Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of TiO2/conjugated polymer complex nanoparticles

A photocatalyst of nanometer TiO2/conjugated polymer complex was successfully synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods and photocatalytic experiments. The complex photocatalyst could be activated by absorbing both ultraviolet and visible light （λ = 190-800 nm）. Methylene blue （MB） could be degraded more efficiently on the complex photocatalyst than on the TiO2 under natural light. The conjugated polymer played a promoting role in the photocatalytic degradation of MB. The calcination temperature had an important effect in degradation of dye and could be summarized as 260℃ 〉 300 ℃ 〉 340 ℃ 〉 220 ℃ 〉 180 ℃.     

TiO_2/EDTA-rich carbon composites:Synthesis,characterization and visible-light-driven photocatalytic reduction of Cr(Ⅵ)

Ti02/EDTA-rich carbon composites(TiO_2/EDTA-RC) have been successfully synthesized via a low temperature carbonization process. TiO_2/EDTA-RC exhibits marked absorption of visible light and excellent photoreduction of Cr(Ⅵ) activity under visible light irradiation(λ420 nm). Due to the high carboxyl group content and strong coordination ability of EDTA, TiO_2-EDTA complex can be easily fabricated between EDTA incorporated in carbon sheet and titanol group on the surface of TiO_2. TiO_2-EDTA complexes on the surface of TiO_2/EDTA-RC, the LMCT complex, are responsible for the prominent photoreduction of Cr(Ⅵ) properties of Ti02/EDTA-RC under visible light irradiation. In addition, the unique structure ofTiO_2/EDTA-RC is also propitious to the visible-light photocatalytic reduction of Cr(Ⅵ).Carbon sheet of TiO_2/EDTA-RC acts as a supporter. TiO_2 nanoparticles and EDTA homogeneously disperse into the carbon sheet supporter and form the TiO_2-EDTA complexes, which can avoid the aggregation of TiO_2 nanoparticles in the aqueous solution and provide more photocatalytic reaction points for the reduction of Cr(Ⅵ).     

Influence and Characterization of Acidity on Fine Silicon Powder Immobilized Photocatalyst

TiO2 photocatalyst was supported with tetrabutyl titanate sol as precursor and fine silicon powder obtained from ferroalloys factory as carder to discuss the influence of pH value of gel precursor on microstructure and activity of photocatalyst in the process of synthesizing nano-TiO2 by using sol-gel method, the purpose of which is to provide fundamental data for the recycle of photocatalytic material. Under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, the photocatalytic degradation rate of methyl orange solution was used to characterize the photocatalytic activity of the sample. The specific surface area of the sample was tested by N2 desorption method, crystal form of TiO2 was analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction, and the microtopography of the sample was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results showed that the acidity of gel precursor could greatly affect the specific surface area and photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst, and the optimum pH value of the precursor was determined as 2.0, and at this time the specific surface area of photocatalyst could reach 34.0 m^2/g. In the sample, the proporticn of anatase to rutile is 7：3, which makes l0 mg·L^-1 methyl orange solution fade after irradiation by 15W ultraviolet light for 24 h, and the degradation rate might be up to 98.1%.     

Synthesis and study of Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 composites as efficient visible-light-active photocatalysts in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI)

In this work, Bi_2Ti_2O_7/TiO_2 composites were synthesized and studied as potential visible-light-activated photocatalysts in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI). Bi_2Ti_2O_7/TiO_2 composites with tunable compositions were synthesized via a solvothermal-calcination two-step method, simply by changing the molar ratios of Bi(NO_3)_3·5H_2O to tetrabutyl titanate in the reactants. The compositions, structures and optical properties of the as-synthesized Bi_2Ti_2O_7/TiO_2 composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized Bi_2Ti_2O_7/TiO_2 composites was tested in the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI)under visible-light(λ420 nm) irradiation, and compared with that of TiO_2 nanoparticles. It was observed that the as-synthesized Bi_2Ti_2O_7/TiO_2 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than TiO_2 nanoparticles, and the most efficient composite(300 mg) can achieve the complete reduction of Cr(VI) in 300 mL of 50 mg/L K_2Cr_2O_7 aqueous solution under visible-light(λ420 nm)irradiation in 90 min.     

