Synthesis of visible light-driven Eu, N co-doped TiO2 and the mechanism of the degradation of salicylic acid

Europium and nitrogen co-doped TiO₂ was successfully synthesized by the precipitation–peptization method. The structure and properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated by monitoring the photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid under visible light irradiation. It was verified that TiO₂ co-doped with nitrogen and 1% europium showed the highest photocatalytic activity. The adsorption isotherms were obtained by measuring the salicylic acid concentration before and after the dark adsorption at different original solution concentrations. The results illustrated that the doping of Eu was beneficial to the adsorption of salicylic acid. The probable degradation mechanism of salicylic acid was examined by the addition of NaF, Na₂S₂O₃, and K₂S₂O₈ as the probe molecules. It was verified that salicylic acid was first adsorbed on the surface of the catalysts, followed by the degradation by the photogenerated holes (h _vb ⁺ ).     

From Adsorbent to Photocatalyst: The Sensitization Effect of SnO2 Surface towards Dye Photodecomposition

Semiconductor photocatalysis is considered one of the most promising technologies for water purification from toxic organic dyes. However, to reliably evaluate the possibility of using a given material as a photocatalyst, it is crucial to investigate not only the photocatalytic activity but also its affinity towards various dyes and reusability. In this work, we studied the adsorptive/photocatalytic properties of hollow-spherical raspberry-like SnO₂ and its SnO₂/SnS₂ heterostructures that were obtained via a chemical conversion method using three different concentrations of a sulfide precursor (thioacetamide). The adsorptive/photocatalytic properties of the samples towards cationic rhodamine B (RhB) and anionic indigo carmine (IC) were analyzed using uncommon wall zeta potential measurements, hydrodynamic diameter studies, and adsorption/photodecomposition tests. Moreover, after conducting cyclic experiments, we investigated the (micro)structural changes of the reused photocatalysts by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The obtained results revealed that the sensitization of SnO₂ resulted not only in the significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance of the heterostructures, but also completely changed their affinity towards dyes. Furthermore, despite the seemingly best photocatalytic performance, the sample with the highest SnS₂ content was unstable due to its (micro)structure. This work demonstrates that dye adsorption/desorption processes may overlap the results of cyclic photodecomposition kinetics.     

Bioactivity and Mechanical Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-CaO-SiO2 Hybrids with Different PDMS Contents

Silica-titania and titania aerogels were prepared by supercritical drying using different solvents such as low temperature CO₂ (353 K), high temperature CO₂ (553 K), ethanol (553 K) and ethanol with zeolite (553 K) and their efficiencies for the removal of benzene from a synthetic air mixture were investigated. The aerogels obtained showed both large capacities for benzene adsorption and high photocatalytic activity for its decomposition in the adsorbed state. The degree of benzene removal by silica-titania aerogel seemed to depend on the crystallinity of the titania and was in the order low temperature CO₂ < high temperature CO₂ < ethanol = ethanol with zeolite. The amount of CO₂ liberated by the photocatalytic decomposition of benzene also followed the same sequence. Titania aerogels showed the greatest efficiency in the decomposition of benzene, while the amount of CO₂ evolved was lower than those of the silica-titania systems investigated. The adsorption capacity of benzene basically depended on the silica matrix and was not greatly influenced by the difference in the crystallinity of titania.     

Studying photocatalytic dye degradation with bismuth nitrate–derived catalysts using paper microzones method

We study the effect of calcination temperatures on photocatalytic dye degradation performance of bismuth nitrate materials using paper microzone method. The calcination forms different photoactive bismuth compounds such as α-Bi₂O₃, Bi₅O₇NO₃, and (BiO)₄CO₃(OH)₂, which are responsible for photocatalytic activity. We show that using basic magenta as a model pollutant is beneficial to more accurately determine the effects brought by different quenching agents on photocatalytic activity, compared with salicylic acid, which is a colorless and refractory pollutant. Our results may provide important insights into developing a model system to study the photocatalytic activity of various catalytic systems and to develop effective water treatment methods.     

