional behavior. Overall, the proposed strategy stands as an amenable tool for the mastering of semiconductor-based functional nanoarchitectures through ad hoc engineering of the system surface.
Keywords: A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;
Impact Factor: 7.504
Times cited: 1
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b22744
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“Controlled Surface Modification of ZnO Nanostructures with Amorphous TiO2for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting”. Gasparotto A, Maccato C, Sada C, Carraro G, Kondarides DI, Bebelis S, Petala A, La Porta A, Altantzis T, Barreca D, Advanced Sustainable Systems , 1900046 (2019). http://doi.org/10.1002/adsu.201900046
Abstract: The utilization of solar radiation to trigger photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has gained interest for sustainable energy production. In this study, attention is focused on the development of ZnO–TiO2 nanocomposite photoanodes. The target systems are obtained by growing porous arrays of highly crystalline, elongated ZnO nanostructures on indium tin oxide (ITO) by chemical vapor deposition. Subsequently, the obtained nanodeposits are functionalized with TiO2 via radio frequency-sputtering for different process durations, and subjected to final annealing in air. Characterization results demonstrate the successful formation of high purity composite systems in which the surface of ZnO nanostructures is decorated by ultra-small amounts of amorphous titania, whose content can be conveniently tailored as a function of deposition time. Photocurrent density measurements in sunlight triggered water splitting highlight a remarkable performance enhancement with respect to single-phase zinc and titanium oxides, with up to a threefold photocurrent increase compared to bare ZnO. These results, mainly traced back to the formation of ZnO/TiO2 heterojunctions yielding an improved photocarrier separation, show that the target nanocomposites are attractive photoanodes for efficient PEC water splitting.
Keywords: A1 Journal Article; Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT) ;
DOI: 10.1002/adsu.201900046
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