N 掺杂TiO2光催化剂的制备及其可见光活性研究

A visible-light-active photocatalyst was prepared by calcination of the hydrolysis product of tetrabutyl titanate with ammonia as precipitant. The photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectra (DRS), thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM). The color of the photocatalyst was yellow and could absorb light wavelength under 550 nm as measured by DRS. The catalyst calcined at higher temperature will give lower absorbance for visible light. Structures of the sample were characterized mainly to be anatase by XRD except for the sample calcined at 700 ℃ which gave mixtures of anatase and rutile. TG-DTA results showed that temperature for anatase formation was 415 ℃. XPS results showed that doped-nitrogen was presented in the sample, they are important to show visible-light absorbency. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated using methyl orange and phenol as model pollutants, the results showed that over 90% of phenol could be degraded under visible light using N/TiO₂ as the catalyst after 4 hours reaction. Almost the same activity was found for the TiO₂ photocatalyst calcined at different temperature under sunlight but activities were different when the treatment was under UV light.     

Enhanced photo-catalytic activity of the composite of TiO_2 and conjugated derivative of polyvinyl alcohol immobilized on cordierite under visible light irradiation

A novel visible light active photo-catalyst named CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2, the composite of titanium dioxide(TiO_2)with conjugated derivative of polyvinyl alcohol(C-PVA) loaded on a cordierite honeycomb ceramic(CHC)substrate, was fabricated by combining the synthesis of TiO_2 sol, preparation of C-PVA via thermally treating polyvinyl alcohol, and immobilization of TiO_2 sol and C-PVA on CHC. By detecting the change of UV–vis absorption spectra of the model organic pollutant(methyl orange(MO)) in the presence of the composite under visible light irradiation, the photo-catalytic activity was evaluated and the results show that the CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2 composite has an enhanced photo-catalytic activity when compared to the CHC/TiO_2 composite. Besides, the CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2 shows a good photo-catalytic stability after the fourth cycles. The structure analyses by scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS) show the coexistence of C-PVA and TiO_2 on the CHC and the cracks on the surface of CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2. Result of ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy(UV–vis DRS) reveals that the CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2 can absorb both ultraviolet and visible light while result of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) indicates the existence of C, O and Ti elements in the CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2. The typical structures as well as the optical characteristics of the CHC/C-PVA/TiO_2 are responsible for the enhancement in the photo-catalytic activity.     

A Novel Sr2CuInO3S p-type semiconductor photocatalyst for hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

A novel Sr2CuInO3 S oxysulfide p-type semiconductor photocatalyst has been prepared by solid state reaction method and it exhibits intriguing visible light absorption properties with a bandgap of 2.3 eV. The p-type semiconductor character of the synthesized Sr2CuInO3 S was confirmed by Hall efficient measurement and Mott-Schottky plot analysis. First-principles density functional theory calculations(DFT) and electrochemical measurements were performed to elucidate the electronic structure and the energy band locations. It was found that the as-synthesized Sr2CuInO3 S photocatalyst has appreciate conduction and valence band positions for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, respectively. Photocatalytic hydrogen production experiments under a visible light irradiation(λ420 nm) were carried out by loading different metal and metal-like cocatalysts on Sr2CuInO3 S and Rh was found to be the best one among the tested ones.     

A Novel Sr2CuInO3S p-type semiconductor photocatalyst for hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

A novel Sr2CuInO3 S oxysulfide p-type semiconductor photocatalyst has been prepared by solid state reaction method and it exhibits intriguing visible light absorption properties with a bandgap of 2.3 eV. The p-type semiconductor character of the synthesized Sr2CuInO3 S was confirmed by Hall efficient measurement and Mott-Schottky plot analysis. First-principles density functional theory calculations(DFT) and electrochemical measurements were performed to elucidate the electronic structure and the energy band locations. It was found that the as-synthesized Sr2CuInO3 S photocatalyst has appreciate conduction and valence band positions for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, respectively. Photocatalytic hydrogen production experiments under a visible light irradiation(λ420 nm) were carried out by loading different metal and metal-like cocatalysts on Sr2CuInO3 S and Rh was found to be the best one among the tested ones.     