The Incorporation of Titania into Modified Silicates for Solar Photodegradation of Aqueous Species

A new class of sol-gel-derived photocatalytic materials has been synthesized and used in solar-assisted photodegradation studies. The materials are comprised of a homogeneous dispersion of commercial TiO₂ powder into silica and organically modified silicate (Ormosil) hosts. The efficiency of the photocatalytic properties of these TiO₂-containing materials was determined by their relative performance in the solar photodecomposition of aqueous rhodamine B. The improved adsorption properties of the modified materials compared to commercial TiO₂ increase the photodecomposition rate and the buoyancy properties, although excess hydrophobicity decreases the wetted section of the catalyst and its photocatalytic performance. These materials can be used as floatable catalysts for solar-assisted water purification.     

Preparation, characterization and investigation of catalytic activity of Li-doped LaFeO3 nanoparticles

Nanometer oxides Li-doped LaFeO₃ with a high photocatalytic activity were synthesized by the acetic acid based sol-gel route. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential thermal analysis, atomic absorption spectrum, infrared absorption spectrum analyzer and UN-Vis spectrophotometer technologies were used to characterize the products. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were studied with measurement of effect of photodecomposition of Methyl blue solution and organism in arcylon effluents. The results show that LaFeO₃ doped lithium has better photocatalytic activity than pure LaFeO₃ particles, and the optimum amount doped lithium is x = 0.03.     

Synthesis of TiO2–SiO2 aerogel via ambient pressure drying: effects of sol pre-modification on the microstructure and pore characteristics

TiO₂–SiO₂ composite aerogels were prepared via ambient pressure drying by sol–gel and surface modification for both the sol and gel samples. The organosilane reagents of decamethyltetrasiloxane (DMTSO)/trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO)/TMCS were introduced into the TiO₂–SiO₂ composite sol for pre-modification respectively, and subsequently the TMCS/hexane solution was used for surface modification of the obtained TiO₂–SiO₂ composite gel. The effects of sol pre-modification on the microstructure and pore characteristics of TiO₂–SiO₂ composite aerogels were investigated. The results indicate that HMDSO/TMCS coupling reagents is more appropriate for the pre-modification of TiO₂–SiO₂ composite sol than the DMTSO/TMCS reagents. The best volume ratio of HMDSO/TMCS/composite sol for preparing mesoporous TiO₂–SiO₂ composite aerogels is in the range of 1:0.33:10–1:1.0:10, with which the specific surface area and pore volume of the obtained TiO₂–SiO₂ composite aerogels are 492–645 m²/g and 2.63–2.85 m³/g, respectively. The results of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B show that the as-prepared TiO₂–SiO₂ composite aerogels have higher adsorption/photocatalysis. Particularly, the as-prepared TiO₂–SiO₂ composite aerogels with HMDSO/TMCS showed prominent adsorption capability with the adsorption rate attaining to 89.4 % within 60 min.     

Reconsideration to the deactivation of TiO2 catalyst during simultaneous photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of salicylic acid

Photocatalytic reduction/oxidation and deactivation of TiO₂ photocatalyst was investigated in the systems composed of Cr(VI) and salicylic acid. The selection of analysis method of Cr(IV) was very important to the monitoring of the photocatalytic process. It was found that as previously reported, serious deactivation of TiO₂ catalyst in the simultaneous photo-reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of salicylic acid was incorrectly observed if the Cr(VI) level was analyzed by directly monitoring the absorbance at characteristic 348 nm band of Cr(VI), because it seriously suffers from the interferences of the intermediates generated from the degradation of salicylic acid. By using an appropriate method to determine the Cr(VI) concentration, it was observed that all the added Cr(VI) could be reduced, not showing marked deactivation of the photocatalyst. A long time photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) under UV illumination induced the deposition of Cr(III) species on the surface of TiO₂ particles, which could cause a mild deactivation of the photocatalyst. However, the accompanied oxidation of salicylic acid was demonstrated to depress the deactivation effect of the deposited Cr(III) species on the photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂ photocatalyst.     

