Co3O4-ZnO hierarchical nanostructures by electrospinning and hydrothermal methods

A new hierarchical nanostructure that consists of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) and zinc oxide (ZnO) was produced by the electrospinning process followed by a hydrothermal technique. First, electrospinning of a colloidal solution that consisted of zinc nanoparticles, cobalt acetate tetrahydrate and poly(vinyl alcohol) was performed to produce polymeric nanofibers embedding solid nanoparticles. Calcination of the obtained electrospun nanofiber mats in air at 600 °C for 1 h, produced Co₃O₄ nanofibers with rough surfaces containing ZnO nanoparticles (i.e., ZnO-doped Co₃O₄ nanofibers). The rough surfaced nanofibers, containing ZnO nanoparticles (ZnNPs), were then exploited as seeds to produce ZnO nanobranches using a specific hydrothermal technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the as-spun nanofibers and the calcined product. X-ray powder diffractometery (XRD) analysis was used to study the chemical composition and the crystallographic structure.     

Visible-light photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue with laser-induced Ag/ZnO nanoparticles

The preparation of Ag doped ZnO nanoparticles conducted through the method of laser-induction is presented in this work. The Ag/ZnO nanoparticles attained from various weight percentages of added AgNO₃ relative to ZnO were applied under visible-light irradiation for evaluating the heterogeneous photocatalytic degradations of methylene blue (MB) solutions. It was shown that the catalytic behavior of Ag/ZnO nanoparticles in the visible-light range is notably improved through the Ag deposition onto ZnO nanoparticles by the method of laser-induction with a maximum effectiveness of 92% degradation. The properties of the nanoparticles were characterized by the employments of UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED).     

Synthesis of ZnO-SnO2 composite oxides by CTAB-assisted co-precipitation and photocatalytic properties

ZnO-SnO₂ composite oxides with various molar ratios of Sn:Zn have been synthesized at different calcination temperatures via a facile cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted co-precipitation method with Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and SnCl₄·5H₂O as starting materials. XRD, TEM, SEM and BET were employed to characterize the as-prepared samples. It has been found that amorphous intermediates appear between the evolutions of ZnO and SnO₂ crystals. The photocatalytic properties of the composite oxides were investigated using photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange as the probe reaction. The results show that the ZnO-SnO₂ composite oxide with a cube morphology exhibits the best photocatalytic activity, which was prepared with a molar ratio of Zn:Sn of 2:1 and calcination temperature of 700 °C.     

Electrospinning fabrication of rime-like NiO nanowires/nanofibers hierarchical architectures and their photocatalytic properties

Rime-like NiO Nanowires/nanofibers hierarchical architectures have been fabricated employing a co-precipitation reaction and electrospinning method. The synthesized hierarchical structure was characterized using SEM, XRD and BET analysis methods. The effects of growth temperature and reaction time on the morphologies of the as-prepared structures were investigated by SEM characterization and a possible mechanism for the formation of NiO hierarchical structures is proposed. Based on the nitrogen adsorption and desorption measurements, the BET surface area of the as-obtained sample is 61.0 m²/g and the pore sizes of ca. 5.0 nm. The catalytic efficiency of the NiO nanomaterials developed was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of acetaldehyde. In comparison with sphere-like and fiber-like structures, the NiO hierarchical structures show an excellent ability to rapidly acetaldehyde pollutant, which may be attributed to its unique hierarchical and porous surface structures.     

Microwave synthesis of nitrogen doped Ti4O7 for photocatalytic applications

The nitrogen (N) doped Ti₄O₇ photocatalyst was prepared from urea as a nitrogen source by a microwave method. The resulting photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS) and UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–Vis). 0.1 M N doped Ti₄O₇ photocatalyst exhibited methylene blue decomposition efficiency of 100% which was prepared by microwave treatment for above 30 min. Rate constant was found to be 0.028910 min⁻¹ in the first order kinetic.     

Zinc oxide nano-particles--sonochemical synthesis, characterization and application for photo-remediation of heavy metal

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized sonochemically from zinc acetate solution in aqueous methanol, ethanol and iso-propanol containing about 5 volume% of alcohol. Characterization with FESEM, XRD, AFM and BET surface area shows that the synthesized particles differ in shape and size. ZnO synthesized using isopropanol was observed to be the most crystalline one. The synthesized nanoparticles were used for the photocatalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium in aqueous medium under solar radiation. It was observed that the initial reduction rates varied with the difference in morphology of ZnO crystallites.     

