Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide on Well-Aligned Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Arrays for Betavoltaic Enhancement

Abstract

We report a novel betavoltaic device with significant conversion efficiency by using electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) on TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) for enhancing the absorption of beta radiation as well as the transportation of carriers. ERGO on TNTAs (G-TNTAs) were prepared by electrochemical anodization and subsequently cyclic voltammetry techniques. A 10 mCi of (63)Ni/Ni source was assembled to G-TNTAs to form the sandwich-type betavoltaic devices (Ni/(63)Ni/G-TNTAs/Ti). By I-V measurements, the optimum betavoltaic device exhibits a significant effective energy conversion efficiency of 26.55% with an open-circuit voltage of 2.38 V and a short-circuit current of 14.69 nAcm(-2). The experimental results indicate that G-TNTAs are a high-potential nanocomposite for developing betavoltaic batteries.

A Review on the Electrochemically Self-organized Titania Nanotube Arrays: Synthesis, Modifications, and Biomedical Applications

“…Ag/TiO 2 nanotubes show a significantly higher photocatalytic activity and good biological performance compared with neat TiO 2 nanotubes [ 126 , 127 ]. Some compositions such as graphene oxide GO [ 128 ], CdS [ 129 ], CdSe [ 130 ], and ZnFe 2 O 4 [ 131 ]. can be modified on TiO 2 nanotube arrays.…”

“…Lately, GO have attracted much scientific interest in nanoscale devices and sensors which is easy to combine with nanostructure materials to compose some compounds. Titania nanotubes fabricated by anodization in water-ethylene glycol electrolyte consisting of 0.5 wt% ammonium fluoride (NH 4 F) can be incorporated with GO by cyclic voltammetric method, which achieve higher photocatalytic activity and more effective conversion efficiency (GO-modified vs pure nanotubes = 26.55%:7.3%) of solar cell than unmodified TiO 2 nanotubes [ 128 ]. Semiconductor composite is a method improving the performance of titania nanotubes via, in some specific way, combining two kinds of semiconductors with different band gap [ 132 ].…”

Nanotechnology Facets of the Periodic Table of Elements

“…The 63 Ni isotope is useful for the growing betavoltaic area, for instance, in combination with graphene. 73 Technetium (eka-manganese by D. Mendeleev) is radioactive, and its complexes and nanoparticles are used in medicine for organ and bone diagnostics because of the β-radiation of its isotopes. 74 All the actinide felements are radioactive, and some of them are used for nuclear energy production (U, Pu) and in medicine.…”

Synthesis of 3D flower-like structured Gd/TiO2@rGO nanocomposites via a hydrothermal method with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

“…6,7 Thus, researchers are focusing on extending the absorption spectrum of TiO 2 from UV to the visible-light region to exploit the visible light occupying 42-43% of sunlight. 8,9 Recently, researchers have modied TiO 2 with carboncontaining materials such as carbon nanotubes, [10][11][12][13] graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ), [14][15][16][17] and graphene, [18][19][20][21] which have high carrier mobilities and large specic surface areas; this strategy is considered as an effective way to further strengthen the photocatalytic activities of TiO 2 catalysts.…”