Environmentally benign chitosan as precursor and reductant for synthesis of Ag/AgCl/N-doped carbon composite photocatalysts and their photocatalytic degradation performance

In this study, we reported a novel Ag/AgCl loaded N-doped carbon composite photocatalyst (Ag/AgCl/NC) which was fabricated by a facile and green method. The composite was prepared only by two simple steps. Firstly, the Ag/N-doped carbon (Ag/NC) was prepared by one-step hydrothermal treatment; during this progress the environmentally benign and renewable natural chitosan was used as not only reducer and stabilizer, but also as a nitrogen source and carbon source. Secondly, Ag/AgCl/NC composite was synthesized via in situ oxidation reaction by adding FeCl₃. The Ag/AgCl/NC composite was characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectra, UV-visible diffused reflectance spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, respectively. The obtained Ag/AgCl/NC composite exhibited a superior photocatalytic activity and stability for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of carbon dot/Ag/AgCl

CD (carbon dot)/Ag/AgCl compound photocatalysts with different compounding degrees were prepared via a precipitation method, and their physiochemical properties were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, FE‐SEM, UV–vis and the like. Through the degradation experiment of methyl orange (MO), the effects of different compounding amount and methyl orange concentration on photocatalytic degradation were investigated to find the best ratio. It was found the photocatalytic activity of CD/Ag/AgCl was significantly higher than Ag/AgCl, and the best compounding dosage was 6 mg/l carbon dot. The degradation rate of CD/Ag/AgCl was lower when the initial MO concentration was higher. Five repeated experiments were conducted to test the stability of the catalysts, and showed the MO degradation rates were all above 85%, indicating the CD/Ag/AgCl compound photocatalysts all showed high stability and repeatability. The reaction mechanism of CD/Ag/AgCl photocatalyst was studied by electrochemical experiments and ESR experiments. The results show that the doping of CD effectively improves the photocatalytic degradation ability of MO.     

Controlled orientation in a bio-inspired assembly of Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures enables enhancement in visible-light-induced photocatalytic performance

In a bio-inspired approach, polyamine-mediated mineralization of ZnO was explored to develop an environmentally benign methodology for synthesizing Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures. The assembling properties displayed by the polyamines to create composite structures was utilized to have the nanocomponents effectively interact with each other in a way that is desirable for the application envisaged. The polyamines, which act as a mineralizing agent for ZnO nanoparticles, also facilitate the formation of Ag/AgCl within ZnO under ambient conditions. Thus synthesized Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures represent a multi-heterojunction system in which the nanocomponents lead in a synergistic way to enhancement in the photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation.     

Bifunctional AgCl/Ag composites for SERS monitoring and low temperature visible light photocatalysis degradation of pollutant

With the assistance of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), AgCl/Ag composites were fabricated in N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent via a photoactivated route. The size of AgCl particles was in the range of 500 nm to 1 μm and the Ag particle's diameter was about 10–20 nm. Different from those core–shell structures reported before, the Ag nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly both on the surface and in the body of AgCl particles. The generation of such kind of composites was resulted from the reducing ability of DMF and light irradiation during the formation of AgCl particles. The as-obtained AgCl/Ag composites presented great activity for both surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection and visible light photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes. Additionally, the AgCl/Ag composites could maintain high photocatalytic activity even though the ambient temperature was as low as 15 °C and recycle photocatalysis experiments indicated that the photocatalyst exhibited higher stability. Such kind of AgCl/Ag composites holds great potential for environmental monitoring devices and pollutant treatments.     