Silica-tin nanotubes prepared from rice husk ash by sol-gel method: Characterization and its photocatalytic activity

Silica-tin material has been synthesized by simple sol-gel method using rice husk ash as the source of silica and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as the surfactant at room temperature. Calcination of the material at 500 °C for 5 h gave nanotubes with external diameter of 2-4 nm and an internal diameter of 1-2 nm. The BET specific surface area was found to be 607 m² g⁻¹. Nitrogen sorption analysis exhibits a type IV isotherm with H3 hysteresis loop. The powder X-ray diffraction pattern showed that the material is amorphous. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared material was studied towards degradation of methylene blue under UV-irradiation. According to the experimental results the silica-tin nanotubes exhibit high photocatalytic activity compared to pure rice husk silica.     

Zinc sulfide nanoparticles: Spectral properties and photocatalytic activity in metals reduction reactions

Formation of zinc sulfide nanocrystals in aqueous solutions of various polymers has been studied. Spectral properties of ZnS nanoparticles have been investigated, the structure of the long-wave edge of the fundamental absorption band of ZnS nanocrystals has been analyzed. It has been shown that the variation of the synthesis conditions (stabilizer nature and concentration, solution viscosity, ZnS concentration, etc.) allows tailoring of the ZnS nanocrystals size in the range of 3–10 nm. Photochemical processes in colloidal ZnS solutions, containing zinc chloride and sodium sulfite, have been investigated. It has been found that the irradiation of such solutions results in the reduction of Zn(II), the rate of this reaction growing at a decrease in the size of ZnS nanoparticles. Kinetics of photocatalytic Zn(II) reduction has been studied. It has been concluded that two-electron reduction of adsorbed Zn(II) species is the rate-determining stage of this reaction. Photocatalytic activity of ZnS nanoparticles in KAu(CN)₂ reduction in aqueous solutions has been discovered. Spectral characteristics and kinetics of ZnS/Au⁰ nanocomposite formation have been studied. It has been shown that the photoreduction of gold(I) complex is the equilibrium reaction due to the reverse oxidation of gold nanoparticles by ZnS valence band holes.     

Preparation, characterization and room temperature photoluminescence properties of a zinc oxide nanosheet network grown on glass substrate by a facile chemical route

An ultralong and ultrathin zinc oxide nanosheet network grown on glass substrate is prepared using an organic CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CH₃(CH₂)₁₅N⁺(CH₃)₃Br⁻) and the simple chemical materials (Zn(AC)₂·2H₂O and NaOH) by hydrothermal method. The morphology and microstructure of ZnO nanosheet network have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–vis spectroscopy. The results revealed that the product grown on glass substrate was the ultralong and ultrathin zinc oxide nanosheet network and the crystalline hexagonal wurtzite ZnO crystal structure. The zinc oxide nanosheet network exhibits room temperature photoluminescence (RTPL) characteristics and three blue emissions located at 452, 459, and 469 nm, and a green emission located at about 494 nm were observed.     

Synthesis of TiO2/WO3 nanoparticles via sonochemical approach for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible light illumination

Through an ultrasound assisted method, TiO₂/WO₃ nanoparticles were synthesized at room temperature. The XRD pattern of as-prepared TiO₂/WO₃ nanoparticles matches well with that of pure monoclinic WO₃ and rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles. TEM images show that the prepared TiO₂/WO₃ nanoparticles consist of mixed square and hexagonal shape particles about 8–12 nm in diameter. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂/WO₃ nanoparticles was tested for the degradation of a wastewater containing methylene blue (MB) under visible light illumination. The TiO₂/WO₃ nanoparticles exhibits a higher degradation rate constant (6.72 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹) than bare TiO₂ nanoparticles (1.72 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹) under similar experimental conditions.     

Zinc oxide catalyzed growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes

We demonstrate that zinc oxide can catalyze the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with high efficiency by a chemical vapor deposition process. The zinc oxide nanocatalysts, prepared using a diblock copolymer templating method and characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), were uniformly spaced over a large deposition area with an average diameter of 1.7 nm and narrow size distribution. Dense and uniform SWNTs films with high quality were obtained by using a zinc oxide catalyst, as characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, AFM, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).     

