Band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO composites for enhanced photocatalytic activity

The toxic dye pigments, even in small quantities, can damage ecosystems. Removing organic, inorganic, and microbiological contaminants from wastewater via heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method. Herein, we report the band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO nanocomposites to enhance photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites were synthesized by a chemical approach using step-wise implantation of p-type semiconductor CuO to n-type semiconductor ZnO. Various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV spectroscopy were used to investigate the crystal structure, surface morphology, elemental composition and optical properties of the synthesized samples. As the CuO content increased from 10% to 50% in ZnO/CuO nanocomposites, the optical bandgap decreased from 3.36 to 2.14 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated against the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible irradiation. Our study demonstrates a novel p–n junction oxide photocatalyst based on wt. 10% CuO/ZnO with superior photocatalytic activity. Effectively 66.6% increase in degradation rate was achieved for wt. 10% CuO/ZnO nanocomposite compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles.     

Photobleaching of pollutant dye catalyzed by p-n junction ZnO-CuO photocatalyst under UV-visible light activation

The p-n junction ZnO/CuO nanocomposite photocatalysts are prepared via the copreripitation route. The detailed structural, compositional and optical characterization and physico-chemical properties of the obtained products are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), photoluminscience spectra (PL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping techniques. The experimental results showed that the absorption wavelength range of the ZnO/CuO nanocomposite was notably extended towards the visible-light region (400–500 nm). The photocataltic activity of the ZnO/CuO nanocomposite was evaluated based on the decomposition of by methyl orange (MeO) in aqueous solution under UV-vis light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CuO nanocomposite is found much better than of bare ZnO photocatalyst under the identical conditions. Factors influencing photocatalytic activity and the mechanism of photocatalysis reaction were also addressed.     

Visible-light-induced dye degradation over copper-modified reduced graphene oxide

Previously, it was found that reduced graphene oxide (RGO) can degrade rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, but with an extraordinarily slow rate. It was also found that modification of RGO with gold nanoparticles can dramatically accelerate the photoreaction rate. Herein, we describe the preparation and photocatalytic properties of copper-ion-modified RGO composite materials, which display a faster photocatalytic reaction rate and better mineralization under visible-light irradiation than gold-modified RGO. The copper-ion-modified RGO composites were prepared by an immersion method. The characterization results of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show the presence of crystalline copper species Cu(2)(OH)(3)NO(3) and Cu(2)(OH)(3)Cl on the surface of RGO. Modification of RGO with the copper species greatly enhances the degradation of RhB--after 3 hours of reaction under visible-light irradiation, the total organic carbon is decreased by about 31%. The copper species act as an electron relay, passing the excited electrons from the RGO sheets to adsorbed oxygen, thus leading to continuous generation of reactive oxygen species for the degradation of RhB.     

氧化铜/氧化锌/3A分子筛光催化剂的制备及其可见光脱氮性能

采用浸渍法合成了氧化铜/氧化锌/3A分子筛(CuO/ZnO/3A)复合催化剂,并利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等技术手段对催化剂的结构及性能进行了系统的表征;以吡啶-正辛烷体系为模拟油品氮源,系统研究了该催化剂在可见光作用下的光催化脱氮行为,并系统考察了催化剂的制备条件、用量及催化时间对其脱氮性能的影响。 结果表明,随着锌源与铜源加入量的增加,CuO/ZnO/3A复合物的光催化活性,呈现先增大后降低的规律。 在400 ℃煅烧5 h的情况下,当锌源的加入质量分数为9.8%,铜源的加入质量分数为28.6%时,在可见光照射条件下,反应150 min后,CuO/ZnO/3A复合催化剂对50 mL吡啶质量分数为100 μg/g的模拟油品中吡啶的脱氮率达到74.78%。     

Cu2O/ZnO的形貌可控制备及光催化性能

以CuSO₄和ZnCl₂为原料, 采用温和的液相还原法制备得到Cu₂O/ZnO微米结构高效光催化剂. 研究了不同[Cu²⁺]/[Zn²⁺]比条件下所得Cu₂O/ZnO复合物的形貌和光催化活性. 通过5.5 h的光照, Cu₂O/ZnO光催化剂对甲基橙染料的降解率为(77.5±0.1)%. 将多形貌Cu₂O/ZnO复合物作为阳极, 铂片作为对电极, 中间注入甲基橙溶液, 组装“三明治”结构拟电池, 研究了复合物的光降解机制.     