玻璃微珠/Ag/TiO2可见光催化剂的制备与表征

通过离子交换法将Ag纳米颗粒负载于玻璃微珠的表面及浅表层,并以钛酸四丁酯的乙醇溶液为前驱体,将TiO₂负载于包含银的玻璃微珠表面,制得一种玻璃微珠/Ag/TiO₂复合光催化剂。由于纳米银的表面等离子体吸收效应,该复合光催化剂具有一定的可见光响应特性。利用XRD、SEM对样品进行表征,可发现玻璃微珠表面形成一层均匀多孔的锐钛矿TiO₂,其粒径均在50 nm左右。由漫反射光谱可得出该催化剂具有较强的可见光吸收,并在降解甲基橙溶液的试验中表现出较好的可见光催化活性。     

Ag/AgCl复合纳米粒子/聚丙烯腈纳米纤维膜的制备及可见光催化降解甲基橙

通过电纺丝法结合原位还原及原位氧化反应, 成功制备了均匀负载Ag/AgCl复合纳米粒子/聚丙烯腈(PAN)复合纳米纤维膜. 首先利用电纺丝技术制备了PAN/AgNO₃复合纳米纤维, 然后用乙二醇将硝酸银还原成银纳米粒子, 最后采用三氯化铁溶液对材料进行原位氧化. 所得纤维膜材料可以作为高效的可见光催化剂, 具有高可见光利用率, 优异的柔性和高光催化动力学等特性.     

Synthesis of V5+‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts were prepared via the ion exchange method. The catalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies. The V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts show much higher photocatalytic activities than Ag/AgCl under visible light irradiation for methyl orange (MO) decomposition. Especially, the 2.0 wt% V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalyst shows the highest photocatalytic activity and also high stability after five cycles. The MO degradation rate during each cycle is almost maintained at 97%. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical trapping experiments reveal that holes play an important role in the photocatalytic process.     

A Simple Method for the Preparation of TiO2/Ag‐AgCl@Polypyrrole Composite and Its Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

A novel and facile method was developed to prepare a visible‐light driven TiO₂/Ag‐AgCl@polypyrrole (PPy) photocatalyst with Ag‐AgCl nanoparticles supported on TiO₂ nanofibers and covered by a thin PPy shell. During the synthesis, the PPy shell and Ag‐AgCl nanoparticles were prepared simultaneously onto TiO₂ nanofibers, which simplified the preparation procedure. In addition, because Ag‐AgCl aggregates were fabricated via partly etching the Ag nanoparticles, their size was well controlled at the nanoscale, which was beneficial for improvement of the contact surface area. Compared with reference photocatalysts, the TiO₂/Ag‐AgCl@PPy composite exhibited an enhanced photodegradation activity towards rhodamine B under visible‐light irradiation. The superior photocatalytic property originated from synergistic effects between TiO₂ nanofibers, Ag‐AgCl nanoparticles and the PPy shell. Furthermore, the TiO₂/Ag‐AgCl@PPy composite could be easily separated and recycled without obvious reduction in activity.     

Bi_(20)TiO_(32)/聚丙烯腈复合纳米纤维的制备及其对异丙隆的光催化降解性能

采用溶剂热法制备了可见光响应型光催化剂Bi_(20)TiO_(32),为了实现该光催化剂的固定化负载,进一步以Bi_(20)TiO_(32)和聚丙烯腈(PAN)为原料,通过同轴静电纺丝法制备了不同光催化剂含量的Bi_(20)TiO_(32)/PAN复合纳米纤维。通过这一途径一方面可以便于光催化剂的回收利用,另一方面纳米纤维结构可以提高光催化剂与有机污染物反应的接触面积。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)和氮气吸附-脱附法对样品的物相组成、形貌结构、光谱吸收和比表面积等进行表征。研究了在可见光照射下Bi_(20)TiO_(32)/PAN复合纳米纤维膜对苯脲类农药异丙隆的光催化降解性能。结果显示,制备的Bi_(20)TiO_(32)光催化剂禁带宽度为2.35 eV,属于典型的可见光响应型光催化剂。制备的Bi_(20)TiO_(32)/PAN复合纳米纤维直径在600~700 nm,Bi_(20)TiO_(32)可以在纳米纤维表面均匀负载,复合纳米纤维膜对可见光具有明显的响应性,对异丙隆具有很好的光催化降解效果,其中光催化剂质量分数为25.7%的样品S3对异丙隆的降解率最高可达到87%。这一研究表明,通过同轴静电纺丝法将光催化剂负载于有机纳米纤维表面,可以保持光催化剂原有光催化效果,是实现光催化剂固定化一条较好的途径。     

