Preparation of Cu-doped TiO2 via refluxing of alkoxide solution and its photocatalytic properties

Cu-doped TiO₂ was prepared by the refluxing of a mixture of copper and titanium alkoxides. The refluxing improved the Cu²⁺ dispersion in the TiO₂ and formed effective Ti–O–Cu bonds. The impurity states due to the highly dispersed Cu²⁺ were presumed to trap the electrons in the conduction band of the TiO₂ and prevent charge recombination of the electrons and holes. Consequently, the prolonged charge separation duration was suggested to enhance the photocatalytic activity of the Cu-doped TiO₂. This enhancement was confirmed by the hydroxyl radical generation and organic compound degradation. The Ti–O–Cu bonds and electronic interaction between Cu and Ti should effectively promote the electron trapping. The Cu-doped TiO₂ exhibited a visible light-induced activity due to the transition from the TiO₂ valence band to the Cu²⁺ impurity states.     

Facilely anchoring Cu2O nanoparticles on mesoporous TiO2 nanorods for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction through efficient charge transfer

Semiconductor-employed photocatalytic CO₂ reduction has been regarded as a promising approach for environmental-friendly conversion of CO₂ into solar fuels. Herein, TiO₂/Cu₂O composite nanorods have been successfully fabricated by a facile chemical reduction method and applied for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. The composition and structure characterization indicates that the Cu₂O nanoparticles are coupled with TiO₂ nanorods with an intimate contact. Under light illumination, all the TiO₂/Cu₂O composite nanorods enhance the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. In particular, the TiO₂/Cu₂O-15% sample exhibits the highest CH₄ yield (1.35 µmol g^-1 h^-1) within 4 h irradiation, and it is 3.07 and 15 times higher than that of pristine TiO₂ nanorods and Cu₂O nanoparticles, respectively. The enhanced photoreduction capability of the TiO₂/Cu₂O-15% is attributed to the intimate construction of Cu₂O nanoparticles on TiO₂ nanorods with formed p-n junction to accelerate the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. This work provides a reference for rational design of a p-n heterojunction photocatalyst for CO₂ photoreduction.     

Photocatalytic Activity of High Aspect Ratio TiO2 Nanorods

In this article, TiO₂ nanorods (aspect ratio >20) were prepared through a polyol process and doped with metal ions (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Fe³⁺, and Cr³⁺). Compared with TiO₂ nanoparticles, the TiO₂ nanorods displayed relatively higher photocatalytic activity for the degradation of copper sulfophthalocyanine. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity was greatly enhanced when the metal ions were doped in the TiO₂ nanorods.     

Simultaneous Tuning Band Gaps of Cu2O and TiO2 to Form S-Scheme Hetero-Photocatalyst

Photocatalytic Z or S scheme merits higher redox potentials and faster charge separation. However, heterostructure photocatalysts with band gaps of bulk materials often have a type I band structure leading to poor photocatalytic activity. In view of this, we report simultaneous tuning of band gaps of Cu₂O and TiO₂, where quantum dot Cu₂O nanoparticles were formed on doped TiO₂ with Ti³⁺. The reduced size of Cu₂O made its conduction band more negative, whereas the introduction of Ti³⁺ made the absorption edge red shift to the visible light region. The as-formed heterostructure enabled an S-Scheme mechanism with remarkable activity and stability for visible light photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The as-obtained photocatalysts’ activity demonstrated ca. 510-fold increase as compared to individual ones and a mechanical blend. The as-obtained photocatalysts maintained over 80 % for 5 cycles and 2 months exposure to O₂ did not decrease the degradation rate. ESR characterization and scavenger experiments proved the S-Scheme mechanism.     

Enhancing Photoactivity of TiO2(B)/Anatase Core–Shell Nanofibers by Selectively Doping Cerium Ions into the TiO2(B) Core

