Chemical state and environment of boron dopant in B,N-codoped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles: an avenue for probing diamagnetic dopants in TiO2 by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Boron is diamagnetic in B-doped anatase TiO2 nanoparticles which exhibit photocatalytic activities in the visible light range. Using N as a paramagnetic probe for the formal oxidation state of boron in N/B-codoped TiO2, with more than 90% unpaired spin density in the N2p orbital, we infer that boron enters the oxygen vacancy substitutionally in the form of B1-. Combination of spin-Hamiltonian analysis and interpretation of light dependent EPR spectra in terms of a charge compensating mechanism supports a model of [N2-B1-]+1 for the new EPR active center which acts as a trap for electrons liberated from [N1-] centers under blue light irradiation. Definite assignment of the boron oxidation state will contribute to the preparation, characterization, and understanding of B-TiO2 photoactivity under visible light which has been the subject of extensive work in the past few years.     

[3+2] Redox‐Neutral Cycloaddition of Nitrocyclopropanes with Styrenes by Visible‐Light Photocatalysis

The first nitro‐group‐initiated redox‐neutral [3+2] cycloaddition of nitrocyclopropanes with alkenes by using visible‐light‐absorbing transition‐metal complexes was reported. High diastereoselectivities were observed for two quaternary carbon centers on the ring and validated by DFT calculations. Spiro‐ or polycyclic structures can be constructed smoothly. Cyclic γ‐amino acid derivatives and polysubstituted cyclic amino alcohols can be obtained easily through reduction of the nitro group.     

ZnO-B2O3∶Tb3+长余辉玻璃的发光性质

通过还原方法制备了Tb³⁺离子掺杂的硼酸锌玻璃，并观察到在254 nm紫外光激发后有明亮的绿色长余辉发光现象，余辉时间达6 h。通过激发与发射光谱、余辉光谱、余辉衰减曲线、热释光谱、热释光释出速率衰减曲线等得到的信息，研究了Tb³⁺离子掺杂的硼酸锌玻璃的发光性质。     

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange over metalloporphyrins supported on TiO2 Degussa P25

The photocatalytic activity of meso-tetraphenylporphyrins with different metal centers (Fe, Co, Mn and Cu) adsorbed on TiO(2) (Degussa P25) surface has been investigated by carrying out the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible and ultraviolet light irradiation. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance UV (DRS-UV-vis) and infrared spectra. Copper porphyrin-sensitized TiO(2) photocatalyst (CuP-TiO(2)) showed excellent activity for the photodegradation of MO whether under visible or ultraviolet light irradiation. Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) charges analysis showed that methyl orange ion is adsorbed easier by CuP-TiO(2) catalyst due to the increase of induced interactions.     

Origin of photoactivity of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide under visible light

Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2), a photocatalytic material active in visible light, has been investigated by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. The material contains single-atom nitrogen impurities that form either diamagnetic (Nb-) or paramagnetic (Nb*) bulk centers. Both types of Nb centers give rise to localized states in the band gap of the oxide. The relative abundance of these species depends on the oxidation state of the solid, as, upon reduction, electron transfer from Ti3+ ions to Nb* results in the formation of Ti4+ and Nb-. EPR spectra measured under irradiation show that Nb centers are responsible for visible light absorption with promotion of electrons from the band gap localized states to the conduction band or to surface-adsorbed electron scavengers. These results provide a characterization of the electronic states associated with N impurities in TiO2 and, for the first time, a picture of the processes occurring in the solid under irradiation with visible light.     

Undoped Layered Perovskite Oxynitride Li2LaTa2O6N for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction with Visible Light

Oxynitrides are promising visible‐light‐responsive photocatalysts, but their structures are almost confined with three‐dimensional (3D) structures such as perovskites. A phase‐pure Li₂LaTa₂O₆N with a layered perovskite structure was successfully prepared by thermal ammonolysis of a lithium‐rich oxide precursor. Li₂LaTa₂O₆N exhibited high crystallinity and visible‐light absorption up to 500 nm. As opposed to well‐known 3D oxynitride perovskites, Li₂LaTa₂O₆N supported by a binuclear Ru^II complex was capable of stably and selectively converting CO₂ into formate under visible light (λ>400 nm). Transient absorption spectroscopy indicated that, as compared to 3D oxynitrides, Li₂LaTa₂O₆N possesses a lower density of mid‐gap states that work as recombination centers of photogenerated electron/hole pairs, but a higher density of reactive electrons, which is responsible for the higher photocatalytic performance of this layered oxynitride.     