Solar light-driven photocatalytic production of hypochlorous acid over Pt/WO3 in seawater for marine antifouling

The hypochlorous acid (HCIO) was synthesized from seawater by the Pt/WO₃ photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation. The effect of WO₃ morphology and Pt loading on the performance of the composite photocatalyst for the production of HCIO has been studied in detail. The study found that among the series of materials, hollow WO₃ microspheres with a diameter of about 3 μm loaded with 1.0 wt% Pt have the best HCIO production performance. Over it, 14.52 μM of HClO (1.24 mg/L of free chlorine) was accumulated in 0.5 M NaCl solution after 2 h of visible-light photoirradiation. What is more, the concentration of HClO can reach 4.34 μM (0.354 mg/L free chlorine) in natural seawater for 1 h using this Pt/WO₃ photocatalyst. Under visible-light irradiation, the Pt/WO₃ photocatalyst has a good broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and the activity of inhibiting marine fouling algae. The Pt/WO₃ photocatalyst has high stability and reusability. All these characteristics are conducive to the application in the field of marine antifouling. Moreover, the photocatalytic reaction mechanism was evaluated by studying the photoelectrochemical properties of Pt/WO₃/FTO. This research provides a new strategy for replacing the traditional electrolytic marine antifouling system with the visible-light-catalyzed HClO production system.

     

Fast electron transfer and enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity by using poly-o-phenylenediamine modified AgCl/g-C3N4 nanosheets

Exfoliation of bulk graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) into two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets is one of the effective strategies to improve its photocatalytic properties so that the 2D g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (CN) have larger specific surface areas and more reaction sites. In addition, poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD) can improve the electrical conductivity and photocatalytic activity of semiconductor materials. Here, the novel efficient composite PoPD/AgCl/g-C₃N₄ nanosheets was first synthesized by a precipitation reaction and the photoinitiated polymerization approach. The obtained photocatalysts have larger specific surface areas and could achieve better visible-light response. However, silver chloride (AgCl) is susceptible to agglomeration and photocorrosion. The PoPD/AgCl/CN composite exhibits an extremely high photocurrent density, which is three times that of CN. Obviously enhanced photocatalytic activities of PoPD/AgCl/g-C₃N₄ are revealed through the photodegradation of tetracycline. The stability of PoPD/AgCl/CN is demonstrated based on four cycles of experiments that reveal that the degradation rate only decreases slightly. Furthermore, ?O₂^? and h⁺ are the main active species, which are confirmed through a trapping experiment and ESR spin-trap technique. Therefore, the prepared PoPD/AgCl/CN can be considered as a stable photocatalyst, in which PoPD is added as a charge carrier and acts a photosensitive protective layer on the surface of the AgCl particles. This provides a new technology for preparing highly stable composite photocatalysts that can effectively deal with environmental issues.     

Pd/TiO2 Nanospheres with Three-dimensional Hyperstructure for Enhanced Photodegradation of Organic Dye

Pd/TiO2 nanospheres assembled from nanorods with three-dimensional hyperstructure for enlianced photodegradation of organic dye was prepared by a sample solvothemial method. Further, it was used for degradation of methyl orange(MO) under the illumination of visible-light(simulated).The results show that Pd/TiO2 with 2%(mass fraction) Pd exhibits the noticeable activity in photodegrading of MO.The detailed analysis shows that this enhancement is attributed to the reduction of the rate of electron-hole recombination and surface plasmon resonance of Pd. The high activity and good stability of the obtained Pd/TiO2 nano spheres make it a promising photocatalyst for solving the environmental pollution problems.     

Silver-Loaded Bio-Structured Carbon/Cadmium Sulfide Lamellar Composites with Enhanced Photocatalysis under Visible Light

A silver (Ag)-loaded biostructured carbon/cadmium sulfide (CdS) lamellar composite photocatalyst was synthesized using a hydrothermal and photodeposition method. Camellia petals functioned both as a biological layered template and as a source of carbon. The prepared composite photocatalyst demonstrated good absorption under visible light and exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the obtained composites substantially improved compared with pure CdS. The 5 wt.-% Ag-loaded C/CdS sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, reaching 96.5 % after 180 min, which was 8.7 times that of pure CdS. Specifically, the biocarbon sheet enhanced the absorption of visible light. Furthermore, the high electrical conductivity of Ag can effectively transfer and separate photogenerated electrons and holes, thus enhancing both photocatalytic performance and stability.     

