The surface treatment of an anodized TiO(2) nanotube (T_NT) is very desirable for enhancing its photoelectrochemical properties and often is a prerequisite to deposition of any overlying layer for photoactivity efficiency improvement. This study provides a comparative analysis of the effects of such surface treatments and the mechanistic insights behind the observed improvements in the performance of the treated T_NTs. T_NT surface treatment using three approaches, viz., TiCl(4), Zn(NH(3))(4)(2+), and H(2)O(2) is examined. TiCl(4) and Zn(NH(3))(4)(2+) treatment results in the formation of discontinuous islands of the respective oxides with 5-10 nm and 15-20 nm diameter particles. TiCl(4) treatment demonstrates an increase of 7.4% in photovoltage and is the most effective of the three approaches. Zn(NH(3))(4)(2+) treatment also results in an ~2% increase in photovoltage. However, a surface treatment of T_NT using H(2)O(2) results only in a favourable shift in flatband potential (80 mV). The T_NTs are rendered ineffective as H(2)O(2) treatment causes the destabilization of the T_NT at the base. Finally, the activity of an overlying chalcogenide layer is improved with the TiCl(4) and Zn(NH(3))(4)(2+) treatment (and not with H(2)O(2)) as evident from the photoelectrochemical responses: (J(T_NT-TiO(2)-CdSe) > J(T_NT-ZnO-CdSe) > J(T_NT-CdSe) > J(T_NT-H(2)O(2)-CdSe)).
The electrochemical process for the production of fluorocarbons has been shown to function satisfactorily with a large range of oxygen containing organic compounds. With acids a spread of fluorocarbon products is obtained with the number of carbon atoms both less than and greater than the number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon radical of the acid. The most significant percentage, however, is in the fraction having this number of carbon atoms. A number of fluorocarbon hydrides have been isolated from the products. Alcohols and ethers also satisfactorily gave fluorocarbon products.
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