Hydrothermal crystallisation of anatase and characterisation of photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Hydrothermal processing has been used to prepare anatase powders from amorphous titania, for use as photocatalysts. There is a change in crystallisation mechanism from solid state to dissolution/precipitation at around 250°C, which has been shown to result in the removal of the brookite secondary product which normally occurs at lower temperatures. The use of a slightly basic solution has also been shown to eliminate brookite production. Photocatalysis experiments have shown that the hydrothermally produced powders have a high activity when compared to the commercial powder Degussa P25. The presence of the brookite phase in some samples reduces the activity.     

Organic molecules passivated Mn doped Zinc Selenide quantum dots and its properties

Quantum dots of Mn doped Zinc Selenide with N-Methylaniline as the capping agent was prepared by simple and inexpensive wet chemical method. Size of the particles observed by TEM was of the order of 2-4 nm which was well consistent with the size measured by UV analysis. The presence of paramagnetic substance Mn²⁺ in the ZnSe quantum dots was confirmed by EPR measurement. Mn doped ZnSe nanoparticles exhibited a strong blue emission that was strongly dependent upon the Mn dopant level and the surface passivation produced by N-Methylaniline. The stability of the product was studied by thermal analysis which shows that this product is highly suitable for opto-electronic applications.     

Synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with controlled morphology and size in ionic liquids

Nanostructured ZnO has been synthesized by a hydrothermal route, using different ionic liquids (ILs) as the morphology templates. The morphology of ZnO changes from rod-like to star-like and flower-like in different ILs. A 3D nano/micro structure ZnO with unique flower-like morphology has been synthesized via the assembly of dicationic IL and [Zn(OH)₄]²⁻. The flower-like pattern was obtained in the presence of IL 1. The flower-like ZnO structure has a hexagonal prism, with a hexagonal pyramid on the tip, and diameter of ~444 nm. While the ZnO prepared in IL 2, shows uniform rod-like shape with a diameter of 91 nm, star-like morphology consisting of nanorods with diameter of ~109 nm was formed in IL 3. The XRD, SEM, and PL spectra have been employed for characterization of the synthesized ZnO nano structures.     

One-step preparation of hierarchical superparamagnetic iron oxide/graphene composites via hydrothermal method

In this paper, graphene/magnetite composites with hierarchical Fe₃O₄ structures were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. The size of Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals and nanocrystal clusters can easily be controlled by altering reaction time and the starting mixed solvent ratio, respectively. Raman measurements evidenced that graphene oxide was simultaneously reduced to graphene during the deposition of magnetite particles. The deposition of Fe₃O₄ nanocrystals and nanocrystal clusters impedes graphene to restore the graphite structure. The composites showed a high crystallinity of magnetite and a considerable saturation magnetization. Furthermore, the acrylate modified Fe₃O₄ makes the composites water-dispersible and can effectively load polyfluorene polyelectrolyte via electrostatic force. The high magnetism, excellent water dispersibility and strong photoluminescence make these composites ideal candidates for various important applications such as magnetic resonance imaging, bioseparation, bioimaging, and optical devices fabrication.     

Mole-controlled growth of Y-doped ZnO nanostructures by hydrothermal method

We investigated the mole-controlled growth of Y-doped ZnO (YZO) nanostructures by the hydrothermal synthesis techniques. Through controlling the aqueous solution's mole concentration, we could modify the morphological and structural properties of YZO. The shape of YZO becomes a nanometer-sized rod when using a relatively low mole concentration, whereas the morphology is changed to be flat and mosaic when using a relatively high mole concentration. Since the aqueous solution's mole concentration decides the amount of hydroxide, we ascribe the mole-controlled morphological changes to the alteration of chemical potential during the hydrothermal chemical reaction.     

