Solvent‐Free One‐Step Photochemical Hydroxylation of Benzene Derivatives by the Singlet Excited State of 2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐p‐benzoquinone Acting as a Super Oxidant

Photoinduced hydroxylation of neat deaerated benzene to phenol occurred under visible‐light irradiation of 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐p‐benzoquinone (DDQ), which acts as a super photooxidant in the presence of water. Photocatalytic solvent‐free hydroxylation of benzene derivatives with electron‐withdrawing substituents such as benzonitrile, nitrobenzene, and trifluoromethylbenzene used as neat solvents has been achieved for the first time by using DDQ as a super photooxidant to yield the corresponding phenol derivatives and 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyanohydroquinone (DDQH₂) in the presence of water under deaerated conditions. In the presence of dioxygen and tert‐butyl nitrite, the photocatalytic hydroxylation of neat benzene occurred with DDQ as a photocatalyst to produce phenol. The photocatalytic reactions are initiated by oxidation of benzene derivatives with the singlet and triplet excited states of DDQ to form the corresponding radical cations, which associate with benzene derivatives to produce the dimer radical cations, which were detected by the femto‐ and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements to clarify the photocatalytic reaction mechanisms. Radical cations of benzene derivatives react with water to yield the OH‐adduct radicals. On the other hand, DDQ ^{. ?} produced by the photoinduced electron transfer from benzene derivatives reacts with the OH‐adduct radicals to yield the corresponding phenol derivatives and DDQH₂. DDQ is recovered by the reaction of DDQH₂ with tert‐butyl nitrite when DDQ acts as a photocatalyst for the hydroxylation of benzene derivatives by dioxygen.     

Efficient Noble‐Metal‐Free γ‐Fe2O3@NiO Core–Shell Nanostructured Photocatalysts for Water Oxidation

Flowerlike noble‐metal‐free γ‐Fe₂O₃@NiO core–shell hierarchical nanostructures have been fabricated and examined as a catalyst in the photocatalytic oxidation of water with [Ru(bpy)₃](ClO₄)₂ as a photosensitizer and Na₂S₂O₈ as a sacrificial electron acceptor. An apparent TOF of 0.29 μmols^?1 m^?2 and oxygen yield of 51 % were obtained with γ‐Fe₂O₃@NiO. The γ‐Fe₂O₃@NiO core–shell hierarchical nanostructures could be easily separated from the reaction solution whilst maintaining excellent water‐oxidation activity in the fourth and fifth runs. The surface conditions of γ‐Fe₂O₃@NiO also remained unchanged after the photocatalytic reaction, as confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Improved Photodegradation of Organic Contaminants Using Nano‐TiO2 and TiO2–SiO2 Deposited on Portland Cement Concrete Blocks

The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles (nano‐TiO₂) and its hybrid with SiO₂ (nano‐TiO₂–SiO₂) for degradation of some organic dyes on cementitious materials was studied in this work. Nanohybrid photocatalysts were prepared using an inorganic sol–gel precursor and then characterized using XRD, SEM and UV–Vis. The grain sizes were estimated by Scherrer's equation to be around 10 nm. Then, a thin layer was applied to Portland cement concrete (PCC) blocks by dipping them into nano‐TiO₂ and nano‐TiO₂–SiO₂ solution. The efficiency of coated PCC blocks for the photocatalytic decomposition of two dyes, Malachite Green oxalate (MG) and Methylene Blue (MB), was examined under UV and visible irradiation and then monitored by the chemical oxygen demand tests. The results showed that more than 80% and 92% of MG and MB were decomposed under UV–Vis irradiation using blocks coated with nano‐TiO₂–SiO₂. TiO₂/PCC and TiO₂–SiO₂/PCC blocks showed a significant ability to oxidize dyes under visible and UV lights and TiO₂–SiO₂/PCC blocks require less time for dye degradation. Based on these results, coated blocks have increased photocatalytic activity which can make them commercially accessible photocatalysts.     