Preparation and characterization of In and Cu co-doped ZnS photocatalysts for hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

In this work, a new photocatalyts In(0.1),Cu(x)-Zn S(x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) is successfully synthesized using simple hydrothermal method. The physical and chemical properties of the In and Cu co-doped Zn S photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy(DR UV-visible) and photoluminescence spectroscopy(PL). The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared In and Cu co-doped Zn S for hydrogen production from water with Na_2SO_3 and Na_2S as sacrificial agent under visible light irradiation(λ≥ 425 nm) was investigated. The presence of co-dopants facilitated the separation of electron-hole as well as increases the visible light absorption. The absorption edge of the co-doped Zn S photocatalyst shifted to longer wavelength as the amount of Cu increases. This indicates that the absorption properties depended on the amount of Cu doped. The photocatalytic activity of single doped In(0.1)-Zn S was significantly enhanced by co-doping with Cu under visible light irradiation. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed on In(0.1),Cu(0.03)-Zn S with the hydrogen production rate of 131.32 μmol/h under visible light irradiation.This is almost 8 times higher than single doped In(0.1)-Zn S.     

紫外和可见光照射下Fe-TiO2复合材料催化低浓度芳香族有机污染物降解（英文）

Fe‐TiO2 photocatalysts with different ratios of Fe to Ti were prepared by a sol‐gel process using tetra‐n‐butyl titanium and iron(III) nitrate as Ti and Fe sources, respectively. The photocatalytic function of the prepared composites was examined for the decomposition of low‐concentration(0.1 ppm) airborne benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and o‐xylene(BTEX). The Fe‐TiO2 composites were characterized by energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, UV‐visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The time‐series ratios of outlet to inlet concentrations of toluene, ethyl benzene, and o‐xylene target chemicals, as determined by the Fe‐TiO2 composites under visible light exposure, were lower than or similar to those of the reference TiO2 photocatalyst. Moreover, the time‐series ratios of outlet to inlet concentrations of the three compounds, as determined for the Fe‐TiO2 composites, increased as the ratio of Fe to Ti increased from 0.001 to 0.010. In contrast, under UV exposure, the time‐series ratios of outlet to inlet concentrations of BTEX, determined for the Fe‐TiO2 composites, were similar to or higher than those obtained from the reference TiO2 photocatalyst. Fe‐TiO2 composites with an optimal Fe to Ti ratio could effectively be applied for the purification of low‐concentration aromatic organic pollutants.     

TiO2/EDTA-rich carbon composites: Synthesis,characterization and visible-light-driven photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI)

TiO₂/EDTA-rich carbon composites exhibits excellent photoreduction of Cr(VI) activity via ligand-to-metal charge transfer process.     

Mesoporous TiO2−xAy (A = N,S) as a visible-light-response photocatalyst

Mesoporous TiO_2?xA_y (A = N, S) thin films were fabricated using thiourea as a doping resource by a combination of sol-gel and evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) processes. The results showed that thiourea could serve two functions of co-doping nitrogen and sulfur and changing the mesoporous structure of TiO₂ thin films. The resultant mesoporous TiO_2?xA_y (A = N, S) exhibited anatase framework with a high porosity and a narrow pore distribution. The formation of the O–Ti–N and O–Ti–S bonds in the mesoporous TiO_2?xA_y (A = N, S) were substantiated by the XPS spectra. A new bandgap in visible light region (520 nm) corresponding to 2.38 eV could be formed by the co-doping. After being illuminated for 3 h, methyl orange could be degraded nearly completely by the co-doped sample under both ultraviolet irradiation and visible light illumination. While pure mesoporous TiO₂ could only degrade 60% methyl orange under UV illumination and showed negligible photodegradation capability in the visible light range. Furthermore, the photo-induced hydrophilic activity of TiO₂ film was improved by the co-doping. The mesoporous microstructure and high visible light absorption could be attributed to their good photocatalytic acitivity and hydrophilicity.     