铂颗粒粒径效应:负载铂纳米颗粒的TiO2薄膜性质研究

制备了负载不同大小Pt纳米颗粒的TiO薄膜。利用TEM测定了Pt粒子的大小,XRD,UV—Vis和测量光电流等方法对TiO2复合膜进行了表征,以亚甲基蓝降解反应评价了Pt／TiO2薄膜的光催化活性。结果表明,在负载相同物质的量的Pt情况下,Pt颗粒的大小直接影响TiO2薄膜的性能,显示较强的粒径效应,当负载平均粒径约5nm的Pt粒子后,薄膜具有最高的光电流和光催化活性。     

氧化石墨烯-亚甲基蓝体系荧光光度法灵敏测定铋(Ⅲ)离子

在水溶液中,氧化石墨烯(Go)对亚甲基蓝(CMB)的荧光可产生猝灭作用,加入适量Bi3+可使体系的荧光增强,且增强程度与Bi3+的加入量有关。氧化石墨烯含有大量的含氧官能团使之表面带负电荷,易于分散在水中。带正电荷的荧光染料亚甲基蓝通过静电引力和π—π堆积作用吸附在GO表面,形成了GO-MB复合物,从而产生荧光猝灭。使用改进的Hummers制备了氧化石墨烯,应用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)对制备的GO进行了表征。利用紫外可见吸收光谱验证了石墨烯与亚甲基蓝的作用过程,结果表明亚甲基蓝的荧光猝灭后,其两个主要吸收峰强度明显降低,而且GO的吸收光谱与MB的发射光谱完全不同,重叠度太小,不能发生能量转移,因此,GO与MB发生的荧光猝灭属于静态猝灭过程。当向亚甲基蓝氧化石墨烯络合体系加入Bi3+后,由于Bi3+体积小,带正电荷多从而取代了亚甲基蓝致使亚甲基蓝脱离氧化石墨烯,荧光恢复,荧光恢复的程度随Bi3+量的增加而增强,据此建立了氧化石墨烯-亚甲基蓝荧光光度法测定Bi3+的新方法。考察了亚甲基蓝、氧化石墨烯浓度,酸度以及试剂加入顺序对体系荧光恢复的影响,该络合体系的激发波长为667 nm,发射波长为690 nm,在优化条件下,Bi3+的浓度在0.5～100 μmol·L-1范围内与荧光强度呈良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.995 5。方法的检出限为1.0×10-8 mol·L-1(S/N=3)。评价了该方法的选择性,结果表明当共存离子为1 000倍的K+,Ca2+,Na+,Mg2+,Cu2+;100倍的Fe3+,Be2+,SiO2-₃,Al3+,Ni2+,Sb3+,NO-₃,Cl-,F-;20倍的Pb2+,Hg2+,Cd2+不干扰Bi3+的测定,新方法具有灵敏度高、快速、成本低等优点,将提出的方法用于环境水样的分析,回收率为93.4%～105.2%。     

Sonoprecipitation dispersion of ZnO nanoparticles over graphene oxide used in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution: Influence of irradiation time and power

In this paper, ZnO/Graphene Oxide (ZnO/GO) is synthesized via ultrasound assisted precipitation method and the effect of power and ultrasound time irradiation is studied on photocatalyst properties. The synthesized samples are used for methylene blue (MB) degradation as an organic water pollutant. Physicochemical properties of the samples are investigated by XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET-BJH, FTIR and DRS techniques. Moreover, pH_pzc of the sample with the best performance is calculated to study the effect of acidity on the photocatalyst efficiency in photocatalytic process. Ultrasound has a positive effect on photocatalyst performance that is because of its effect on distribution of particles and semiconductor band gap, but it has no effect on photostability of the nanocomposite. Sonication has modified distribution of particles by enhancing the active sites for oxidation process. Making structural gaps by ultrasound irradiation increases available surface area which has a similar effect on photocatalyst performance. Graphene oxide as electron collector and transporter prevents electron-hole recombination and it can be an acceptable reason for enhancement at photocatalyst performance. Finally, some of operational parameters such as pH, photocatalyst loading and dye concentration are investigated.     

三维多孔花状ZnO微纳结构的合成及光催化性能

采用电沉积及后续的热处理技术,在Ti衬底上合成了一种三维多孔花状ZnO微纳结构薄膜. 这种ZnO结构是由包含大量纳米颗粒和孔洞的纳米薄片组成,纳米颗粒的大小可以通过调节电沉积时间和煅烧温度控制. 光催化性能的测试表明这种多孔ZnO薄膜是一种理想的光催化剂.