Synthesis, Characterization, Photoluminescence and Photocatalytic Properties of CeO2 Nanoparticles by the Sonochemical Method

Uniform CeO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile sonochemical reaction between ceric ammonium nitrate and ammonia. Nanoparticles were synthesized via a surfactant free reaction at room temperature in solvent of water. Products were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The effect of different parameters such as precursor, power of pulsation, surfactant and reaction time on the morphology of the products was investigated. It was found that the as-obtained CeO₂ nanoparticles exhibit a strong PL peak at 381 nm at room temperature that can be ascribed to the high level transition in the CeO₂ semiconductor. The photocatalytic behavior of CeO₂ nanoparticles was evaluated using the degradation of a methyl orange aqueous solution under ultraviolet light irradiation. The results show that CeO₂ nanoparticles are promising materials with excellent performance in photocatalytic applications.     

Nanoplasmonic zirconium nitride photocatalyst for direct overall water splitting

The ability of plasmonic nanostructures to efficiently harvest light energy and generate energetic hot carriers makes them promising materials for utilization in photocatalytic water spitting.Apart from the traditional Au and Ag based plasmonic photocatalysts,more recently the noble-metal-free alternative plasmonic materials have attracted ever-increasing interest.Here we report the first use of plasmonic zirconium nitride（ZrN） nanoparticles as a promising photocatalyst for water splitting.Highl...     

Preparation, phase transformation and photocatalytic activities of cerium-doped mesoporous titania nanoparticles

Cerium-doped mesoporous TiO₂ nanoparticles with high surface area and thermal stable anatase wall were synthesized via hydrothermal process in a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/Ti(SO₄)₂/Ce(NO₃)₄/H₂O system. The obtained materials were characterized by XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, FTIR spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption and DRS spectra. Experimental results indicated that the doping of cerium not only increased the surface area of mesoporous TiO₂ nanoparticles, but also inhibited the mesopores collapse and the anatase-to-rutile phase transformation. Moreover, the undoped, doped anatase mesoporous nanoparticles exhibit higher photocatalytic activity than commercial photocatalyst (Degussa, P25), but the maximum photodegradation rate corresponds to the undoped mesoporous TiO₂ nanoparticles. The lower photocatalytic activities of cerium-doped samples compared with undoped one may be ascribed to that the doped cerium partially blocks titania's surface sites available for the photodegradation and absorption of Rhodamine B (RB).     

室温一步固相反应合成纳米氧化锌的表征、光催化性能及动力学

以七水硫酸锌、氢氧化钠为原料,采用室温一步固相反应合成ZnO纳米粒子,并分别利用X射线衍射分析（XRD）、傅里叶变换红外光谱分析（FTIR）、热重分析（TG）、扫描电子显微分析（SEM）、透射电子显微分析（TEM）、N₂吸附-脱附、紫外可见漫反射光谱分析（UV-Vis DRS）等方法对ZnO纳米粒子进行表征。实验结果表明：不需任何添加剂,室温下可通过一步固相反应合成ZnO纳米粒子,其形成过程首先是ZnSO₄·7H₂O和NaOH充分接触,然后反应形成Zn₄SO₄（OH）₆·5H₂O,最后NaOH的溶解热可使Zn₄SO₄（OH）₆·5H₂O转变为ZnO并逐渐长大形成纳米粒子。同时以甲基橙为降解对象评价了ZnO纳米粒子的光催化活性,实验结果表明：紫外光照射下,该方法合成的ZnO纳米粒子对甲基橙具有较好的光催化活性,且光催化动力学方程符合准一级反应动力学。     

离子对UIO-66-2OH光催化性能的影响

实际废水中存在的离子会对有机污染物的光催化降解产生影响。以ZrCl₄和2,5-二羟基对苯二甲酸为原料,通过水热合成法成功制备了金属有机骨架材料UIO-66-2OH。通过红外（IR）、X射线粉末衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对UIO-66-2OH的结构进行表征。利用水中常见的金属阳离子和无机阴离子,探索UIO-66-2OH的光催化性能。研究发现,金属阳离子Fe³⁺和无机阴离子HCO₃^-、CO₃^2-可以加快光催化降解的速度。然而,金属离子Na⁺、K⁺、Ca²⁺、Mg²⁺、Cu²⁺和无机阴离子Cl^-、SO₄^2-、PO₄^3-会抑制光催化性能,且离子价态越高,抑制效果越明显。     

