Abstract
In this paper, a facile method was proposed to load CeO(2) nanoparticles (NPs) on anodic TiO(2) nanotube (NT) arrays, which leads to a formation of CeO(2)/TiO(2) heterojunctions. Highly ordered anatase phase TiO(2) NT arrays were fabricated by using anodic oxidation method, then these individual TiO(2) NTs were used as tiny "nano-containers" to load a small amount of Ce(NO(3))(3) solutions. The loaded anodic TiO(2) NTs were baked and heated to a high temperature of 450 °C, under which the Ce(NO(3))(3) would be thermally decomposed inside those nano-containers. After the thermal decomposition of Ce(NO(3))(3), cubic crystal CeO(2) NPs were obtained and successfully loaded into the anodic TiO(2) NT arrays. The prepared CeO(2)/TiO(2) heterojunction structures were characterized by a variety of analytical technologies, including XRD, SEM, and Raman spectra. This study provides a facile approach to prepare CeO(2)/TiO(2) films, which could be very useful for environmental and energy-related areas.