Visible Light Responsive Dinuclear Zinc Complex Consisting of Proximally Arranged Two d10-Zinc Centers**

So far, Zn(II)-based d¹⁰ complexes have been known to be colorless unless they are accompanied by chromophoric groups, and therefore both fundamental and advanced photophysical performance of Zn centers of complexes, especially in visible-light regions has been unexplored. Here, we first demonstrate a dinuclear Zn(II) complex that shows visible light absorption using an orbital distributed over closely contacted two Zn centers experimentally determined by X-ray crystallography. A contrastive study demonstrated that intermetallic orbital interaction in dinuclear Zn(II) complex is responsible for capturing visible light to exhibit orangish yellow color, whereas an analogous one without such an interaction is colorless. This work demonstrates that introduction of Zn−Zn interactions to Zn(II) molecules contradicts the common notion that Zn is unresponsive to visible light and expands the photophysical field of zinc chemistry.     

BiOCl/In2S3复合可见光催化剂制备及性能研究

氯氧化铋（BiOCl）较大的禁带宽度使得其只能对紫外光产生响应,严重制约了其进一步光催化应用。为实现BiOCl对可见光的利用,以In2S3为可见光光敏剂,并基于高效实用的机械研磨手段构建BiOCl/In2S3复合可见光催化剂。通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(EDS)、X射线衍射(XRD)、红外光谱(FT-IR)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)等方法对催化剂的形貌和结构进行表征。选择盐酸四环素（TC）可见光催化降解为评价模型,系统研究了BiOCl/In2S3复合比例对光催化活性的影响。结果表明两者复合比例为1:1时具有最佳的光催化活性,在可见光照射下对TC的降解效率高达91.4%,且经3次循环降解效率仍保持在87.3%。机理研究表明,In2S3被可见光激发产生电子注入BiOCl的导带(CB),能有效提升载流子的分离效率,而h+和?O2-是光降解过程中的主要活性物质。该项研究工作充分表明了In2S3对BiOCl的高效光敏活性,展示了物理复合法在新型高效可见光催化体系构建中的重要意义。     

应用射线束制备可见光响应的TiO2薄膜

 由溶胶-凝胶法制备了TiO2薄膜. 为了改善TiO2对光的利用效率,采用过渡金属离子(V+和Cr+)注入和电子束辐照沉积贵金属纳米颗粒(Ag和Pt)两种射线束技术对TiO2薄膜进行改性. 紫外-可见光谱表明,两种射线束技术改性的TiO2薄膜的吸收光谱都发生了红移,说明这两种方法都是拓展TiO2吸收光谱的有效手段. 通过光催化降解甲基橙实验,比较了两种方法对TiO2可见光光催化能力的拓展情况,结果表明,两种方法均可显著提高TiO2在可见光作用下的光催化活性.     

Photoassisted degradation of dye pollutants in aqueous TiO2 dispersions under irradiation by visible light

The photoassisted degradation of two dye compounds, erythrosine and rhodamine B, has been investigated in an aqueous TiO₂ dispersion under irradiation by visible light. The compounds can be easily decomposed photochemically by visible light, which provides possibly a new approach for the treatment of dye pollutants in wastewater.     

WOx/TiO2光催化剂的可见光催化活性机理探讨

采用磁控溅射技术在用浸渍提拉法制得的TiO2薄膜上,溅射氧化钨层,通过气相反应中光催化降解二甲苯的实验表明,WOx/TiO2薄膜具有可见光活性.通过UV-Vis吸收光谱、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等方法对其可见光活性的机理进行探索.UV-Vis吸收光谱表明WOx,TiO2对可见光响应的范围有一定的扩展,吸收强度增加.XPS表明WOx/TiO2薄膜表面形成了明显的W杂质能级和Ti缺陷能级,这是WOx/TiO2在可见光范围有一吸收的主要原因,也是光催化剂具有可见光活性的必要条件之一,同时杂质能级的存在使半导体费米能级上移,载流子增加,光催化效率提高.     