Cerium ions (Ce³⁺⁾ can be selectively doped into the TiO₂(B) core of TiO₂(B)/anatase core–shell nanofibers by means of a simple one‐pot hydrothermal treatment of a starting material of hydrogen trititanate (H₂Ti₃O₇) nanofibers. These Ce³⁺ ions (≈0.202 nm) are located on the (110) lattice planes of the TiO₂(B) core in tunnels (width≈0.297 nm). The introduction of Ce³⁺ ions reduces the defects of the TiO₂(B) core by inhibiting the faster growth of (110) lattice planes. More importantly, the redox potential of the Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ couple (E°(Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺)=1.715 V versus the normal hydrogen electrode) is more negative than the valence band of TiO₂(B). Therefore, once the Ce³⁺‐doped nanofibers are irradiated by UV light, the doped Ce³⁺ ions—in close vicinity to the interface between the TiO₂(B) core and anatase nanoshell—can efficiently trap the photogenerated holes. This facilitates the migration of holes from the anatase shell and leaves more photogenerated electrons in the anatase nanoshell, which results in a highly efficient separation of photogenerated charges in the anatase nanoshell. Hence, this enhanced charge‐separation mechanism accelerates dye degradation and alcohol oxidation processes. The one‐pot treatment doping strategy is also used to selectively dope other metal ions with variable oxidation states such as Co^2+/3+ and Cu^+/2+ ions. The doping substantially improves the photocatalytic activity of the mixed‐phase nanofibers. In contrast, the doping of ions with an invariable oxidation state, such as Zn²⁺, Ca²⁺, or Mg²⁺, does not enhance the photoactivity of the mixed‐phase nanofibers as the ions could not trap the photogenerated holes.     

In situ preparation of polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine–decorated TiO2 nanorods for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction

The integration of photosensitizers with low-cost and non-toxic metal oxides is a promising strategy to design heterogeneous photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction. Herein, p–n heterojunction photocatalysts (T-CoPPcs) consisting of p-type polymeric cobalt phthalocyanines (CoPPcs) as a photosensitizer coupled with n-type TiO₂ nanorods were fabricated through a facile, eco-friendly, one-pot hydrothermal reaction. In this process, CoPPcs were grown on n-type TiO₂ nanorods, whereas protonated titanate nanorods began converting to the highly crystalline anatase phase with small crystals on the TiO₂ surfaces. The introduction of CoPPcs not only improved the solar light utilization but also accelerated the separation and migration of charge carriers via the p–n heterojunction with the strong interfacial contact Ti–O–Co bond. The increases in crystallinity and surface area of TiO₂ nanorods also contributed to the enhanced photoactivities of T-CoPPcs. The CO₂ photoreduction of the synthesized materials was evaluated in CO₂-saturated MeCN/water using [Co(bpy)₃]²⁺ as a cocatalyst and triethanolamine as a hole scavenger. The optimized nanocomposite exhibited a remarkable CO generation rate of 4.42 mmol/h/g with a high selectivity of 85.3% and outstanding catalytic stability. The influences of cocatalyst concentration, water content, catalyst loading, and hole scavenger concentration were optimized for efficient CO₂ reduction. The photocatalytic CO₂ conversion efficiency of the present system is found to be higher than that of TiO₂-based materials reported in the literature. We believe that this research into a heterostructural design strategy and photocatalytic system may be an inspiration for the development of photocatalytic CO₂-to-CO conversion.     

BiVO4‐TiO2 Composite Photocatalysts for Dye Degradation Formed Using the SILAR Method

Composite photocatalyst films have been fabricated by depositing BiVO₄ upon TiO₂ via a sequential ionic layer adsorption reaction (SILAR) method. The photocatalytic materials were investigated by XRD, TEM, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES), XPS, photoluminescence and Mott–Schottky analyses. SILAR processing was found to deposit monoclinic‐scheelite BiVO₄ nanoparticles onto the surface, giving successive improvements in the films′ visible light harvesting. Electrochemical and valence band XPS studies revealed that the prepared heterojunctions have a type II band structure, with the BiVO₄ conduction band and valence band lying cathodically shifted from those of TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity of the films was measured by the decolourisation of the dye rhodamine 6G using λ>400 nm visible light. It was found that five SILAR cycles was optimal, with a pseudo‐first‐order rate constant of 0.004 min^?1. As a reference material, the same SILAR modification has been made to an inactive wide‐band‐gap ZrO₂ film, where the mismatch of conduction and valence band energies disallows charge separation. The photocatalytic activity of the BiVO₄–ZrO₂ system was found to be significantly reduced, highlighting the importance of charge separation across the interface. The mechanism of action of the photocatalysts has also been investigated, in particular the effect of self‐sensitisation by the model organic dye and the ability of the dye to inject electrons into the photocatalyst′s conduction band.     