硼铈共掺杂纳米TiO2光催化降解三氯杀螨醇和菊酯类农药

采用溶胶-凝胶法在钛酸丁酯水解过程引入硼酸、硝酸铈,制备具有光催化活性的硼铈共掺杂纳米二氧化钛（TiO2）,经XRD、TEM、FT-IR、UV-Vis-DRS表征晶体结构,在日光灯照射下,光催化降解三氯杀螨醇、高氟氯氰菊酯、氟戊菊酯农药。结果表明：硼铈共掺杂的TiO2只有锐钛矿型,而纯的或掺铈的TiO2有含有锐钛矿型、金红石相和少量板钛矿型,UV-Vis-DRS测定结果表明硼铈共掺杂的TiO2禁带宽度变小,硼铈共掺杂的TiO2在可见光区吸光度高于掺杂铈和不掺杂的TiO2,在420nm~850nm有强的吸收;在同样光照下对三氯杀螨醇、高氟氯氰菊酯、氟戊菊酯的降解试验证明硼铈共掺杂纳米TiO2的光催化活性高于不掺杂或只掺杂铈的TiO2。     

Synthesis of Nano‐Sized Zinc Oxide Photocatalyst by Combustion Method

The objective of this research was to use combustion synthesis to create a nano‐sized ZnO photocatalyst using citric acid as the fuel and zinc nitrate as the oxidant. The starting materials were mixed in a stoichiometric ratio, and a slurry precursor with high homogeneity was formed. The precursor was ignited at room temperature, resulting in dry, loose, and voluminous ZnO powders. The powders, characterized by SEM, TEM and XRD, showed a particle size range of 40 to 80 nm with a wurtzite structure. The ZnO powders were introduced as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methyl orange, which was adopted as a model compound. UV light (6W) was used as the irradiation source to induce synthesized ZnO powders to perform catalytic activity. The photocatalytic reaction was executed in 40 mL of a 10 ppm methyl orange aqueous solution under 254 nm UV illumination. In this work, it was observed that both UV light and ZnO powders are needed for the photocatalytic reaction. In addition, it was found that increasing the amount of ZnO powder present in the MO (methyl orange‐C₁₄H₁₄N₃NaO₃S) solution did not correlate directly with an increase in photocatalytic ability. It was found that the scattering problem of UV light also needs to be considered. The optimized photocatalytic degradation ratio in this work reached 92.7%.     

Regioselective Synthesis of 3‐(Imidazol‐4‐yl) Indolin‐2‐Ones under Microwave Heating

A formal [3 + 2] cyclization reaction of 3‐(2‐oxo‐2‐arylethylidene)indolin‐2‐ones and amidines has been developed, regioselectively affording a series of new 3‐(imidazol‐4‐yl)indolin‐2‐ones in good to excellent yields. The reaction was easily conducted in ethylene glycol using Cs₂CO₃ as a base promoter under microwave irradiation. Flexible structural modification, and broad functional group compatibility as well as mild reaction conditions make this strategy a useful and attractive process of library generation for drug discovery.     

Enhanced visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic activity of F doped reduced graphene oxide ‐ Bi2WO6 photocatalyst

The reduced graphene oxide‐Bi₂WO₆ (rGO‐BWO) photocatalysts with the different R_F/O values (molar ratio of the F molar mass and the O's molar mass of Bi₂WO₆) had been successfully synthesized via one‐step hydrothermal method. The F‐doped rGO‐BWO samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction patterns (XRD), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐ESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (BET), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The results indicate that F^? ions had been successfully doped into rGO‐BWO samples. With the increasing of the R_F/O values from 0 to 2%, the evident change of the morphology and the absorption edges of F‐doped rGO‐BWO samples and the photocatalytic activities had been enhanced. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of F‐doped rGO‐BWO with R_F/O = 0.05 were better than rGO‐BWO and the other F‐doped rGO‐BWO under 500 W Xe lamp light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the morphology of the intact microsphere that signify the bigger specific surface area for providing more possible reaction sites for the adsorption–desorption equilibrium of photocatalytic reaction, the introduction of F^? ions that may cause the enhancement of surface acidity and creation of oxygen vacancies under visible light irradiation, the narrower band gap which means needing less energy for the electron hole pair transition.     