载钛羟基磷灰石光催化降解内分泌干扰物双酚A

对载钛羟基磷灰石（TiHAP）进行了透射电镜、X射线衍射、紫外-可见光谱和Zeta电位表征,并应用液相色谱-质谱技术对比了TiHAP和P25 TiO₂对环境内分泌干扰物双酚A（BPA）的吸附和光催化降解性能,探讨了富里酸和Fe³⁺对TiHAP薄膜光催化性能的影响。结果表明,TiHAP和TiO₂粉体对BPA的吸附符合Langmuir吸附等温方程,且前者吸附性能更大。TiHAP薄膜光催化降解BPA的性能优于TiO₂薄膜;富里酸和Fe³⁺对TiHAP和TiO₂薄膜光催化性能的影响趋势不同,从能带结构、电子转移和吸光性等角度分析了性能不同的原因。本结果可以为应用TiHAP降解环境内分泌干扰物提供依据。     

Study on the Photodegradation of Salicylic Acid in Different Vehicles in the Absence and in the Presence of TiO2

In this work, the direct photolysis of salicylic acid, generally used as keratolytic agent in many dermatological products and as preservative in cosmetics, was investigated. The photodegradation of the acid under UVB irradiation was evaluated in different vehicles, such as water solutions at different pH, propylene glycol/water, and ethanol/water mixtures, sodium dodecyl sulphate solutions, and O/W emulsions prepared with Montanov 68 and Amphysol K as emulsifiers. The increase of pH enhanced the photodegradation of salicylic acid while the different vehicles protected the acid from the action of UVB radiations. However, the best protection was observed dissolving the acid in the lipid core of O/W emulsions, which probably removes the active from the polar environment that can promote the photolysis. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ on the degradation of salicylic acid also was evaluated. TiO₂ frequently is used as sunscreen in many cosmetic preparations. Salicylic acid and the pigment can be contained in the same solar formulation; hence, it can be interesting to study their interaction under UVB. TiO₂ enhanced the photodegradation of salicylic acid in all the media previously reported and its photocatalytic activity was influenced by the pH and by the components of the vehicles.     

Fabrication of titania and titania–silica aerogels using rapid supercritical extraction

Titania (TiO₂) and titania–silica (TiSi) aerogels are suitable for photocatalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds for pollution mitigation; however, methods for fabricating these aerogels can be complex. In this work we describe the use of a rapid supercritical extraction (RSCE) technique to prepare TiO₂ and TiSi aerogels in as little as 8 h. The RSCE technique uses a metal mold and a four-step hydraulic hot press procedure to bring the solvents in the sol–gel pores to a supercritical state and control the supercritical fluid release process. Resulting TiO₂ aerogels were powdery with BET surface areas of 130–180 m²/g, pore volumes ~0.5 cm³/g and skeletal densities of 3.6 g/mL. Monolithic TiSi aerogels were made using two different methods. An impregnation process, in which titania precursor was added to a silica sol–gel, took 4–8 days to complete with a 7-h RSCE and resulted in translucent aerogels with high surface area (560–650 m²/g) and pore volume (2.0–2.6 cm³/g), bulk densities ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 g/mL and skeletal densities of 2.3 g/mL. A co-precursor method for preparing TiSi aerogels took 8 h to complete. The precursor chemical mixture was poured directly into the mold and processed in a 7-h RSCE process. The resulting aerogels were opaque, with high surface areas (510–580 m²/g), low bulk density (0.03 g/mL), skeletal densities of 2 g/mL and pore volumes of 2.6–3.5 cm³/g. Preliminary solar simulator studies show that TiO₂ and TiSi aerogels are capable of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution.     

Formation of Copper-Containing Particles on the Quartz Surface as a Result of the Photolysis of Copper(II) Complexes with Amino Acids

Island copper-containing films consisting mainly of copper(I) oxide particles were obtained on a quartz surface by photochemical decomposition of copper(II) complex compounds with amino acids. The size and morphology of Cu₂O particles and their dependence on the photolysis duration and the amino acid nature contained in the complex were established. The films obtained by the complex [Cu(β-Ala)₂] photolysis have the highest photocatalytic activity in reactions of methyl orange photodecomposition.     