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with H2O on TiO2 and Cu/TiO2 catalysts

Photoinduced reduction of CO₂ by H₂O to produce CH₄ and CH₃OH has been investigated on wellcharacterized standard TiO₂ catalysts and on a Cu²⁺ loaded TiO₂ catalyst. The efficiency of this photoreaction depends strongly on the kind of catalyst and the ratio of H₂O to CO₂. Anatase TiO₂, which has a large band gap and numerous surface OH groups, shows high efficiency for photocatalytic CH₄ formation. Photogenerated Ti³⁺ ions, H and CH₃ radicals are observed as reactive intermediates, by ESR at 77 K. Cu-loading of the small, powdered TiO₂ catalyst (Cu/TiO₂) brings about additional formation of CH₃OH. XPS studies suggest that Cu⁺ plays a significant role in CH₃OH formation.     

偏硼酸锶催化剂光催化还原CO2合成CH4

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备出偏硼酸锶(SrB₂O₄)光催化剂. 紫外光催化还原CO₂合成CH₄(在液相水中)的实验证明: SrB₂O₄催化剂的光催化活性略高于TiO₂(P25). 利用X射线电子衍射谱(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、荧光(PL)光谱和紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射吸收光谱等技术, 研究了SrB₂O₄ 催化剂的晶体结构、形貌和能带结构. 结果表明: SrB₂O₄ 的价带为2.07 V (vs normalhydrogen electrode (NHE)), 低于(H₂O/H⁺)的氧化还原电位E_redox^o (0.82 V (vs NHE)); 而导带为-1.47 V (vsNHE), 高于(CO₂/CH₄)的氧化还原电位E_redox^o (-0.24 V (vs NHE)). 因此, SrB₂O₄催化剂可以有效地光催化还原CO₂生成CH₄. 与TiO₂(P25)相比, SrB₂O₄催化剂具有相对较高导带, 光生电子的还原能力强于TiO₂(P25), 更有利于CH₄的生成, 从而决定了SrB₂O₄催化剂光催化还原CO₂合成CH₄具有较高的光催化活性.     

Construction of direct Z-scheme g-C3N4/TiO2 nanorod composites for promoting photocatalytic activity

Direct Z-scheme g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanorod composites were prepared for enhancing photocatalytic activity for pollutant removal. The characterization revealed that the g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanorod composite formed a close interface contact between g-C₃N₄ and TiO₂ nanorods, which was of benefit for the charge transfer and resulted in its high photocatalytic activity. The g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanorod composites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity for degradation of Rhodamine B (RHB) than bare g-C₃N₄ and TiO₂ nanorods. The high photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ nanorod composites is attributed to the formation of the direct Z-scheme system, in which the electrons from the conduction band (CB) of TiO₂ combine with the holes from the valence band (VB) of C₃N₄ while the electrons from the CB of C₃N₄ and holes from the VB of TiO₂ with stronger redox ability are used to reduce and oxidize pollutants. Based on the radical-trapping experiments, the main reactive species for RHB degradation are O₂⁻ and · OH, which are produced by photoinduced electrons and holes with high redox ability. This work provides insights into the photocatalytic mechanism of composite materials for the photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants.     

TiO2@CdS core–shell nanorods films: Fabrication and dramatically enhanced photoelectrochemical properties

In this paper, we prepared TiO₂@CdS core–shell nanorods films electrodes using a simple and low-cost chemical bath deposition method. The core–shell nanorods films electrodes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–vis spectrometry techniques. After applying these TiO₂@CdS core–shell nanorods electrodes in photovoltaic cells, we found that the photocurrent was dramatically enhanced, comparing with those of bare TiO₂ nanorods and CdS films electrodes. Moreover, TiO₂@CdS core–shell nanorods film electrode showed better cell performance than CdS nanoparticles deposited TiO₂ nanoparticles (P25) film electrode. A photocurrent of 1.31 mA/cm², a fill factor of 0.43, an open circuit photovoltage of 0.44 V, and a conversion efficiency of 0.8% were obtained under an illumination of 32 mW/cm², when the CdS nanoparticles deposited on TiO₂ nanorods film for about 20 min. The maximum quantum efficiency of 5.0% was obtained at an incident wavelength of 500 nm. We believe that TiO₂@CdS core–shell heterostructured nanorods are excellent candidates for studying some fundamental aspects on charge separation and transfer in the fields of photovoltaic cells and photocatalysis.     

