Preparation and characterization of Fe-incorporated titanate nanotubes

A simple hydrothermal procedure is developed for incorporating Fe into H2Ti3O7 nanotubes. Detailed characterizations have been carried out using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and x-ray diffractometry, and results showed that the specimens have the same structural framework as H2Ti3O7, into which Fe atoms are successfully incorporated. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra show that the Fe-incorporated H2Ti3O7 nanotube has a much improved photon absorption efficiency in the visible region compared with the pure H2Ti3O7 nanotube. Other metals have also been incorporated into H2Ti3O7 nanotubes, and similar improvements are observed in some of these metal-incorporated nanotubes.