Preparation,Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Lanthanum Doped Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide

Lanthanum doped mesoporous titanium dioxide photocatalysts with different La content were synthesized by template method using tetrabutyltitanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄) as precursor and Pluronic P123 as template. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric dif-ferential thermal analysis, N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis adsorption spectroscopy. The effect of La³⁺ doping concentration from 0.1% to 1% on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO₂ was investigated. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of about 10 nm with high surface area of 165 m²/g. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements in-dicated the presence of C in the doped samples in addition to La. Compared with pure mesoporous TiO₂, the La-doped samples extended the photoabsorption edge into the visible light region. The results of phenol photodecomposition showed that La-doped mesoporous TiO₂ exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than pure mesoporous TiO₂ under UV and visible light irradiation.     

The catalytic and photocatalytic properties of InP-CdS and ZnTe-CdS system components

Catalytic and photocatalytic studies of binary and multicomponent semiconductors in the InP-CdS and ZnTe-CdS systems were performed for the examples of the oxidation of carbon(II) oxide and water and ethanol decomposition, respectively. The conditions of the most effective catalytic transformation of carbon monoxide were estimated from the results of a study of the adsorption of its participants over a wide temperature range, and the activity of catalysts was estimated from the ratio between the rate constants for the catalytic and noncatalytic reactions. Conclusions about the occurrence of photocatalytic decomposition were drawn from changes in pH of suspensions and the results of chromatographic analyses for hydrogen. Among the components of the InP-CdS and ZnTe-CdS systems, cadmium sulfide has the lowest catalytic activity (in the oxidation of CO) and the highest photocatalytic activity (in the photodecomposition of C₂H₅OH). Recommendations on the use of cadmium sulfide as an effective catalyst for the production of nontraditional fuel, hydrogen, are given.     

Degradation of the herbicide isoproturon by a photocatalytic process

In this study, the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of isoproturon (one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture) was investigated in an annular photoreactor packed with a TiO₂ photocatalyst. The results highlighted that the monolayer Langmuir adsorption isotherm model was well obeyed. The isoproturon adsorption equilibrium constant was determined experimentally. The codegradation of isoproturon and of other copollutants such as salicylic acid and phenol occurred, demonstrating that within the catalyst, the same type of sites can be involved in the adsorption of the two pollutants. The heat of adsorption fell in the range of 20 to 50 °C and was found to be ∼43 kJ/mol. As expected, the adsorption constant K_a decreased with increasing the fluid flow due to the temperature rise. The kinetics of the photocatalytic degradation of isoproturon revealed a first-order reaction for initial concentrations between 3 and 43 ppm. In our experimental conditions, no by-products were detected and total disappearance of isoproturon was observed.     

TiO2-SiO2复合气凝胶：常压干燥制备及性能表征

以廉价的四氯化钛和工业水玻璃为原料,通过溶胶-凝胶法制得TiO2-SiO2复合湿凝胶,用三甲基氯硅烷(TMCS)/乙醇(EtOH)/正己烷(Hexane)混合溶液对湿凝胶进行改性,常压干燥制备了TiO2-SiO2复合气凝胶.利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、红外光谱(FTIR)、X射线衍射(XRD)及N2吸附/脱附法对复合气凝胶的形貌和性质进行了分析.结果表明,TiO2-SiO2复合气凝胶具有连续多孔结构,150℃干燥后复合气凝胶的比表面积为1 076 m2·g-1,孔体积为4.96 cm3·g-1;经550 ℃热处理后,复合气凝胶仍然具有高的孔隙率,比表面积为856 m2·g-1,孔体积为3.46 cm3·g-1.吸附和光催化降解罗丹明B的结果表明,复合气凝胶同时具有较好的吸附和光催化性能,其吸附/光催化协同作用活性优于纯SiO2气凝胶和锐钛矿TiO2粉末;且重复利用四次降解率仍然可达到89%.     

