Degussa P-25 TiO2 powder was used as a catalyst in the photocatalytic oxidation of organics. With the objective of promoting a more effective electron-hole separation upon irradiation, the catalyst was modified with small amounts of platinum. Characterisation of the powders was done by X-Ray diffraction and SEM. Chloroform was used as a model molecule and its degradation followed using selective electrodes, with excellent results for the modified titania. Langmuir-Hinselwood kinetic was used to describe the heterogeneous oxidation of chloroform on TiO2, for low solute concentrations.

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FeTi intermetallic powders are very promising media for reversible hydrogen storage. However, difficult activation treatments including annealing at elevated temperatures in high pressure H2 gas atmosphere are mandatory. In the present work nanostructured FeTi powders were produced and activated in situ at room temperature using mechanical alloying/milling (MA/MM) of pure metallic constituents, Fe and Ti, added with sodium borohydride. The resultant powders, FeTiHx, already H2 pre-charged, absorbed a significant amount of H2 but require optimization for reversible absorption/desorption. This system has one of the highest volumetric storage capacities and can be produced at low cost. Several parameters of the as-milled powders were controlled. The phase constitution of the reaction products was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and the absorption isotherms of the activated powders were determined.