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Preferential Adsorption of TiO2 Nanostructures on Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: A DFT Study

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Werner Hofer

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Abstract

The mechanism of attachment of nanocrystals (NCs) to curved carbonaceous species such as graphene nanoribbons and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is of current scientific interest. In addition, we have observed anisotropic growth patterns of titania NCs from carbonaceous materials, for which there is no theoretical explanation. In this work we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations for calculating the energy of adsorption of titania nanostructures to both armchair metallic and zigzag semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in their pure and functionalized forms. Several adsorption sites are considered including top, bridge and hollow sites for pure SWCNTs while for functionalized SWCNTs epoxy, alcohol and carboxylate are examined. Results from binding energy calculations were found to predict favorable adsorption of TiO2 NCs on the chemical adsorption sites of functionalized SWCNTs compared to the physical adsorption sites of pure SWCNTs. The rotation of anatase and rutile titania species on the physical adsorption sites showed interesting behavior particularly regarding binding strength and growth direction predictions. Partial density of States (PDOS) calculations examined the electronic structure of the assemblies. Charge density maps showed the importance of chemisorption sites for interactions between titania structures and SWCNTs. Electronic local potentials showed the difference in binding strengths for anatase titania on SWCNT physical adsorption sites. These results provide new theoretical evidence for controlled and oriented growth mechanisms on curved carbon-based substrates that have applications in various emerging applications from photovoltaic devices to nanomedicine.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Ayissi S, Charpentier P, Palotás K, Farhangi N, Schwarz F, Hofer W

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C

Year: 2015

Volume: 119

Issue: 27

Pages: 15085-15093

Print publication date: 09/07/2015

Online publication date: 14/06/2015

Acceptance date: 13/06/2015

Date deposited: 14/07/2015

ISSN (print): 1932-7447

ISSN (electronic): 1932-7455

Publisher: ACS Publications

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b01406

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b01406

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