Carbon Nitride Aerogels for the Photoredox Conversion of Water

Aerogel structures have attracted increasing research interest in energy storage and conversion owing to their unique structural features, and a variety of materials have been engineered into aerogels, including carbon‐based materials, metal oxides, linear polymers and even metal chalcogenides. However, manufacture of aerogels from nitride‐based materials, particularly the emerging light‐weight carbon nitride (CN) semiconductors is rarely reported. Here, we develop a facile method based on self‐assembly to produce self‐supported CN aerogels, without using any cross‐linking agents. The combination of large surface area, incorporated functional groups and three‐dimensional (3D) network structure, endows the resulting freestanding aerogels with high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution and H₂O₂ production under visible light irradiation. This work presents a simple colloid chemistry strategy to construct 3D CN aerogel networks that shows great potential for solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion by artificial photosynthesis.     

In situ FT-IR studies of NO decomposition on Pt/TiO2 catalyst under UV irradiation

Photodecomposition of NO on the well-dispersed Pt/TiO₂ catalyst under UV irradiation was studied by in situ DRIFT (Diffuse-Reflectance Infrared Fourier-Transform) spectroscopy. 2 wt% Pt/TiO₂ catalyst was prepared by photochemical deposition method. The photocatalytic activity of Pt/TiO₂ is highly dependent on its pretreatment. Although the catalyst exhibited a highly adsorption capability to NO after hydrogen reduction or thermal evacuation at 500°C, no evidence upon NO decomposition was observed under UV irradiation. While reducing the catalyst at 300°C in the hydrogen flow, it not only exhibited an intense NO adsorption but also conducted a direct decomposition of NO to N₂ and O₂ under UV irradiation. The hydrogen reduction at 200°C led to a weaker NO adsorption. During UV irradiation, the IR peaks of NO fully disappeared and N₂O was formed. It is concluded that the photochemical prepared Pt/TiO₂ catalyst after activating at mild reduction conditions is highly active for NO photodecomposition. The effective oxidation states of the active components, the surface structure and the reaction mechanisms will be discussed.     

锐钛矿型多孔TiO2薄膜的溶解法制备及性能表征

在具有锐钛矿晶粒的TiO₂溶胶中加入苯丙乳液粒子，使用该混合液浸渍提拉涂膜，然后利用甲苯将薄膜中的苯丙乳液粒子溶解去除，并通过重复涂膜，在室温下获得了具有良好多孔性的锐钛矿型TiO₂薄膜。考察了多孔薄膜的表面形貌、光学性能、吸附性能和光催化性能。结果表明：随薄膜涂膜次数的增加，TiO₂多孔薄膜的吸光度增大，透光率减小，光吸收边波长向长波方向移动。罗丹明B在TiO₂多孔薄膜上的吸附量随涂膜次数的增加先升高，后降低；多次涂膜会在薄膜中产生半封闭的孔洞，经过长时间的毛细渗透等作用能进一步增加薄膜对罗丹明B的吸附。TiO₂多孔薄膜通过吸附+光催化氧化的模式快速分解罗丹明B，其活性主要受到薄膜在光催化反应初期的吸附能力的影响。此外，TiO₂的负载量、光的利用效率、以及光生电荷迁移及其分离等也是影响薄膜光催化活性的因素。     

Adsorption properties and photocatalytic activity of TiO2/activated carbon fiber composite

Photocatalysts of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and TiO₂/activated carbon fiber (TiO₂/ACF) composite were prepared by sol-gel method, followed by calcining the pure TiO₂ sols and the TiO₂/ACF sols at 500°C for 2 h in a N₂ atmosphere, respectively. These photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms measurement. Batch experiments were conducted to study the adsorption property of TiO₂/ACF composite using methylene blue as adsorbate. The adsorption data obtained from different batch experiments were analyzed using pseudo-second-order kinetic model, the experimental data can be adequately described by the pseudo-second-order equation. The photodecomposition behavior of TiO₂/ACF was investigated in aqueous solution using methylene blue as target pollutant. It was found that methylene blue could be removed rapidly from water by TiO₂/ACF, the photocatalytic decomposition was obviously improved when the photocatalyst was used. Kinetics analysis revealed that the photocatalytic decomposition reaction can be described well by a first-order rate equation.