Glucose biosensor based on new carbon nanotube-gold-titania nano-composites modified glassy carbon electrode

In this paper, a novel biosensor was prepared by immobilizing glucose oxidase （GOx） on carbon nanotube-gold-titania nanocomposites （CNT/Au/TiO2） modified glassy carbon electrode （GCE）. SEM was initially used to investigate the surface morphology of CNT/Au/TiO2 nanocomposites modified GCE, indicating the formation of the nano-porous structure which could readily facilitate the attachment of GOx on the electrode surface. Cyclic voltammogram （CV） and electrochemical impedance spectrum （EIS） were further utilized to explore relevant electrochemical activity on CNT]Au/TiO2 nanocomposites modified GCE. The observations demonstrated that the immobilized GOx could efficiently execute its bioelectrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of glucose. The biosensor exhibited a wider linearity range from 0.1 mmol L-1 to 8 mmol L^-1 glucose with a detection limit of 0.077 mmol L^- 1.     

Photocatalytic decomposition of 4-chlorophenol over an efficient N-doped TiO2 under sunlight irradiation

Using a new nitrogen precursor of a mixture of ammonia and hydrazine hydrate, N-doped TiO₂ photocatalyst with a high efficiency under visible light was synthesized by a precipitation method. The analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested that the doping concentration of nitrogen was 0.45 at%, while it was 0.21 at% or 0.24 at% using single ammonia or hydrazine hydrate as nitrogen precursor. The patterns of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) indicated that the paramagnetic species of NO₂^2?, NO and Ti³⁺ existed as the proposed active species. The ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra revealed that the band-gap of the N-doped TiO₂ was 3.12 eV, which was slightly lower than 3.15 eV of pure TiO₂. The N-doped TiO₂ showed higher efficiency under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiations. Moreover, the degradation grade of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) using the as-synthesized N-doped TiO₂ under sunlight irradiation for 6 h was 82.0%, which was higher than 66.2% of the pure TiO₂, 60.1% or 65.2% of the N-doped TiO₂ using single ammonia or hydrazine hydrate as precursor. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate the visible light response of the N-doped TiO₂. Our study demonstrated that the visible activities vary well with the concentrations of NO₂^2? species incorporated by N–TiO₂ series photocatalysts and the higher activity of the as-prepared N-doped TiO₂ was attributed to the enhancement of the concentration of NO₂^2? species.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of visible light-active sulfur and nitrogen co-doped SrTiO3

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped SrTiO₃ was prepared by high energy grinding of the mixture of SrTiO₃ and thiourea. A new band gap in visible light region (522 nm) corresponding to 2.37 eV could be formed by the co-doping. The photocatalytic activity for nitrogen monoxide oxidation of SrTiO₃ in visible light region especially in the long wavelength range (λ > 510 nm) could be improved greatly. Under the irradiation of light with wavelength larger than 510 nm, the photocatalytic activity of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped SrTiO₃ was 10.9 times greater than that of pure SrTiO₃. The high visible light photocatalytic activity of this substance may be due to the formation of a new band gap that enables to absorb visible light effectively.     

Photodegradation of orange II dye using p-n junction NiO/TiO2 composite,and assessment of its biological activities

The chemical reduction method was used to synthesize nickel oxide particles (NiO) and NiO supported on titanium dioxide (NiO/TiO₂ nanocomposite). The composites were characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The morphological investigation showed that pseudocubic NiO are present in dispersed as well as agglomerated forms. Whereas NiO particles (<200 nm) are evenly deposited over the surface of TiO₂ in NiO/TiO₂ composite. The formation of NiO and NiO/TiO₂ was also verified by XRD analysis. The synthesized NiO and NiO/TiO₂ were used as photocatalysts for the degradation of Orange II (OII) dye. According to the degradation investigation, both NiO and NiO/TiO₂ composite degraded OII dye more efficiently when exposed to UV light. The results indicated that NiO degraded 93% and NiO/TiO₂ composites degraded approximately 96% of OII dye within 30 min. Both photocatalysts are highly sustainable and have significant OII dye degradation recyclability. Moreover, NiO and NiO/TiO₂ exhibited promising bioactivities (antioxidant activity of 80%) against the pathogenic bacteria Citrobacter and Providencia, which is comparable with the standard ascorbic acid (88%).     