The dependence of photocatalytic activity and photoinduced self-stability of photosensitive AgI nanoparticles

AgI is instable under light irradiation owing to its photosensitive properties, while a supported Ag-AgI composite has been demonstrated to be a stable photocatalyst. However, seldom investigations have been focused on the photocatalytic activity (including deactivation) and photoinduced stability of the photosensitive AgI materials. In this study, the AgI nanoparticles were immobilized on the surface of Ag(8)W(4)O(16) nanorods by an anion-exchange route and their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by photocatalytic decomposition of methyl orange and phenol solutions under visible-light irradiation. A photoinduced self-stabilizing mechanism of the AgI nanoparticles was proposed to account for the formation of a stable Ag-AgI photocatalyst, namely, instable AgI can transform into a stable Ag-AgI photocatalyst after in situ formation of partial Ag on the surface of AgI nanoparticles. The photocatalytic performance of the immobilized AgI photocatalyst was greatly influenced by the formation of metallic Ag. With increasing repetitions of photocatalytic experiments, the initial deactivation was accompanied by the rapid increase of metallic Ag owing to the reduction of lattice Ag(+), while the subsequently stable activity corresponds to the formation of a stable Ag-AgI composite photocatalyst. Compared with the un-immobilized AgI photocatalyst, the immobilized AgI nanoparticles exhibited a higher and more stable photocatalytic performance.     

共沉淀法制备Ag/AgCl-TiO2空心复合纳米微球及其光催化性能

通过甲基丙烯酸与苯乙烯聚合制备了表面负电性的聚苯乙烯(PSt)纳米乳胶粒. 在乙醇与水的混合溶剂中, 用硅烷偶联剂乙烯基三甲氧基硅烷对其进行表面改性后加入钛酸四丁酯、 氯化钠和硝酸银, 以PSt乳胶粒为模板采用共沉淀法制备了PSt-AgCl-TiO₂复合微球. 在180 ℃对其进行液相预处理及煅烧去除PSt模板后制备了Ag/AgCl-TiO₂空心复合粒子. 对各阶段产物的形貌、 晶体结构和比表面积等进行了表征. 结果表明, 所得产物为Ag/AgCl与锐钛矿型TiO₂复合的空心粒子, 其比表面远大于商品TiO₂(P25). 考察了Ag/AgCl-TiO₂复合粒子在紫外光与可见光下对罗丹明B(RhB)降解的催化活性. 结果表明, 在紫外光下n(Ag)/n(Ti)=0.1%的Ag/AgCl-TiO₂复合粒子活性最高, 30 min时对RhB的降解率比不含Ag/AgCl的TiO₂空心微球提高了13%; 虽然Ag/AgCl-TiO₂在可见光下的催化活性远比紫外光下低, 但与纯TiO₂空心纳米微球相比其催化活性仍明显增强. n(Ag)/n(Ti)=2.0%的Ag/AgCl-TiO₂复合粒子催化活性最高, 120 min时对RhB的降解率比不含Ag/AgCl的TiO₂空心微球提高了38%.     

复合光催化剂AgI/AgCl/h-BN的制备及光催化性能

以少层六方氮化硼纳米层状材料为载体,通过水溶性盐晶体模板法和离子交换法制备了h-BN稳定AgI/AgCl的三元复合体系。通过XRD、FT-IR、SEM、TEM等手段对样品的结构和形貌进行检测分析,利用UV-Vis DRS测试了样品的吸光性能。可见光光催化降解罗丹明B实验表明,光照24 min,AgI/AgCl/h-BN复合光催化材料对罗丹明B的降解率高达93%,远高于实验合成的大块AgCl、AgCl立方块、AgI/AgCl纳米腰果及文献报道的数值。并且三元材料循环利用4次后,对罗丹明B的降解率几乎保持不变。结合光电化学测试、活性物种捕获和电子自旋共振等实验结果,探讨了复合材料光催化活性和稳定性提高的机理。     

