Photocatalytic Activity and Characterization of the Sol-Gel Derived Pb-Doped TiO2 Thin Films

Photocatalytically active Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films were prepared on a soda-lime glass substrate by sol-gel dip-coating technique using TiO₂ sols containing lead(II) nitrate. The thin films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-VIS spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A shift of the UV-VIS absorption towards longer wavelengths was observed, which indicated a decrease in the band-gap of TiO₂ upon Pb doping. XRD results showed both pure and Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films were polycrystalline, anatase type, and oriented predominantly to the (101) plane. A slight shift in the d-spacing for the Pb-doped film indicated the incorporation of Pb into the TiO₂ lattice to form Pb _x Ti_1–x O₂ solid solution. AFM results showed Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films were composed of larger TiO₂ particles and had rougher surface, compared with un-doped TiO₂ thin films. XPS results showed that except for the enrichment of Pb near the surface, Pb exists in the forms of Pb _x Ti_1–x O₂ and PbO. Dimethyl-2,2-dichlorovinyl phosphate (DDVP) was efficiently degraded in the presence of the Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films by exposing the insecticide solution to sunlight. The mechanism of photocatalytic activity enhancement of the Pb-doped TiO₂ thin films was discussed.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli on Immobilized CuO/CoFe2O4‐TiO2 Thin‐Film under Simulated Sunlight Irradiation

Composite photocatalysts of CuO/CoFe₂O₄‐TiO₂ were successfully synthesized by a sol‐gel method and fixed on ordinary tiles. The photosterilization of Escherichia coli was examined on CuO/CoFe₂O₄‐TiO₂ thin films under a xenon lamp irradiation. The film was characterized by XRD, and the morphology was observed by SEM. Disinfection data indicated that CuO/CoFe₂O₄‐TiO₂ composite photocatalysts have the much better photocatalytic activity than CuO/CoFe₂O₄ and TiO₂. The optimized composition of the nanocomposites has been found to be m_CuO/CoFe2O4:m_TiO2=3:7, with loadings ranging from 790 to 1400 mg/m². The photocatalytic inactivated rate of E. coli (10⁵ CFU/mL) reached 98.4% under the xenon lamp of 150 W within 30 min.     

Surface properties and photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline titania films

In this work the efficiency and physicochemical details of a thin film produced by help of a microwave assisted sol gel technique is compared to different commercial powders (Degussa P25 and Hombikat UV100) deposited on glass substrates. Furthermore, a supercritical produced TiO₂ powder (SC 134) was included in the comparison.The prepared TiO₂ films were characterized using XRD, XPS, AFM, DSC and DLS. The photocatalytic activity was determined using stearic acid as a model compound. Investigation of the prepared films showed that the Degussa P25 film and the sol–gel film were the most photocatalytic active films. The activity of the films was found to be related to the crystallinity of the TiO₂ film and the amount of surface area and surface hydroxyl groups. Based on the XPS investigation of the films before and after UV irradiation it was suggested that the photocatalytic destruction of organic matter on TiO₂ films proceeds partly through formation of hydroxyl radicals which are formed from surface hydroxyl groups created by interactions between adsorbed water and vacancies on the TiO₂ surface. Furthermore a correlation between the amount of OH groups on the surface of the different TiO₂ films and the photocatalytic activity was found.     

The Effect of SiO2 Addition on the Grain Size and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Thin Films

The uniform transparent TiO₂/SiO₂ nanometer composite thin films were prepared via sol-gel method on the soda lime glass substrates, and were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FTIR spectroscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET surface areas. It was found that the addition of SiO₂ to TiO₂ thin films could suppress the grain growth of TiO₂ crystal and increase the hydroxyl content of the surface of TiO₂ films. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared TiO₂/SiO₂ composite thin films increases for SiO₂ content of less than 5 mol%.     

Effect of Pt loading on the photocatalytic reactivity of titanium oxide thin films prepared by ion engineering techniques

Platinum-loaded titanium oxide thin-film photocatalysts were prepared by using an ionized cluster beam (ICB) deposition method and a RF magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) deposition method as dry processes. From the results of the photocatalytic oxidation of acetaldehyde with O₂ under UV light irradiation, small amounts of Pt loading (less than 10 nm film thickness) were found to dramatically enhance the photocatalytic reactivity. However, when TiO₂ thin films were loaded with relatively larger amounts of Pt (more than 30 nm as the film thickness), the photocatalytic reactivity became lower than for the pure TiO₂ thin films. Moreover, investigations of the ratio of Pt loaded onto the surface of the thin film catalysts by XPS measurements revealed that the small amounts of Pt loaded exist as very small clusters working to efficiently enhance the charge separation, whereas, large amounts of Pt covers the entire surface of the TiO₂ thin films, resulting in a decrease of the photocatalytic reactivity.     