Photocatalytic activity of nitrogen and copper doped TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by microwave-assisted sol-gel process

Cu and N-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized from titanium (IV) isopropoxide via a microwave-assisted sol-gel method. The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, photocurrent measurement technique, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. Raman spectra and XRD showed an anatase phase structure. The SEM and TEM images revealed the formation of an almost spheroid mono disperse TiO₂ with particle sizes in the range of 9-17 nm. Analysis of N₂ isotherm measurements showed that all investigated TiO₂ samples have mesoporous structures with high surface areas. The optical absorption edge for the doped TiO₂ was significantly shifted to the visible light region. The photocurrent and photocatalytic activity of pure and doped TiO₂ were evaluated with the degradation of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) solution under both UV and visible light illumination. The doped TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit higher catalytic activity under each of visible light and UV irradiation in contrast to pure TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity and photocurrent ability of TiO₂ have been enhanced by doping of the titania in the following order: (Cu, N) - codoped TiO₂ > N-doped TiO₂ > Cu-doped TiO₂ > TiO₂. COD result for (Cu, N)-codoped TiO₂ reveals ∼92% mineralization of the MO dye on six h of visible light irradiation.     

Doping level effect on visible-light irradiation W-doped TiO2–anatase photocatalysts for Congo red photodegradation

A series of W-modified TiO₂ (W–TiO₂) photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple sol–gel method. The new photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. The photoactivity of the W–TiO₂ photocatalysts was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of Congo red (CR) dye. It was found that the average size of the prepared photocatalysts is 10 nm. Moreover, they have high surface areas (∼ 216 m² g⁻¹) and their light-absorption extends to the visible region compared to pure TiO₂. The effects of W-loading and of the calcination temperature of the prepared photocatalysts on their photocatalytic activity were also studied. The obtained results show that the W_0.5–TiO₂ photocatalyst calcined at 350 °C is much highly photoactive than non-doped or highly doped TiO₂. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the weakly doped TiO₂ may be attributed to the increase in the charge separation efficiency and the presence of surface acidity on the W_0.5–TiO₂ photocatalyst.     

Mesoporous cadmium bismuth niobate (CdBi_2Nb_2O_9) nanospheres for hydrogen generation under visible light

Herein, we report visible light active mesoporous cadmium bismuth niobate(CBN) nanospheres as a photocatalyst for hydrogen(H_2) generation from copious hydrogen sulfide(H_2S). CBN has been synthesized by solid state reaction(SSR) and also using combustion method(CM) at relatively lower temperatures.The as-synthesized materials were characterized using different techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the formation of single phase orthorhombic CBN. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and high resolution-transmission electron microscopy showed the particle size in the range of ~0.5–1 μm for CBN obtained by SSR and 50–70 nm size nanospheres using CM, respectively. Interestingly, nanospheres of size 50–70 nm self assembled with 5–7 nm nanoparticles were observed in case of CBN prepared by CM.The optical properties were studied using UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and showed band gap around ~3.0 eV for SSR and 3.1 eV for CM. The slight shift in band gap of CM is due to nanocrystalline nature of material. Considering the band gap in visible region, the photocatalytic activity of CBN for hydrogen production from H_2S has been performed under visible light. CBN prepared by CM has shown utmost hydrogen evolution i.e. 6912 μmol/h/0.5 g which is much higher than CBN prepared using SSR.The enhanced photocatalytic property can be attributed to the smaller particle size, crystalline nature,high surface area and mesoporous structure of CBN prepared by combustion method. The catalyst was found to be stable, active and can be utilized for water splitting.