复合光催化剂AgI/AgCl/h-BN的制备及光催化性能

以少层六方氮化硼纳米层状材料为载体,通过水溶性盐晶体模板法和离子交换法制备了h-BN稳定AgI/AgCl的三元复合体系。通过XRD、FT-IR、SEM、TEM等手段对样品的结构和形貌进行检测分析,利用UV-Vis DRS测试了样品的吸光性能。可见光光催化降解罗丹明B实验表明,光照24 min,AgI/AgCl/h-BN复合光催化材料对罗丹明B的降解率高达93%,远高于实验合成的大块AgCl、AgCl立方块、AgI/AgCl纳米腰果及文献报道的数值。并且三元材料循环利用4次后,对罗丹明B的降解率几乎保持不变。结合光电化学测试、活性物种捕获和电子自旋共振等实验结果,探讨了复合材料光催化活性和稳定性提高的机理。     

Ag/ZnO Catalysts with Different ZnO Nanostructures for Non‐enzymatic Detection of Urea

Silver coated ZnO nanorods and nanoflakes with different crystallographic orientations were synthesized by a combination of sputter deposition and solution growth process. Catalytic properties of morphology‐dependent Ag/ZnO nanostructures were then investigated for urea sensors without enzyme. Ag/ZnO nanorods on carbon electrodes exhibit a higher catalytic activity and an improved efficiency than Ag/ZnO nanoflakes on carbon electrodes. Ag/ZnO nanorod catalysts with more electrochemically surface area (169 cm² mg^?1) on carbon electrode facilitate urea electrooxidation due to easier electron transfer, which further promotes the urea electrolysis. The Ag/ZnO nanorod catalysts also show a significant reduction in the onset voltage (0.410 V vs. Ag/AgCl) and an increase in the current density (12.0 mA cm^?2 mg^?1) at 0.55 V vs Ag/AgCl. The results on urea electrooxidation show that Ag/ZnO nanostructures can be a potential catalyst for non‐enzymatic biosensors and fuel cells.     

Characterization and photocatalytic properties of silver and silver chloride doped TiO2 hollow nanoparticles

Using polystyrene（PSt） particles as template,PSt/TiO₂ composite particles with AgCl incorporation were prepared through hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate in the presence of AgNO₃ and NaCl.AgCl doped TiO₂ hollow particles were successfully prepared with the PSt/TiO₂ composite microspheres pretreated at 180℃followed by calcination.The morphology of PSt/TiO₂ particles and the crystal structures of the AgCl doped TiO₂ hollow particles were characterized.The photocatalytic activity of the doped TiO₂ hollow particles in degradation of Rhodamine B was tested under UV and visible lights and compared to that with Ag doped TiO₂ particles.The results showed that TiO₂ hollow particles,either doped with Ag or AgCl,demonstrated higher photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO₂ particles.This enhancement in photocatalytic activity was more significant with AgCl doped TiO₂ than that with Ag doped,and more distinct when the degradation was done under visible light than that under LTV light.     

Controlled Orientation in a Bio‐Inspired Assembly of Ag/AgCl/ZnO Nanostructures Enables Enhancement in Visible‐Light‐Induced Photocatalytic Performance

In a bio‐inspired approach, polyamine‐mediated mineralization of ZnO was explored to develop an environmentally benign methodology for synthesizing Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures. The assembling properties displayed by the polyamines to create composite structures was utilized to have the nanocomponents effectively interact with each other in a way that is desirable for the application envisaged. The polyamines, which act as a mineralizing agent for ZnO nanoparticles, also facilitate the formation of Ag/AgCl within ZnO under ambient conditions. Thus synthesized Ag/AgCl/ZnO nanostructures represent a multi‐heterojunction system in which the nanocomponents lead in a synergistic way to enhancement in the photocatalytic activity under visible‐light irradiation.