Nanocomposites of Tantalum‐Based Pyrochlore and Indium Hydroxide Showing High and Stable Photocatalytic Activities for Overall Water Splitting and Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Nanocomposites of tantalum‐based pyrochlore nanoparticles and indium hydroxide were prepared by a hydrothermal process for UV‐driven photocatalytic reactions including overall water splitting, hydrogen production from photoreforming of methanol, and CO₂ reduction with water to produce CO. The best catalyst was more than 20 times more active than sodium tantalate in overall water splitting and 3 times more active than Degussa P25 TiO₂ in CO₂ reduction. Moreover, the catalyst was very stable while generating stoichiometric products of H₂ (or CO) and O₂ throughout long‐term photocatalytic reactions. After the removal of In(OH)₃, the pyrochlore nanoparticles remained highly active for H₂ production from pure water and aqueous methanol solution. Both experimental studies and density functional theory calculations suggest that the pyrochlore nanoparticles catalyzed the water reduction to produce H₂, whereas In(OH)₃ was the major active component for water oxidation to produce O₂.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetite nanoparticles for photocatalysis of nitrobenzene

The present work shows the photocatalytic degradation of nitrobenzene (NB) using Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) as a photocatalyst in the presence of UV light. The MNP were synthesized by an ultrasonic-assisted reverse co-precipitation (US-RP) method using FeSO₄, FeCl₃ and NH₄OH as precursors. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential, Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and Magnetic thermogravimetric analysis (MTGA). The successive decrement in the absorbance at 265 nm shows the effective decrease in NB concentration measured by UV–vis spectroscopy. The reaction intermediates detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrum (GC/MS) were 2-nitrophenol (2-NPh), 3-nitrophenol (3-NPh) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NPh). The prepared MNP showed an optimal NB degradation at an initial pH of 2 and 100 ppm of the photocatalyst.     

Synthesis of Multifunctional Metal‐ and Metal Oxide Core@Mesoporous Silica Shell Structures by Using a Wet Chemical Approach

We demonstrate a facile wet chemical approach for fabricating spherical metal/metal‐oxide core@mesoporous silica shell hybrid nanoparticles with different core and shell thicknesses. Vertically aligned mesoporous silica (mSiO₂) shells were fabricated over the pre‐synthesized spherical SiO₂ nanoparticles through a three‐step strategy: 1) synthesis of core materials, 2) covering the core with an organic–inorganic composite layer, and 3) removing the organic template through calcinations in air. The mechanisms of hybrid structure formation are proposed. The multifunctional nature of the hybrid structures could be induced by incorporating guest ions/molecules, such as Ag, Mn, and TiO₂, into the pores of an mSiO₂ shell. Mn and TiO₂ cluster‐ incorporated composite structures have been tested to be antioxidizing agents and effective photocatalysts through electron spin resonance, radical scavenging tests, and the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B. The possibility of incorporating several hetero‐element guest clusters in these mesoporous composite particles makes them highly attractive for multifunctional applications.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Al(OH)<Subscript>3</Subscript>, Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Nanoparticles and Polymeric Nanocomposites

Applying of the most toxic halogenated and aromatic flame retardants is limited with respect to the environmental requirements. Nontoxic Al(OH)₃ nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple surfactant-free precipitation reaction at room temperature. The effect of various precipitation-agents on the morphology of the products was investigated. Al(OH)₃ nanoparticles were added to the polysulfone and poly styrene (PS) matrices. Electron microscope images show excellent dispersion of aluminium hydroxide in PS matrix. Nanoparticles appropriately enhanced both thermal stability and flame retardant property of the polymeric matrices. The enhancement of flame retardancy is due to endothermic decomposition of Al(OH)₃ that absorbs heat and simultaneously releases of water (makes combustible gases diluted and cold). Dispersed nanoparticles play the role of a barrier layer against flame, oxygen and polymer volatilization. Al(OH)₃ was converted to Al₂O₃ and its photo-catalyst property in degradation three different organic dyes as pollutants was investigated.     

Ni nanoparticles as electron-transfer mediators and NiSx as interfacial active sites for coordinative enhancement of H2-evolution performance of TiO2

The development of efficient photocatalytic H₂-evolution materials requires both rapid electron transfer and an effective interfacial catalysis reaction for H₂ production. In addition to the well-known noble metals, low-cost and earth-abundant non-noble metals can also act as electron-transfer mediators to modify photocatalysts. However, as almost all non-noble metals lack the interfacial catalytic active sites required for the H₂-evolution reaction, the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance is limited. Therefore, the development of new interfacial active sites on metal-modified photocatalysts is of considerable importance. In this study, to enhance the photocatalytic evolution of H₂ by Ni-modified TiO₂, the formation of NiS_x as interfacial active sites was promoted on the surface of Ni nanoparticles. Specifically, the co-modified TiO₂/Ni-NiS_x photocatalysts were prepared via a two-step process involving the photoinduced deposition of Ni on the TiO₂ surface and the subsequent formation of NiS_x on the Ni surface by a hydrothermal reaction method. It was found that the TiO₂/Ni-NiS_x photocatalysts exhibited enhanced photocatalytic H₂-evolution activity. In particular, TiO₂/Ni-NiS_x(30%) showed the highest photocatalytic rate (223.74 μmol h^?1), which was greater than those of TiO₂, TiO₂/Ni, and TiO₂/NiS_x by factors of 22.2, 8.0, and 2.2, respectively. The improved H₂-evolution performance of TiO₂/Ni-NiS_x could be attributed to the excellent synergistic effect of Ni and NiS_x, where Ni nanoparticles function as effective mediators to transfer electrons from the TiO₂ surface and NiS_x serves as interfacial active sites to capture H⁺ ions from solution and promote the interfacial H₂-evolution reaction. The synergistic effect of the non-noble metal cocatalyst and the interfacial active sites may provide new insights for the design of highly efficient photocatalytic materials.     

