F208 (2005)

F208

F208 (2005). Properties of H2Ti3O7 crystalline nanotubes.

High yield H-form trititanate nanotubes have been synthesized and their structures been characterised by using XRD and HRTEM. Thermal analysis suggests that the stoichiometry of the material is H2Ti3O7×0.8H2Oabs. Conductivity measurements indicate that mainly protonic transport occurs at temperatures below 150 °C and that with increasing temperature and progressive breakdown of nanotubes and formation of crystalline TiO2 phases, protonic conductivity is lost leaving only residual defect electronic conduction. Proton conductivity is ca. 5.5 ´ 10-6 Scm-1 at 300 K. The structural protons and trapped water were confirmed by solid state NMR. [A. Thorne, A. Kruth, D. Tunstall, J. T. S. Irvine, W. Z. Zhou, J. Phys. Chem. B109, 5439–5444 (2005)]. A. Thorne was a final year undergraduate student and the paper mainly contains the results of his project.