A P/N type compounded Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photo-catalytic membrane for organic pollutant degradation

A heterojunction thin film consisting of n-type titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and p-type cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) was fabricated on an FTO conducting glass. The TiO₂ films were grown on the FTO glass by sol–gel and spray pyrolysis methods, and Cu₂O was deposited on it via the hydrothermal method. The morphology, crystalline structure, and optical absorption characteristics were studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectrum, respectively. The results show that the surface of the Cu₂O/TiO₂ film was composed of net and large grains, which contributed to a large specific surface area. The crystal phase of the TiO₂ in the Cu₂O/TiO₂ film remained anatase. The crystal phase of the Cu₂O could not be detected as it is found in traces. The Cu₂O/TiO₂ film had a stronger optical absorption ability than the pure TiO₂ film. To investigate catalytic activity, a photocatalytic degradation experiment of the Cu₂O/TiO₂ film was performed in a homemade thin-layer micro-reactor. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue increased with increasing amounts of deposited Cu₂O until a maximum limit was reached. The photocatalytic activity might have declined with an increase in Cu₂O content. The metallic oxide has the potential to screen other photocatalysts from the UV source.     

Synthesis of ZnO/Cu2S core/shell nanorods and their enhanced photoelectric performance

In this work, two kinds of ZnO/Cu₂S core/shell nanorods (NRs) have been successfully synthesized from ZnO NRs for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting by a versatile hydrothermal chemical conversion method (H-ZnO/Cu₂S core/shell NRs) and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method (S-ZnO/Cu₂S core/shell NRs), respectively. The photoelectrode is composed of a core/shell structure where the core portion is ZnO NRs and the shell portion is Cu₂S nanoparticles sequentially located on the surface. The ZnO NRs array provides a fast electron transport pathway due to its high electron mobility properties. The optical property of both two kinds of core/shell NRs was characterized, and enhanced absorption spectrum was discovered. Our PEC system produced very high photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency under 1.5 AM irradiation for hydrogen generation. On the basis of a versatile chemical conversion process based on the ion-by-ion growth mechanism, H-ZnO/Cu₂S core/shell NRs exhibit a much higher photocatalytic activity than S-ZnO/Cu₂S core/shell NRs. The photocurrent density and photoconversion efficiency of H-ZnO/Cu₂S core/shell NRs are up to 20.12 mA cm^?2 at 0.85 V versus SCE and 12.81 % at 0.40 V versus SCE, respectively.     

Boosting Photocatalytic Water Splitting: Interfacial Charge Polarization in Atomically Controlled Core–Shell Cocatalysts

Platinum is a commonly used cocatalyst for improved charge separation and surface reactions in photocatalytic water splitting. It is envisioned that its practical applications can be facilitated by further reducing the material cost and improving the efficacy of Pt cocatalysts. In this direction, the use of atomically controlled Pd@Pt quasi‐core–shell cocatalysts in combination with TiO₂ as a model semiconductor is described. As demonstrated experimentally, the electron trapping necessary for charge separation is substantially promoted by combining a Schottky junction with interfacial charge polarization, enabled by the three‐atom‐thick Pt shell. Meanwhile, the increase in electron density and lattice strain would significantly enhance the adsorption of H₂O onto Pt surface. Taken together, the improved charge separation and molecular activation dramatically boost the overall efficiency of photocatalytic water splitting.     

脉冲沉积制备Cu2O/TiO2纳米管异质结的可见光光催化性能

在用阳极氧化法制备有序排列TiO₂纳米管阵列薄膜的基础上,引入脉冲沉积工艺,成功实现了均匀、弥散分布的Cu₂O纳米颗粒修饰改性TiO₂纳米管阵列,形成Cu₂O/TiO₂ 纳米管异质结复合材料. 利用场发射扫描电镜（FESEM）、场发射透射电镜（FETEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）对样品进行表征,重点研究了Cu₂O/TiO₂ 纳米管异质结的光电化学特性和对甲基橙（MO）的可见光催化降解性能. 结果表明,Cu₂O纳米颗粒均匀附着在TiO₂纳米管阵列的管口和中部位置,所制备的Cu₂O/TiO₂ 纳米管异质结具有高效的可见光光催化性能;在浓度为0.01 mol·L^-1的CuSO₄溶液中制得的Cu₂O/TiO₂纳米管异质结表现出最好的电化学特性和光催化性能;另外,对Cu₂O纳米颗粒影响光催化活性的机理进行了讨论.     

