Volume 128, Issue 9 pp. 3083-3087
Zuschrift

Mussel-Directed Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Anatase TiO2

Dr. Jingjing Xie

Dr. Jingjing Xie

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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Prof. Hao Xie

Prof. Hao Xie

School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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Prof. Bao-Lian Su

Prof. Bao-Lian Su

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

Laboratory of Inorganic Materials Chemistry, University of Namur, B-5000 Namur, Belgium

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Prof. Yi-bing Cheng

Prof. Yi-bing Cheng

Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Victoria, 3800 Australia

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Prof. Xiaodong Du

Prof. Xiaodong Du

Department of Pearl Research, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524025 P.R. China

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Dr. Hui Zeng

Dr. Hui Zeng

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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Dr. Menghu Wang

Dr. Menghu Wang

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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Prof. Weimin Wang

Prof. Weimin Wang

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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Prof. Hao Wang

Prof. Hao Wang

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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Prof. Zhengyi Fu

Corresponding Author

Prof. Zhengyi Fu

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070 P.R. China

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First published: 28 January 2016
Citations: 6

Abstract

Structure-forming processes leading to biominerals are well worth learning in pursuit of new synthetic techniques. Strategies that attempt to mimic nature in vitro cannot replace an entire complex natural organism, requiring ingenuity beyond chemists′ hands. A “bioprocess-inspired synthesis” is demonstrated for fabrication of N-doped TiO2 materials at ambient temperature by direct implantation of precursor into living mussels. The amorphous precursor transforms into N-doped anatase TiO2 with a hierarchical nanostructure. Synthetic TiO2 exhibits high phase stability and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity as a result of modifications to its band gap during in vivo mineralization. Intracellular proteins were found to be involved in TiO2 mineralization. Our findings may inspire material production by new synthetic techniques, especially under environmentally benign conditions.

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