Applications of iron and nickel immobilized on hydroxyapatite‐core‐shell γ‐Fe2O3 as a nanomagnetic catalyst for the chemoselective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides under solvent‐free conditions

In the present study, Fe²⁺ and Ni²⁺ immobilized on hydroxyapatite‐core‐shell γ‐Fe₂O₃ (γ‐Fe₂O₃@HAp‐Fe²⁺ and γ‐Fe₂O₃@HAp‐Ni²⁺) with a high surface area has been synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques. Then, γ‐Fe₂O₃@HAp‐Fe²⁺ and γ‐Fe₂O₃@HAp‐Ni²⁺ were used as a new and magnetically recoverable nano catalyst for the selective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides with 33% aqueous H₂O₂ (0.5 mL) as an oxidant at room temperature in good to excellent yields and short reaction time. Nontoxicity of reagent, mild reaction condition, inexpensive and high catalytic activity, simple experimental procedure, short period of conversion and excellent yields, and ease of recovery from the reaction mixture using an external magnet are the advantages of the present method.     

AgBr@TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/GO ternary composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity for oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde

AgBr@TiO₂/GO (graphene oxide) ternary composite photocatalyst was synthesized by fabricating core–shell-structured AgBr@TiO₂ and anchoring it onto the surface of GO. The obtained samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectrum, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. It was found that the AgBr nanoparticles were prone to aggregation while the core–shell-structured AgBr@TiO₂ possessed excellent dispersity. PL analysis revealed that the ternary-structured AgBr@TiO₂/GO could effectively promote the separation rate of electron–hole pairs. Photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde under visible-light irradiation was selected as probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the different samples. It was found that the AgBr@TiO₂/GO ternary composite exhibited evidently improved photocatalytic activity compared with AgBr, AgBr@TiO₂, and AgBr/GO. On the basis of the experiment results, the photocatalytic oxidation mechanism of benzyl alcohol over AgBr@TiO₂/GO is tentatively discussed.     

Formation of α‐SF5‐Enolate Enables Preparation of 3‐SF5‐Quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF5‐Quinolines,and 3‐SF5‐Pyridin‐2‐ones: Evaluation of their Physicochemical Properties

This study describes, for the first time, the generation of a SF₅‐substituted ester enolate from benzyl SF₅‐acetate under soft enolization conditions, which in turn participates in aldol addition reactions in high yield. The reaction was applied in the synthesis of 3‐SF₅‐quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF₅‐quinolines, and 3‐SF₅‐pyridin‐2‐ones, none of which have previously been reported. To provide guidelines for their use in drug discovery, the physicochemical properties of these building blocks were determined and compared with those of their CF₃‐ and t‐Bu‐analogues.     

Formation of α‐SF5‐Enolate Enables Preparation of 3‐SF5‐Quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF5‐Quinolines,and 3‐SF5‐Pyridin‐2‐ones: Evaluation of their Physicochemical Properties

This study describes, for the first time, the generation of a SF₅‐substituted ester enolate from benzyl SF₅‐acetate under soft enolization conditions, which in turn participates in aldol addition reactions in high yield. The reaction was applied in the synthesis of 3‐SF₅‐quinolin‐2‐ones, 3‐SF₅‐quinolines, and 3‐SF₅‐pyridin‐2‐ones, none of which have previously been reported. To provide guidelines for their use in drug discovery, the physicochemical properties of these building blocks were determined and compared with those of their CF₃‐ and t‐Bu‐analogues.     

Preparation of composited Nano‐TiO2 and its application on antimicrobial and self‐cleaning coatings

Composite nano‐TiO₂ with doping Fe³⁺ and Ag was prepared, and further modified by 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane. They were characterized by Zetasizer Nano ZS Particle and Zeta Potential Analyzer, X‐ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectrophotometer, FT–IR spectra, and transmission electron microscopy. The modified composite nano‐TiO₂ was applied to prepare multifunctional fluorocarbon coatings (FCC). Antibacterial activity of multifunctional FCC containing modified composite nano‐TiO₂ was investigated. Its photocatalytic antibacterial activity reached 92%. The influence of doping ingredients, amount of composite nano‐TiO₂, different light houses, or surface modification was discussed. The surface of FCC cannot be easily smirched by oiliness, dust or water because of hydrophobic fluorosilicone emulsion. It would be an available modern interior building coating for its remarkable photocatalytic antibacterial property as well as self‐cleaning function. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Template‐Free Synthesis of Core–Shell TiO2 Microspheres Covered with High‐Energy {116}‐Facet‐Exposed N‐Doped Nanosheets and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light