Redox system for perfluoroalkylation of arenes and α-methylstyrene derivatives using titanium oxide as photocatalyst

Photoirradiation of titanium oxide (TiO₂) excites the electrons from the valence band to the conduction band, leaving holes in the valence band. Using these holes and electrons, it is possible to perform one-electron oxidations and reductions. We developed a method for the photocatalytic perfluoroalkylation of aromatic rings such as benzene and its derivatives, naphthalene and benzofuran with perfluoroalkyl iodide by the combination of reduction and oxidation reactions with TiO₂. Perfluoroalkyl iodide was reduced to a perfluoroalkyl radical by the excited electrons in the conduction band of TiO₂, and the resulting radical reacted with an aromatic ring to form an arenium radical that was successively oxidized to a cation by the holes in the valence band of TiO₂. Similarly, the photocatalytic reaction of α-methylstyrene with perfluoroalkyl iodide afforded perfluoroalkylated α-methylstyrene, in which the perfluoroalkyl group is on a methyl carbon.     

Self‐powered Photoelectrochemical Sensor for Gallic Acid Exploiting a CdSe/ZnS Core‐shell Quantum Dot Sensitized TiO2 as Photoanode

Herein is described the development of a self‐powered sensor for gallic acid (GA) determination exploiting CdSe/ZnS quantum dot sensitized TiO₂ nanoparticles (CdSe/ZnS/TiO₂/FTO) as photoanode and an all copper oxide photocathode (CuO/Cu₂O/FTO) to reduce water. A two‐chamber self‐powered photoelectrochemical cell was employed in order to maintain separated the photoelectrodes. The self‐powered photoelectrochemical cell is based on water reduction in the cathodic chamber while gallic acid acts as a hole scavenger in the anodic chamber to generate the necessary cell output to drive GA oxidation in the anodic compartment. Electrochemical impedance measurements were performed to evaluate the electronic characteristics of CdSe/ZnS/TiO₂/FTO photoanode and CuO/Cu₂O/FTO photocathode in terms of flat band potential, carrier density, and nature of semiconductor. Under optimized conditions, the self‐powered photoelectrochemical cell presented a wide linear response range for GA from 1 μmol L⁻¹ up to 200 μmol L⁻¹.     

Characterization of photocatalytic performance of silver deposited TiO2 nanorods

Ag–TiO₂ nanorods were synthesized via gel–sol methods. Cyclic voltammetry results showed that surface modification of TiO₂ nanorods using Ag led better electrochemical activity involving fast electron transfer to electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results revealed that the increase in aspect ratio of TiO₂ nanorods and surface modification resulted in synergetic effect of reduction of e^?/h⁺ recombination and charge transfer resistance. Consequently the use of Ag–TiO₂ nanorods as photocatalysts exhibited significant increase in photocatalytic decomposition rate of acid red 44.     

TiO2/Cu2O/Pt复合空心微球的制备及其光催化性能

以锐钛矿相TiO₂溶胶为基底,采用沉淀法和液相沉积法制备了TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt复合空心微球,通过改变n₍Ti⁴⁺)∶n_Cu2+和H₂Pt Cl₆·6H₂O溶液的加入量对TiO₂的形貌和结构进行调控,采用不同的方法对不同样品的物相及结构、微观形貌和光学性能进行了对比分析。分析结果表明,复合材料中Pt与Cu₂O的引入产生协同效应,不仅在一定程度上阻止了电子-空穴的复合,还降低了禁带宽度,在可见光区域光吸收明显增强。与TiO₂、Cu₂O和TiO₂/Cu₂O光催化剂相比较,TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt降解有机污染物的能力显著增强,首次光照120 min可降解93%的甲基橙(MO)溶液,4次循环后降解率为71%,具有良好的光催化...     

TiO2/Cu2O/Pt复合空心微球的制备及其光催化性能

以锐钛矿相TiO₂溶胶为基底,采用沉淀法和液相沉积法制备了TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt复合空心微球,通过改变n_Ti⁴⁺∶ n_Cu²⁺和H₂PtCl₆·6 H₂O溶液的加入量对TiO₂的形貌和结构进行调控,采用不同的方法对不同样品的物相及结构、微观形貌和光学性能进行了对比分析。分析结果表明,复合材料中Pt与Cu₂O的引入产生协同效应,不仅在一定程度上阻止了电子-空穴的复合,还降低了禁带宽度,在可见光区域光吸收明显增强。与TiO₂、Cu₂O和TiO₂/Cu₂O光催化剂相比较,TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt降解有机污染物的能力显著增强,首次光照120 min可降解93%的甲基橙(MO)溶液,4次循环后降解率为71%,具有良好的光催化稳定性能。