Highly dispersed copper/ppm palladium nanoparticles as novel magnetically recoverable catalyst for Suzuki reaction under aqueous conditions at room temperature

An efficient procedure based on arginine‐modified Fe₃O₄@carbon magnetic nanoparticles (FCA MNPs) with highly dispersed copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) and 92.8 ppm of Pd is reported for room temperature Suzuki reaction. For enhancing the activity of this Cu‐based heterogeneous catalyst, special arginine amino acid as a ligand with high content of heteroatoms was immobilized onto the Fe₃O₄@carbon MNPs to increase the electron density. Cu(II) ions were then loaded on the surface of the FCA MNPs and reduced to achieve uniformly dispersed Cu NPs. An aqueous mixture of metal hydroxides such as KOH, Ba(OH)₂, Ca(OH)₂, Mg(OH)₂ as a green, non‐toxic and basic medium was used for the Suzuki reaction at room temperature. This catalyst could also be recovered and reused with no loss of activity over six successful runs.     

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.     

不同氮源溶剂热合成N-TiO2纳米颗粒及其光催化降解气相苯（英文）

采用三种不同的氮源溶剂热合成了锐钛矿-板钛矿混晶的N-TiO2催化剂.采用X射线衍射、N2吸附-脱附、X射线光电子能谱和透射电子显微镜等手段对催化剂进行了表征.重点研究了不同氮源对催化剂的相组成、晶粒尺寸、微观结构以及比表面积的影响.采用紫外光降解气相苯测试了合成材料的催化活性.结果表明,以水合肼为氮源合成的N-TiO2表现出最优的光催化活性,其活性明显高于P25,且能够循环使用15次以上.采用气相色谱-质谱技术分析了光降解过程的中间产物,基于此提出了相应的降解机理.     

Preparation and characterization of TiO2 sols and their UV-cured hybrid thin films on plastic substrates

In this research, TiO₂ sols were synthesized via a sol?Cgel reaction at room temperature followed by heating under reflux. Hybrid thin films were prepared using the TiO₂ sols and dipentaerythritol hexacrylate on poly(methyl methacrylate) substrates via spin coating followed by UV-curing. The images of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and results of dynamic light scattering (DSL) showed that some originally synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles aggregated while many small-sized (~5?nm) TiO₂ nanoparticles still existed after reflux heating. The synthesized TiO₂ sols showed poor photocatalytic ability, which might avoid degradation of organic moieties in the hybrids. The refractive indices of the hybrid thin films were increased from 1.66 to 1.82 while the water contact angles on the thin films were increased from 70.2° to 87.7° with the increment of TiO₂ content. Increasing the heating time of the TiO₂ sol resulted in an increase in the refractive index and contact angle.     

Controlled synthesis of monodisperse sub-100 nm hollow SnO2 nanospheres: a template- and surfactant-free solution-phase route, the growth mechanism, optical properties, and application as a photocatalyst

Controlled synthesis of low‐dimensional materials, such as nanoparticles, nanorods, and hollow nanospheres, is vitally important for achieving desired properties and fabricating functional devices. We report a systematic investigation of the growth of low‐dimensional sub‐100 nm SnO₂ hollow nanostructures by a mild template‐ and surfactant‐free hydrothermal route, aiming to achieve precise control of morphology and size. The starting materials are potassium stannate and urea in an ethylene glycol (EG)/H₂O system. We found the size of the SnO₂ hollow nanospheres can be controlled by simply adjusting the urea concentration. Investigation of the mechanism of formation of the SnO₂ hollow nanospheres revealed that reaction time, urea concentration, and reaction temperature make significant contributions to the growth of hollow nanospheres. On switching the solvent from EG/H₂O to H₂O or ethanol, the SnO₂ nanostructures changed from nanospheres to ultrafine nanorods and nanoparticles. On the basis of reaction parameter dependent experiments, oriented self‐assembly and subsequent evacuation through Ostwald ripening are proposed to explain the formation of hollow nanostructures. Their size‐dependent optical properties, including UV/Vis absorption spectra and room‐temperature fluorescence spectra, were also studied. Moreover, the studies on the photocatalytic property demonstrate that the fabricated hollow structures have slightly enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity for rhodamine B when exposed to mercury light irradiation compared to solid SnO₂ nanospheres under the same conditions. The synthesized tin oxide nanoparticles display high photocatalytic efficiency and have potential applications for cleaning polluted water in the textile industry.     

Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity of Sodium Bismuth Titanate by Doping with Copper,Silver, and Tin Ions

Perovskite type oxides, sodium bismuth titanate (Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃), and Ag⁺, Cu²⁺, and Sn²⁺ doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ were prepared by pechini and ion exchange methods, respectively. Photocatalytic activities of these catalysts were tested by decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. Results showed that the photocatalytic activity of metal ion doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ was higher than undoped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃. Relatively high photocatalytic performance of Ag⁺‐doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ is mainly ascribed to the efficient separation of electron‐hole (e^–, h⁺) pairs, lower bandgap energy and the creation of active hydroxyl radicals ( ^? OH). Further, the Ag⁺‐doped Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ catalyst showed good reusability up to four cycles. A possible mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic performance was proposed. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, FT‐IR, and UV/Vis DRS techniques.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of In<Superscript>3+</Superscript> modified BiVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In³⁺-doped BiVO₄ nanoparticles with enhanced visible light activity have been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, BET surface areas analysis, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectra. In comparison with pure BiVO₄, the In³⁺-doped BiVO₄ displayed greater photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methyl blue under visible light illumination. All samples possessed a single monoclinic structure. The introduction of In ions resulted in structural distortion and the decreased band gap energy, producing more electrons and holes for photocatalytic reaction. In the meantime, the doping In ions entails a red shift in the absorption edge and an increase in the intensity of light absorption. The best photocatalytic performance was obtained with the BiVO₄ sample containing 5.0 mol% In ions.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity assessing of the TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocomposites modified by some lanthanide ions and tin-derivative sandwich-type polyoxometalates

New nanocomposites containing sandwich-type polyoxometalate of [(PW₉O₃₄)₂(HOSn^IVOH)₃]^12? (P₂W₁₈Sn₃) loaded onto Ln-doped TiO₂ (Nd, Sm, Dy, Tb) nanoparticles were synthesized and their catalytic activities were assessed. The Ln–TiO₂ nanoparticles and Ln–TiO₂/P₂W₁₈Sn₃ nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays spectra and diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic efficiency of the Ln–TiO₂ and Ln–TiO₂/P₂W₁₈Sn₃ were examined in the photodegradation of methyl orange and methylene blue solutions. It was revealed through different characterization techniques that the P₂W₁₈Sn₃ was successfully loaded on the lanthanide-doped anatase phase TiO₂ nanoparticles and the particles diameter were relatively 20–30 nanometers. It was revealed that doping by the lanthanide ions followed by loading of polyoxometalates improves the photocatalytic performance of TiO₂ effectively. The effects of operational parameters and the kinetics of photocatalytic degradation under UV light were discussed. The prepared nanocomposites were stable and could be easily separated from the reaction system.     

Magnetic and Thermal Properties of Novel Poly(ether-amide)/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite Containing Phosphine Oxide Group

New poly(ether-amide) nanocomposite containing phosphine oxide was prepared via solution polymerization process from synthesized poly(ether-amide) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in a solution of N,N-dimethylformamide. Uniform monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature via a facile sonochemical reaction. Poly(ether-amide) (PEA) as the polymer matrix was synthesized from reaction of 1,4-(4-carboxy phenoxy)butane (1) and bis(3-amino phenyl)phenyl phosphine oxide (2) via a direct polycondensation reaction. Nanoparticle and nanocomposite were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared. The effect of the presence of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on the thermal properties of PEA was studied using thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmospheres. The magnetic properties of the sample were also investigated using an alternating gradient force magnetometer. We found that the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibit a ferromagnetic behaviour with a saturation magnetization of 59 emu/g and a coercivity of 104 Oe at room temperature. The coercivity of PEA/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites is found to be 126 Oe, higher than 104 Oe which is obtained for Fe₃O₄.     

Synthesis of MSn(OH)<Subscript>6</Subscript> (where M = Mg,Ca, Zn,Mn, or Cu) materials at room temperature

Applying a metathesis approach (MCl₂·xH₂O+Na₂SnO₃·xH₂O→MSn(OH)₆+NaCl+xH₂O), Schoenfliesite-type materials with general formula MSn(OH)₆ (where M=Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn or Zn) were synthesized at room-temperature. The high lattice-energy of the by-product alkali halide NaCl drives the reaction in the forward direction leading to the formation of the desired materials. The materials synthesized were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to elucidate structural and micro structural features.