Core–shell TiO₂ microspheres possess a unique structure and interesting properties, and therefore, they have received much attention. The high‐energy facets of TiO₂ also are being widely studied for the high photocatalytic activities they are associated with. However, the synthesis of the core–shell structure is difficult to achieve and requires multiple‐steps and/or is expensive. Hydrofluoric acid (HF), which is highly corrosive, is usually used in the controlling high‐energy facet production. Therefore, it is still a significant challenge to develop low‐temperature, template‐free, shape‐controlled, and relative green self‐assembly routes for the formation of core–shell‐structured TiO₂ microspheres with high‐energy facets. Here, we report a template‐ and hydrofluoric acid free solvothermal self‐assembly approach to synthesize core–shell TiO₂ microspheres covered with high‐energy {116}‐facet‐exposed nanosheets, an approach in which 1,4‐butanediamine plays a key role in the formation of nanosheets with exposed {116} facets and the doping of nitrogen in situ. In the structure, nanoparticle aggregates and nanosheets with {116} high‐energy facets exposed act as core and shell, respectively. The photocatalytic activity for degradation of 2,4,6‐tribromophenol and Rhodamine B under visible irradiation and UV/Vis irradiation has been examined, and improved photocatalytic activity under visible light owing to the hierarchical core–shell structure, {116}‐plane‐oriented nanosheets, in situ N doping, and large surface areas has been found.     

Photo–thermo Catalytic Oxidation over a TiO2‐WO3‐Supported Platinum Catalyst

Photo–thermo catalysis, which integrates photocatalysis on semiconductors with thermocatalysis on supported nonplasmonic metals, has emerged as an attractive approach to improve catalytic performance. However, an understanding of the mechanisms in operation is missing from both the thermo‐ and photocatalytic perspectives. Deep insights into photo–thermo catalysis are achieved via the catalytic oxidation of propane (C₃H₈) over a Pt/TiO₂‐WO₃ catalyst that severely suffers from oxygen poisoning at high O₂/C₃H₈ ratios. After introducing UV/Vis light, the reaction temperature required to achieve 70 % conversion of C₃H₈ lowers to a record‐breaking 90 °C from 324 °C and the apparent activation energy drops from 130 kJ mol^?1 to 11 kJ mol^?1. Furthermore, the reaction order of O₂ is ?1.4 in dark but reverses to 0.1 under light, thereby suppressing oxygen poisoning of the Pt catalyst. An underlying mechanism is proposed based on direct evidence of the in‐situ‐captured reaction intermediates.     

Synthesis of some aromatic aldehydes and acids by sodium ferrate in presence of copper nano‐particles adsorbed on K 10 montmorillonite using microwave irradiation

Excellent yields were obtained in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, 4‐methoxy benzyl alcohol and 4‐nitro benzaldehyde with sodium ferrate in the presence of copper nano particles adsorbed on montmorillonite K 10 under microwave irradiation. Aniline, p‐toluidine, phenol, catechol, resorcinol and p‐cresol polymerize under these conditions without exposing the mixture to microwaves. The one‐pot system does not require tedious separation of ferrate and is quick and environmentally benign. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of urchin‐like Ag/ZnO hierarchical nano/microstructures based on galvanic replacement mechanism and their enhanced photocatalytic properties

Urchin‐like Ag/ZnO hierarchical nano/microstructures have been synthesized through a facile low‐temperature hydrothermal growth method based on galvanic replacement mechanism. The experimental results show that the urchin‐like Ag/ZnO heterostructures are formed through the epitaxial growth of ZnO nanorods on the {111} facets of Ag nanoparticles along their own c‐axis. The photocatalytic properties of the products were evaluated by the degradation of RhB dye solution under ultraviolet irradiation, and the results show that the products exhibit significantly enhanced photocatalytic properties comparing with pure ZnO nanorods. The products with a Ag content of 35.64 atom % prepared with a Ag⁺ concentration in solution of 5 mM exhibit surprisingly high degradation rate (99.5%) for RhB dye solution (4 mg/L) after photocatalytic reaction for only 14 min under ultraviolet irradiation. The Schottky barrier formed at the metal‐semiconductor interfaces improves the segregation of charges and prevents the charge recombination, and thus significantly enhances the photocatalytic activities of the products. On the other hand, the high stability of the urchin‐like Ag/ZnO hierarchical nano/microstructures can effectively prevent the aggregation of nanostructures with simultaneously preserving high photocatalytic properties due to the existence of nanosized unites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of Bi2WO6/Bi2O3 Composite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by a Facile One‐step Hydrothermal Synthesis Route

