TiO2 as a Low Cost, Multi Functional Material

TiO2 is a technologically important, naturally occurring, low cost material used in energy, environmental, health and many other applications. This paper reports the possibility of using commercial TiO2 in several different applications. The efficiency of a silver nanoparticle incorporated TiO2 dye sensitized solar cell increased by 27% evidently due to the plasmonic effect. In a dye sensitized solar cell when nanopowder TiO2 photoanode was replaced by a composite TiO2 photoanode containing TiO2 nanopowder and TiO2 nanofibres, the cell efficiency enhanced by more than 30%. In an electrochromic device of configuration, FTO glass/TiO2/Poly (methylmethacrylate) electrolyte/SnO2/FTO glass, an impressive reversible colour change was observed. Mg rechargeable battery fabricated with a TiO2 cathode exhibited a discharge capacity of 220 mAh g-1 showing that Mg++ can be reversibly intercalated in to the TiO2 structure. An electrospun nanofibre membrane prepared from a biodegradable polymer and functionalized with TiO2 nano powder was capable of removing arsenic (As) from drinking water efficiently.