Preparation and photocatalytic behavior of MoS2 and WS2 nanocluster sensitized TiO2

A new approach has been developed for the fabrication of visible light photocatalysts. Nanoclusters of MoS2 and WS2 are coupled to TiO2 by an in situ photoreduction deposition method taking advantage of the reducing power of the photogenerated electrons from TiO2 particles. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and 4-chlorophenol in aqueous suspension has been employed to evaluate the visible light photocatalytic activity of the powders. The blue shift in the absorption onset confirms the size quantization of MS2 nanoclusters, which act as effective and stable sensitizers, making it possible to utilize visible light in photocatalysis. Quantum size effects alter the energy levels of the conduction and valence band edges in the coupled semiconductor systems, which favors the interparticle electron transfer. In addition, the coupled systems are believed to act in a cooperative manner by increasing the degree of charge carrier separation, which effectively reduces recombination.     

Paramagnetic centers of photocatalysts based on nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide doped with nitrogen (N-TiO₂) was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Two types of paramagnetic centers were observed: N^· and NO. The concentration of these centers depends significantly on temperature and irradiation with visible and UV light. It was established that the energy levels corresponding to the N^· and NO centers are, respectively, 2.3 and 2.0 eV below the N-TiO₂ conduction band. These centers are involved in the photooxidation of organic compounds on the N-TiO₂ surface.     

Photoreduction of CO_2 to methanol over Bi_2S_3/CdS photocatalyst under visible light irradiation

The Bi2S3,CdS and Bi2S3/CdS photocatalysts were prepared by direct reactions between their corresponding salt and thiourea in a hy- drothermal autoclave.The photocatalytic activities of these photocatalysts for reducing CO2 to CH3OH under visible light irradiation have been investigated.The results show that the photocatalytic activity and visible light response of Bi2S3 are higher than those of CdS.The Bi2S3 modification can enhance the photocatalytic activity and visible light response of CdS.The photocatalytic activity of Bi2S3/CdS hetero-junction photocatalyst was the highest and the highest yields of methanol was 613μmol/g when the weight proportion of Bi2S3 to CdS was 15%,which was about three times as large as that of CdS or two times of that of Bi2S3.     

IRON-SULFUR CENTERS AS ENDOGENOUS BLUE LIGHT SENSITIZERS IN CELLS: A STUDY WITH AN ARTIFICIAL NON-HEME IRON PROTEIN

The possible involvement of Fe-S clusters in photodynamic reactions as endogenous sensitizing chromophores in cells has been investigated, by using an artificial non-heme iron protein (ANHIP) derived from bovine serum albumin and ferredoxins isolated from spinach and a red marine algae. Ferredoxins and ANHIP, when exposed to visible light, generate singlet oxygen, as measured by the imidazole plus RNO method. Irradiation with intense blue light of the ANHIP-entrapped liposomes caused severe membrane-damage such as liposomal lysis and lipid peroxidation. In the presence of ANHIP, isocitrate dehydrogenase and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase were photoinactivated by blue light. However, all of these photosensitized reactions were significantly suppressed by a singlet oxygen (1O2) quencher, azide, but enhanced by a medium containing deuterium oxide. Further, the Fe-S proteins with the prosthetic groups destroyed did not initiate the blue light-induced reactions. In addition, the action spectrum for 1O2 generation from ANHIP was very similar to the visible absorption spectrum of Fe-S centers. The results obtained in this investigation appear consistent with the suggestion that Fe-S centers are involved in photosensitization in cells via a singlet oxygen mechanism.     

提高MIL-125(Ti)-NH2可见光催化活性的研究进展

太阳能是一种清洁的可再生能源,其中,可见光占太阳能总能量的45%。发展可见光响应的光催化剂是光催化领域重要的研究内容之一。NH₂-MIL-125（Ti）是一种有代表性的金属有机骨架可见光催化剂,但其存在可见光利用效率不高、光生电子-空穴对复合快等缺点。近年来,研究者们通过对NH₂-MIL-125（Ti）的晶面、结构和组成进行调控和修饰,提高其可见光催化活性。本文对近年来报道的关于提高NH₂-MIL-125（Ti）可见光催化活性的方法进行了综述,并对NH₂-MIL-125（Ti）基可见光催化剂的发展方向提出了建议,以期为NH₂-MIL-125（Ti）在光催化反应中进一步应用研究提供参考。     