In this study, the characterization and photocatalytic activity of Bi₂WO₆/Bi₂O₃ under visible‐light irradiation was investigated in detail. The results suggested that Bi₂WO₆/Bi₂O₃ can be synthesized by a facile one‐pot hydrothermal route using a super big 200 mL Teflon‐lined autoclave with optimal sodium oleate/Bi molar ratio of 1.25. Through the characterization of Bi₂WO₆/Bi₂O₃ by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, UV‐vis diffuse reflectance spectra and Photoluminescence spectra, it was found that the as‐prepared composite possessed smaller crystallite size and higher visible‐light responsive than the pure Bi₂WO₆. Moreover, it was expected that the as‐prepared composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible‐light irradiation, which could be ascribed to their improved light absorption property and the reduced recombination of the photogenerated electrons and holes during the photocatalytic reaction. In general, this study could provide a principle method to synthesize Bi₂WO₆/Bi₂O₃ with enhanced photocatalytic activity by one‐step hydrothermal synthesis route for environmental purification.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure,and Photocatalytic Properties of a Zinc(II) Coordination Polymer Based on 3‐Hydroxy‐2‐pyridinecarboxylic Acid

The zinc(II) compound, [Zn₃(HL)₆]_n ( 1 ) (H₂L = 3‐hydroxypyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid) was synthesized by a solvothermal reaction of Zn(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O and 3‐hydroxypyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid as raw materials. The structure of complex 1 was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis and further characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, as well as powder X‐ray diffraction. X‐ray structure analysis demonstrates that the complex crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁/n. There are three zinc ions in the asymmetric unit, which are either five‐coordinate or six‐coordinate. The asymmetric units are further bridged by the carboxylate of the organic ligands, featuring a 2D framework. The solid state diffuse‐reflectance UV/Vis spectra reveals that complex 1 has semiconducting nature with the energy bandgap (E_g) estimated to be 3.11 eV. The photocatalytic properties of complex 1 in degradation of organic dyes were further investigated. Results showed that the complex could degrade 54 % of the dye methylene blue solution within 120 min under UV irradiation light and reused for five times without the decline of the photocatalytic activity.     

Ultrathin g‐C3N4 Nanosheets Coupled with AgIO3 as Highly Efficient Heterostructured Photocatalysts for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

The photocatalytic activity of graphite‐like carbon nitride (g‐C₃N₄) could be enhanced by heterojunction strategies through increasing the charge‐separation efficiency. As a surface‐based process, the heterogeneous photocatalytic process would become more efficient if a larger contact region existed in the heterojunction interface. In this work, ultrathin g‐C₃N₄ nanosheets (g‐C₃N₄‐NS) with much larger specific surface areas are employed instead of bulk g‐C₃N₄ (g‐C₃N₄‐B) to prepare AgIO₃/g‐C₃N₄‐NS nanocomposite photocatalysts. By taking advantage of this feature, the as‐prepared composites exhibit remarkable performances for photocatalytic wastewater treatment under visible‐light irradiation. Notably, the optimum photocatalytic activity of AgIO₃/g‐C₃N₄‐NS composites is almost 80.59 and 55.09 times higher than that of pure g‐C₃N₄‐B towards the degradation of rhodamine B and methyl orange pollutants, respectively. Finally, the stability and possible photocatalytic mechanism of the AgIO₃/g‐C₃N₄‐NS system are also investigated.     

Nano‐Roughening a Pt Disk Microelectrode via Electrochemical Alloying‐Dealloying in Ionic Liquid Electrolyte

A green chemistry method to nano‐roughen a Pt disk microelectrode has been successfully developed via electrochemical alloying‐dealloying in an ionic liquid bath comprising of ZnCl₂ and 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride. The nano‐roughened Pt layer possesses bark‐like nanoporous structures characteristic of nano‐sized aggregates separated by nano‐cracks whose width ranging from around 50 to 200 nm. The nano‐roughened microelectrode possesses high surface area and diffusional properties typical of a microelectrode. Electrochemical oxidation and reduction of nitrite have been studied as an example for demonstrating that the nano‐roughened microelectrode is a promising technique for electroanalysis and electrocatalysis applications.