硫化亚铜/四针状氧化锌晶须纳米复合材料的制备及其光催化性能(英文)

在聚乙烯吡咯烷酮的辅助下,采用多元醇法制备了不同铜/锌摩尔比的硫化亚铜/四针状氧化锌晶须纳米复合材料,并利用X射线衍射、场发射扫描电镜、X射线光电子能谱和紫外-可见漫反射光谱对样品进行了表征.结果表明,在紫外光照射下,样品对甲基橙的光降解效率优于纯ZnO晶须.在铜/锌摩尔比低于4%时,样品的光催化性能随着铜/锌摩尔比增加而增加,但随着铜/锌摩尔比的继续增加,样品的光催化性能下降.此外,还采用周期实验来评价催化剂的稳定性.结果表明,该催化剂具有优异的光催化稳定性.     

Heterobimetallic molecular cages for the deposition of Cu/Ti and Cu/Zn mixed-metal oxides

Heterobimetallic molecular precursors [Ti4(dmae)6(mu-OH)(mu-O)6Cu6(OAc)9.H2O] (1) and [Zn7(OAc)10(mu-OH)6Cu5(dmae)4Cl4] (2) for the deposition of metal oxide thin films of Cu6Ti4O12 (Cu3TiO4, TiO2) and Cu5Zn7O12 (ZnO, CuO) were prepared by the interaction of Ti(dmae)4 with Cu(OAc)2.2H2O for 1 and tetrameric (N,N-dimethylamino)ethanolatocopper(II) chloride, [(dmae)CuCl]4 [where dmae = (N,N-dimethylamino)ethanolate] with Zn(OAc)2.2H2O (where OAc = acetate) for 2 in dry toluene. Both complexes were characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, Fourier transform IR, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, thermal analysis (TGA), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. TGA and XRD prove that complexes 1 and 2 undergo facile thermal decomposition at 300 and 460 degrees C to form thin films of Cu/Ti and Cu/Zn mixed-metal oxides, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and XRD of the thin films suggest the formation of impurity-free crystallite mixtures of Cu3TiO4 and TiO2, with average crystallite sizes of 22.2 nm from complex 1 and of ZnO and CuO with average crystallite sizes of 26.1 nm from complex 2.     

纳米ZnO薄膜的制备及其可见光催化降解甲基橙

采用溶胶-凝胶方法制备ZnO透明溶胶, 在铝箔上涂膜后经500 ℃处理制得具有可见光响应的纳米ZnO薄膜光催化剂. 以甲基橙模拟有机污染物, 在可见光下研究了薄膜的降解性能, 结果表明, 用一片有效面积为200 cm2的ZnO/Al薄膜作为催化剂, 甲基橙的降解率达到96.3％, 比ZnO负载在玻璃上制得的ZnO/glass薄膜催化剂活性高得多. 采用扫描电镜与原子力显微镜对ZnO/Al薄膜制备条件进行了表征, 结果发现多孔ZnO/Al薄膜比致密ZnO/Al薄膜具有更高的活性, 实验制备的具有高活性的ZnO/Al薄膜颗粒平均直径为52.2 nm. 采用本方法制备的ZnO/Al薄膜是一种具有应用前景的, 能在可见光下降解有机物的有效光催化剂.     

ZnO–Al2O3–CeO2–Ce2O3 mixed metal oxides as a promising photocatalyst for methyl orange photocatalytic degradation

In this research article, ZnO–Al₂O₃–CeO₂–Ce₂O₃ mixed metal oxides phases were prepared by calcination of Zn–Al/Ce–CO₃ layered double hydroxides (LDH) precursors, and evaluated for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) as a model textile dye from aqueous solution under UV irradiation. First, Zn–Al–CO₃ and a series of Zn–Al/Ce–CO₃ with different Ce content (5, 10, 15, 20%) were synthesized through co-precipitation method at Zn/(Al+Ce) molar ratio (r) of 3, then subjected to calcination at 500 °C for 6 h. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis and pH point of zero charge. The experimental results of the photodegradation reveal that the photocatalyst developed from Zn–Al–Ce10%-CO₃ LDH exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, with a degradation efficiency of 99.8% after 300 min of irradiation. This performance was mainly ascribed to the presence of difference state of Ce, leading a highest separation efficiency of electrons and holes. The recycling tests suggests a much high photostability and reusability of the photocatalyst.     

