Interactions and Reactions of Guest Molecules with Nanotubular Materials
Abstract
Titania nanotubes were produced in large quantities using hydrothermal synthesis. Short titania nanotubes and nanosheets were also produced based on various processing techniques. Based on systematic structural modeling we demonstrated that the structure of titania nanotubes is based on delaminated anatase along the [001] direction. For the first time, the x-ray diffraction pattern of titania nanotubes is successfully explained. This provides the basis for understanding the properties of decontamination of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). The anatase-like (001) surfaces and the large surface area of titania nanotubes are quite attractive features for various surface chemistry based on theoretical studies. We used nuclear magnetic resonance to investigate the surface chemistry of titania nanotubes with a variety of small molecules such as catechol and methanol confirming the theoretical predictions. We evaluated the effectiveness of titania nanotubes for the decontamination of CWAs and achieved extremely positive results. In particular, this material is extremely effective in decontaminating VX, a CWA that has proven to be very difficult to remove in the past. Extensive tests have shown that titania nanotubes are air-stable and robust for decontaminating the commonly encountered CWAs with far better results than the currently employed products.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 14, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA532447
Entities
People
- Yue Wu
Organizations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill