In-situ synthesis, local structure, photoelectrochemical property of Fe-intercalated titanate nanotube

Abstract The titanate nanotube (TNT) and iron intercalated titanate nanotube (Fe-TNT) were synthesized in-situ single step hydrothermal method at 150 °C for 72 h. The electronic and local coordination structures of iron species intercalated in the interlayer space of ion exchangeable titanate nanotubes were investigated by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The iron intercalated into the nanotube was formed as hydrated iron complex of [Fe x II(OH) 2 x −1 (OH 2 )] + and the iron complex played a harmful role in the photocatalytic hydrogen production from methanol–water mixed solution and the photocatalytic decomposition of acid orange 7 (AO7) under UV light irradiation. A higher photocurrent generation, however, was also observed from the Fe-intercalated titanate nanotube film from 0.1 M NaOH solution under UV light irradiation.