可见光下具有高光子效应和光催化活性的CuS-石墨烯氧化物/TiO2复合材料的制备（英文）

CuS-graphene oxide/TiO2 composites were prepared using a sol-gel method to improve the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activities were examined by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The photodegradation of MB under visible-light irradiation reached 90.1% after 120 min. The kinetics of MB degradation was plotted alongside the values calculated from the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation. The CuS-graphene oxide/TiO2 sample prepared using 0.2 mol of TiO2 showed the best photocatalytic activity. This was attributed to a cooperative reaction as a result of increased photoabsorption by graphene oxide and an increased photocatalytic effect by CuS.     

铜掺氧化锌多孔纳米棒的水热合成及其光催化性能

通过两步法合成铜掺杂的氧化锌纳米棒,通过X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外-可见（UV-Vis）分光光谱等技术对系列样品进行了表征,研究并探索了铜掺杂的氧化锌纳米棒光降解染料罗丹明B（RhB）和气体乙醛的催化活性。通过对多孔Cu掺杂ZnO纳米棒光催化分解乙醛进行了评价。多孔Cu掺杂ZnO纳米棒（CZ-5）光催化剂具有最高的催化分解乙醛的能力,比其它多孔Cu掺杂ZnO纳米棒具有很高的催化活性。多孔Cu掺杂ZnO纳米棒光催化剂在室温下在可见光（435 nm）下照射16 h,5.50×10^-4（φ,体积分数）的乙醛气体完全降解为二氧化碳（CO₂）。多孔铜掺杂的氧化锌纳米棒光催化剂的光催化性能的改善主要归因于铜和氧化锌纳米棒之间的协同作用。这种改进的光催化协同作用归因于Cu掺杂ZnO的可见光吸收的延伸和光生电子空穴对的抗重组。     

Thermal degradation study of tetrabromobisphenol A under the presence metal oxide: Comparison of bromine fixation ability

Thermal degradation of mixture of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBA) and metal oxide (ZnO, Fe₂O₃, La₂O₃, CaO and CuO) has been studied under inert atmosphere. The formation of hydrogen bromide and brominated organic compounds is observed for pyrolysis of TBBA. The addition of metal oxide gives rise to considerable suppression of HBr as well as brominated organic compounds. The suppression owes to the bromination of oxides. The influence of oxide on thermal degradation of TBBA is discussed with emphasis on the conversion of bromine.     

Facile synthesis of ZnO/CuO/Eu heterostructure photocatalyst for the degradation of industrial effluent

Zinc oxide-based ternary heterostructure ZnO/CuO/Eu(1%, 3%, and 5% of Eu) nanoparticles were effectively produced by employing Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)waste skin extract as fuel in a simple one-pot combustion process. The as-synthesized heterostructure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction studies, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. Besides, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the as-obtained ternary nanocomposite was evaluated under UV light for the degradation of model organic pollutants including methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine-B (RB), and an effluent sample collected from the textile industrial waste. During this study, the effect of a variety of parameters on the photodegradation activity of the photocatalysts has been thoroughly evaluated, such as light source, catalyst dose, irradiation period, dye concentration, solution pH, etc. Under UV irradiation(100 mins), the ternary ZnO/CuO/Eu photocatalyst demonstrated excellent degradation activity of ～99 and ～93% for MB and RB, respectively, while for the industrial effluent, a decent degradation activity of 42% has been recorded. Further experiments have revealed a pH and concentration-dependent photocatalytic behavior of the heterostructure photocatalyst. Therefore, the results suggest that the heterostructure photocatalyst can be potentially applied for wastewater treatment and other environmental applications.     

Fe3+改性纳米ZnO光催化降解壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚

采用氨浸法制备了不同Fe3 含量的Fe3 /ZnO光催化剂,并用X射线衍射、N2吸附、X射线光电子能谱和紫外-可见漫反射光谱对纳米Fe3 /ZnO进行了表征.以壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚(NPE-10)为模型污染物,分别在紫外光和可见光下考察了纳米Fe3 /ZnO的光催化活性.结果表明,该方法能成功地将Fe掺杂到ZnO晶体上,且随着Fe3 添加量的增加,ZnO的晶粒尺寸逐渐减小,比表面积逐渐增大.与纳米ZnO样品相比,Fe3 /ZnO中Fe2p结合能减小,而Zn2p和O1s结合能增大,ZnO表面的羟基氧和吸附氧含量增加,光催化活性提高.当Fe3 的添加量大于0.5%时,Fe3 /ZnO样品的吸收光谱发生红移,在可见光区出现吸收.光催化降解结果显示,0.5?3 /ZnO样品的光催化活性最高,在紫外光和可见光照射3h后对NPE-10的降解率分别比纯ZnO提高18%和69%.     

Selectivity in the Ligand Functionalization of Photocatalytic Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Phase Transfer and Self-Assembly Applications

The functionalization of photocatalytic metal oxide nanoparticles of TiO₂, ZnO, WO₃ and CuO with amine-terminated (oleylamine) and thiol-terminated (dodecane-1-thiol) alkyl-chain ligands was studied under ambient conditions. A high selectivity was observed in the binding specificity of a ligand towards nanoparticles of these different oxides. It was observed that oleylamine binds stably to only TiO₂ and WO₃, whereas dodecane-1-thiol binds stably only to ZnO and CuO. Similarly, polar-to-nonpolar solvent phase transfer of TiO₂ and WO₃ nanoparticles could be achieved by using oleylamine, but not dodecane-1-thiol, whereas the opposite holds for ZnO and CuO. The surface chemistry of ligand-functionalized nanoparticles was probed by attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR spectroscopy, which enabled the occupation of the ligands at the active sites to be elucidated. The photostability of the ligands on the nanoparticle surface was determined by the photocatalytic self-cleaning properties of the material. Although TiO₂ and WO₃ degrade the ligands within 24 h under both UV and visible light, ligands on ZnO and CuO remain unaffected. The gathered insights are also highly relevant from an application point of view. As an example, because the ligand-functionalized nanoparticles are hydrophobic in nature, they can be self-assembled at the air-water interface to give nanoparticle films with demonstrated photocatalytic as well as anti-fogging properties.     

S掺杂的还原态TiO2-x的制备及其可见光催化性能

作为一种稳定、价廉的光催化剂,TiO2被广泛应用于各种污染物的降解;但是,较大的宽禁带(~3.2 eV)和较低的电子迁移率不仅使TiO2很难吸收可见光,而且光生电子和空穴的复合几率高,从而导致TiO2的总体光电效率不高.因此,设计能够被可见光激发、并具有快速光生电子传输的TiO2一直是研究热点.研究表明,Ti3+自掺杂的TiO2(还原态TiO2-x)不仅能够被可见光激发,而且使TiO2具有良好的电子导电性,从而有利于提高TiO2的光电转换效率.另外,非金属元素的掺杂能够减小TiO2的禁带宽度,使TiO2能够响应可见光并具有良好的可见光催化性能,其中S元素的掺杂被广泛研究.目前,S掺杂纳米TiO2的制备通常采用TiS2,单质S,硫脲、二甲亚砜等为S源,但这类原料通常价格昂贵或者具有一定的毒性,因而实际应用受到限制.而制备Ti3+自掺杂TiO2的方法大都是基于"还原法",在真空或强还原性气氛如H2,CO中加热TiO2,或采用高能粒子(电子、氩离子)轰击.在实际应用中,这些方法存在步骤多、条件苛刻、反应时间长和设备昂贵等不足.而且,还原法反应通常发生在颗粒的表面,形成的Ti3+很容易被空气和水中的溶解O2氧化,降低材料的稳定性.虽然在温和的液相中还原Ti4+可用于制备Ti3+掺杂的TiO2,但是由于反应过程中有副产物生成,需要进行后续处理才能得到纯的Ti3+自掺杂TiO2.因此,设计一种简单的制备S掺杂还原态TiO2-x光催化剂仍具有十分重要的意义.前期我们采用H2O2氧化TiH2得到不同状态的前驱体凝胶,然后进行不同方式的后处理得到Ti3+自掺杂的纳米TiO2.本文以TiH2和H2O2反应得到的黄色前驱体凝胶为Ti源,以价格低廉、无毒、稳定的二氧化硫脲为S源和还原剂,采用不同的方法制备了S掺杂的还原态TiO2-x光催化剂.本文初步研究了在凝胶中加入二氧化硫脲后进行水热处理,以及将干燥的凝胶粉末与二氧化硫脲混合热处理对所得产物的影响.并与纯的TiO2、还原态TiO2-x和S掺杂TiO2的光吸收、电化学、光催化性能进行对比研究.采用X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜、高分辨透射电子显微镜、X-射线光电子能谱、紫外-可见漫反射光谱、比表面分析和电化学工作站等技术对产物的结构、形貌和光电性能进行了表征.以罗丹明B(RhB)溶液为模拟废水,考察样品的可见光催化性能.结果表明,不同的后续处理方式不仅影响S掺杂TiO2-x的结晶性和形貌,而且影响产物的光吸收性能和电子传输性能,从而使不同条件下所得产物的可见光催化性能不同.其中,采用热处理方式得到的S掺杂TiO2-x样品在可见光下降解RhB的速率分别是纯的TiO2,TiO2-x和S掺杂TiO2的31,2.5和3.6倍,而且样品具有良好的循环稳定性.     