三维有序结构In掺杂TiO_2薄膜的可见光催化活性

采用自组装生长聚苯乙烯胶体模板和溶胶-凝胶法,制备出三维(3D)有序结构In掺杂TiO2(IO-TiO2-In)薄膜可见光催化剂.光催化实验证明,IO-TiO2-In薄膜降解甲醛的可见光活性是TiO2和三维有序结构TiO2(IOTiO2)薄膜的5倍.利用X射线电子衍射(XRD)谱、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射吸收光谱确定了催化剂的晶相结构、表面微结构和能带结构.结果表明,IO-TiO2-In薄膜具有锐钛矿型三维有序结构,与TiO2相比,增加了比表面积,提高光的利用率;掺入的In离子在薄膜表面形成In2O3和O-In-Clx(x=1,2)物种,既增强可见光的吸收,又有效地促进了光生载流子的分离,提高了光生载流子在固/气界面参加光催化反应的利用率,使催化剂的可见光催化活性显著提高.     

Synthesis of W‐doped TiO2 by low‐temperature hydrolysis: Effects of annealing temperature and doping content on the surface microstructure and photocatalytic activity

A series of tungsten‐doped Titania photocatalysts were synthesized using a low‐temperature method. The effects of dopant concentration and annealing temperature on the phase transitions, crystallinity, electronic, optical, and photocatalytic properties of the resulting material were studied. The X‐ray patterns revealed that the doping delays the transition of anatase to rutile to a high temperature. A new phase W_yTi_1‐yO₂ appeared for 5.00 wt% W‐TiO₂ annealed at 900 °C. Raman and diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectroscopy showed that band gap values decreased slightly up to 700 °C. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that surface species viz. Ti³⁺, Ti⁴⁺, O^2?, oxygen‐vacancies, and adsorbed OH groups vary depending on the preparation conditions. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the degradation of methylene blue using LED white light. The degradation rate was affected by the percentage of dopants. The best photocatalytic activity was achieved with the sample labeled 5.00 wt% W‐TiO₂ annealed at 700 °C.     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic properties of cesium tungstate (Cs<Subscript>2</Subscript>W<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>10</Subscript>) nanofibers

In the paper cesium tungstate nanofibers for the first time have been fabricated successfully by a simple electrospinning technique followed by heat treatment. The cesium tungstate nanofibers have been characterized by XRD, SEM, and FTIR techniques. The results indicated the morphology and quality of the annealed electrospun samples are strongly dependent on the citric acid content within electrospinning solution. It is found with increasing the citric acid content from 7 to 22% the samples morphology changed from a particle structure to a fibrous structure. The average diameter of nanofibers was ~350 nm. XRD analysis reveals that all of the samples have good crystallinity with the same diffraction peaks that can be indexed to the tetragonal phase of Cs₂W₃O₁₀. Furthermore, the photocatalyst properties of cesium tungstate has not been reported to date. In the work the synthesized Cs₂W₃O₁₀ nanofibers were found to exhibit photocatalytic performance in the photodegradation of RhB aqueous solution used as a pollutant model.     

Ag@AgI/Ni薄膜的制备及其模拟太阳光催化性能

采用电化学方法制备Ag@AgI/Ni表面等离子体薄膜催化剂,使用扫描电镜（SEM）,X射线衍射（XRD）和紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）对薄膜的表面形貌、晶体结构、光谱特性以及能带结构进行分析表征,在模拟太阳光照射下,把罗丹明B作为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化活性与稳定性进行评价,采用向反应体系中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化机理进行探究。结果表明：最佳工艺下制备的Ag@AgI/Ni薄膜表面是由附着少量Ag粒子的AgI纳米晶构成。薄膜具有显著的表面等离子共振作用、优异的光催化活性和突出的光催化稳定性。光催化反应60 min,薄膜对罗丹明B的降解率（81.1%）是AgI/Ni薄膜的1.35倍,是TiO₂（P25）/ITO薄膜的1.61倍。在薄膜光催化活性基本保持不变的前提下可循环使用5次。薄膜表面纳米Ag的等离子共振对光阴极反应的活化是光催化性能提高的重要原因。提出了薄膜光催化降解罗丹明B的反应机理。     

Ag@AgI/Ni薄膜的制备及其模拟太阳光催化性能

采用电化学方法制备Ag@AgI/Ni表面等离子体薄膜催化剂,使用扫描电镜(SEM),X射线衍射(XRD)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)对薄膜的表面形貌、晶体结构、光谱特性以及能带结构进行分析表征,在模拟太阳光照射下,把罗丹明B作为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化活性与稳定性进行评价,采用向反应体系中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化机理进行探究。结果表明:最佳工艺下制备的Ag@AgI/Ni薄膜表面是由附着少量Ag粒子的AgI纳米晶构成。薄膜具有显著的表面等离子共振作用、优异的光催化活性和突出的光催化稳定性。光催化反应60 min,薄膜对罗丹明B的降解率(81.1%)是AgI/Ni薄膜的1.35倍,是TiO_2(P25)/ITO薄膜的1.61倍。在薄膜光催化活性基本保持不变的前提下可循环使用5次。薄膜表面纳米Ag的等离子共振对光阴极反应的活化是光催化性能提高的重要原因。提出了薄膜光催化降解罗丹明B的反应机理。     

Nanoflower‐Like Bi2WO6 Encapsulated in ORMOSIL as a Novel Photocatalytic Antifouling and Foul‐Release Coating

Herein, the first multi‐purpose antifouling and foul‐release photocatalytic coating based on ORMOSIL thin films doped with nanoflower‐like Bi₂WO₆ is described. Irradiation with visible light of the new films immersed in water produces significant amounts of H₂O₂ by photocatalytic oxidation of water, and allows the degradation of (bio)organic pollutants at the outer surface of the xerogel film.     