Ag/AgBr/TiO2 visible light photocatalyst for destruction of azodyes and bacteria

Ag/AgBr/TiO2 was prepared by the deposition-precipitation method and was found to be a novel visible light driven photocatalyst. The catalyst showed high efficiency for the degradation of nonbiodegradable azodyes and the killing of Escherichia coli under visible light irradiation (lambda>420 nm). The catalyst activity was maintained effectively after successive cyclic experiments under UV or visible light irradiation without the destruction of AgBr. On the basis of the characterization of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy, the surface Ag species mainly exist as Ag0 in the structure of all samples before and after reaction, and Ag0 species scavenged hVB+ and then trapped eCB- in the process of photocatalytic reaction, inhibiting the decomposition of AgBr. The studies of ESR and H2O2 formation revealed that *OH and O2*- were formed in visible light irradiated aqueous Ag/AgBr/TiO2 suspension, while there was no reactive oxygen species in the visible light irradiated Ag0/TiO2 system. The results indicate that AgBr is the main photoactive species for the destruction of azodyes and bacteria under visible light. In addition, the bactericidal efficiency and killing mechanism of Ag/AgBr/TiO2 under visible light irradiation are illustrated and discussed.     

Efficient degradation of toxic organic pollutants with Ni2O3/TiO(2-x)Bx under visible irradiation

To promote efficient use of solar energy, many studies have focused on the modification of TiO2 to extend its spectral response to visible region. Here we report a combined modification of TiO2 by two components: the nonmetal element boron and the metal oxide Ni2O3. The photocatalyst presents high photocatalytic activity in the visible region, which can efficiently degrade and mineralize toxic organic pollutants such as trichlorophenol (TCP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and sodium benzoate. The dechlorination and mineralization results indicate the photocatalytic pathway via visible light excitation. The study demonstrates that the modification of TiO2 both to extend its spectral response to the visible region and to improve its catalytic efficiency can be achieved by doping with boron, a nonmetal, and Ni2O3, a metal oxide.     

Photodegradation of methyl orange from wastewater on TiO2/SnS combined powders

The photodegradation of an aqueous solution of methyl orange by the TiO₂/SnS powders was studied in different ratios of SnS against TiO₂. The effects of the initial pH value and light resource were investigated. The SnS extends the light absorption edge of the TiO₂ to ~940 nm of the SnS (1.32 eV). The results indicated that the optimal SnS proportion for the maximum degradation efficiency increased in relation to a decrease in the initial pH in both sunlight and visible light, and decreased when changing from visible light to sunlight. The pure TiO₂ powder had maximum efficiency in conditions of pH 9 and visible light irradiation or in conditions of pH 7 and sunlight irradiation. In visible light, the degradation efficiency on the powders containing the SnS was larger than that on the pure TiO₂ powder in a range of pH 3–7. The maximum efficiency in visible light was found to be in conditions of pH 5 and TiO₂:SnS = 3:2 and 2:3, beyond which the efficiency decreased. The efficiency was, overall, larger in sunlight than in visible light. The mechanism of the effects of pH and light resource was discussed in view of the surface charge of the catalysts.     

cis-[Rh2(mu-O2CCH3)2(CH3CN)6]2+ as a photoactivated cisplatin analog

The complex cis-[Rh2(mu-O2CCH3)2(CH3CN)6]2+ (1) exchanges the two axial CH3CN ligands for solvent molecules in water to yield cis-[Rh2(mu-O2CCH3)2(CH3CN)4(H2O)2]2+ (2). Photolysis of 2 in H2O results in the photoaquation of two equatorial acetonitrile ligands to yield [Rh2(mu-O2CCH3)2(CH3CN)2(H2O)4]2+ (3), which is able to covalently bind to free 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 9-ethylguanine in solution, as well as double-stranded DNA (lambdairr >/= 455 nm). Complex 2 exhibits 20-fold lower cytotoxicity towards human skin cells than hematoporphyrin in the dark, and its toxicity increases by a factor of 34 when irradiated with visible light (400-700 nm, 30 min). This increase in cytotoxicity by 2 upon irradiation is approximately 7 times greater than that measured for hematoporphyrin. These properties make 2 a promising photo-cisplatin analog and a potential agent for photodynamic therapy. To our knowledge, 2 is the first metal-metal bonded complex to bind to DNA upon irradiation with visible light.