氮掺杂石墨烯负载的硫化镉空心球纳米复合材料的光催化性能

通过无模板法一步合成了一种新型N掺杂石墨烯负载的CdS空心球复合材料. 采用X射线衍射、透射电镜、红外光谱、紫外-可见光谱、N₂吸附-脱附、荧光光谱和X射线光电子能谱等技术对该材料进行了表征, 并在可见光照射下测试了其在降解亚甲基蓝和水杨酸中的光催化性能. 结果表明, 相对于氧化石墨烯负载硫化镉空心球和单独的硫化镉空心球, 氮掺杂石墨烯负载的硫化镉空心球具有更高的光催化活性和稳定性. 这是由于氮掺杂的石墨烯能充当优异的电子受体和传输体, 从而抑制了载流子的复合. 另外发现, 羟基自由基是可见光下降解亚甲基蓝的主要活性物种.     

Cu掺杂TiO2纳米管可见光催化矿化甲苯

采用低温水热法制备氢钛酸管, 通过吸附-煅烧法制备Cu掺杂TiO₂纳米管(Cu-TNT)催化剂. 利用X射线衍射(XRD)、电感耦合等离子体-原子发射光谱(ICP-AES)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、透射电镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis-DRS)和电化学测试手段对样品进行表征, 并进行平面波赝势密度泛函理论(DFT)计算. 结果表明, 样品中Cu/Ti原子比接近理论值, Cu掺杂进入TiO₂晶格内部, 诱发催化剂可见光活性. 掺Cu后,Cu 3d轨道和O 2p轨道杂化形成价带顶, 价带负向偏移, 样品禁带宽度减小为2.50-2.91 eV, 具有可见光响应.以甲苯为模型污染物研究催化剂对挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)的催化去除和矿化效果. 未掺杂的TNT可见光催化活性较差; Cu掺杂量超过0.1%(Cu/Ti原子比)时, 样品催化活性也减弱; Cu掺杂量为0.1%的催化剂具有最佳可见光催化氧化能力, 7 h内甲苯的去除率达77%, 甲苯的矿化率达59%.     

纳米Ag/ZnO光催化剂及其催化降解壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚性能

采用氨浸法制备了不同Ag负载量的纳米Ag/ZnO光催化剂,并用X射线衍射、比表面积测定、X射线光电子能谱和漫反射紫外-可见光谱测定了Ag/ZnO的晶型结构、比表面积、表面组成和光谱特征.以壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚(NPE-10)为模型污染物,分别在紫外光和可见光照射下考察了纳米Ag/ZnO的光催化活性.结果表明,Ag能成功地负载到ZnO表面,且随着Ag负载量的增加,ZnO的粒径逐渐增大,比表面积逐渐减小.与纳米ZnO样品相比,Ag/ZnO中Ag 3d5/2结合能减小,而Zn 2p和O 1s结合能增大,ZnO表面的羟基氧和吸附氧含量增加.当Ag负载量大于0.5%时,Ag/ZnO样品的吸收光谱发生红移,在可见光区出现吸收.光催化降解结果表明,0.5%Ag/ZnO样品的光催化活性最高,在紫外光和可见光照射3 h后NPE-10降解率分别约为77%和56%,而ZnO样品的光催化活性仅约为61%和40%.     

Improvement in the light conversion efficiency of silicon solar cell by spin coating of CuO,ZnO nanoparticles and CuO/ZnO mixed metal nanocomposite material

Synthesis of pure Zinc oxide (ZnO), Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) and their (ZnO/CuO) nanocomposites (NCs) in 1:1 M ratio were successfully prepared by co-precipitation method. The structural properties of the as synthesized nanoparticles and nanocomposite materials were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Optical band-gap studies were done using UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy. Photovoltaic properties of pure ZnO NPs, CuO NPs and ZnO/CuO NCs coated over a single-crystalline silicon solar cell were carried out to compare improvement of light-conversion efficiency in coated solar cell. The maximum light conversion efficiencies were found to be of 8.02% for CuO (3 mg/ml concentration) and 7.28% for ZnO NPs (3 mg/ml concentration), whereas that of mixed metal nanocomposite CuO/ZnO NCs was found to be 7.62%. at very low concentration of 1 mg/ml. This indicates with low concentration of mixed metal NCs an improvement in light efficiency can be obtained. The enhancement in efficiency could be due to formation of p - n heterojunction by CuO/ZnO NCs composites which enhances the number of electrons and holes participating in conduction on the surface.