Microwave assisted novel MoBi2S5 nanoflowers: Synthesis,characterization, photoelectrochemical performance

In the present article, we have studied the effect of post annealing treatment on microstructural, optical and photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties of MoBi₂S₅ thin films synthesized by microwave assisted technique. The synthesized thin films are vacuum annealed for 4 h at 473 K temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer techniques were used for characterization of the as deposited and annealed MoBi₂S₅ thin films. The XRD patterns confirm the synthesized and annealed thin films have nanocrystalline nature with rhombohedral-orthorhombic crystal structure. SEM micrographs indicate that, nanoflowers exhibit sharper end after annealing. The optical absorption study illustrates that the optical band gap energy has been decrease from 2.0 eV to 1.75 eV with annealing. Finally, applicability of synthesized thin films has been checked for PEC property. The J-V curves revealed that synthesized thin film photoanodes are suitable for PEC cell application. As well, used simple, economical method has great potential for synthesis of various thin film materials.     

Atomic layer deposition of TiO2−xNx thin films for photocatalytic applications

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is recognized as the most efficient photocatalytic material, but due to its large band gap energy it can only be excited by UV irradiation. Doping TiO₂ with nitrogen is a promising modification method for the utilization of visible light in photocatalysis. In this work, nitrogen-doped TiO₂ films were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using TiCl₄, NH₃ and water as precursors. All growth experiments were done at 500 °C. The films were characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM and UV–vis spectrometry. The influence of nitrogen doping on the photocatalytic activity of the films in the UV and visible light was evaluated by the degradation of a thin layer of stearic acid and by linear sweep voltammetry. Light-induced superhydrophilicity of the films was also studied. It was found that the films could be excited by visible light, but they also suffered from increased recombination.     

Ag3PO4/Ni薄膜的制备及其光催化降解罗丹明B的性能和机理

用电化学方法制备Ag₃PO₄/Ni薄膜,以扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)对薄膜的表面形貌、晶相结构、光谱特性及能带结构进行了表征,以罗丹明B为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化活性和稳定性进行了测定,采用向溶液中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化降解机理进行了探索.结果表明:最佳工艺下制备的Ag₃PO₄/Ni薄膜具有致密的层状表面结构,是由多晶纳米颗粒构成的薄膜.薄膜具有较高的光催化活性和突出的光催化稳定性,可见光下催化作用60 min,薄膜光催化罗丹明B的降解率是多孔P25 TiO₂/ITO纳米薄膜(自制)的2.3倍;在保持薄膜光催化活性基本不变的前提下可循环使用6次.给出了可见光下薄膜光催化降解罗丹明B的反应机理.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activities of ZnO thin films: a comparative study of hybrid semiconductor nanomaterials

Nanostructure single ZnO, SnO₂, In₂O₃ and composite ZnO/SnO₂, ZnO/In₂O₃ and ZnO/SnO₂/In₂O₃ films were prepared using sol?Cgel method. The obtained composite films were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV?CVis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of composite films were investigated using phenol (P), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and 4-aminophenol (4-AP) as a model organic compounds under UV light irradiation. Hybrid semiconductor thin films showed a higher photocatalytic activity than single component ZnO, SnO₂ and In₂O₃ films. The substituted phenols degrade faster than phenol. The ease of degradation of phenols is different for each catalyst and the order of catalytic efficiency is also different for each phenol. The use of multiple components offered a higher control of their properties by varying the composition of the materials and related parameters such as morphology and interface. It was also found that the photocatalytic degradation of phenolic compounds on the composite films and single films followed pseudo-first order kinetics.     

Ag_3PO_4/Ni薄膜的制备及其光催化降解罗丹明B的性能和机理

用电化学方法制备Ag3PO4/Ni薄膜,以扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)对薄膜的表面形貌、晶相结构、光谱特性及能带结构进行了表征,以罗丹明B为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化活性和稳定性进行了测定,采用向溶液中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化降解机理进行了探索。结果表明:最佳工艺下制备的Ag3PO4/Ni薄膜具有致密的层状表面结构,是由多晶纳米颗粒构成的薄膜。薄膜具有较高的光催化活性和突出的光催化稳定性,可见光下催化作用60 min,薄膜光催化罗丹明B的降解率是多孔P25 Ti O2/ITO纳米薄膜(自制)的2.3倍;在保持薄膜光催化活性基本不变的前提下可循环使用6次。给出了可见光下薄膜光催化降解罗丹明B的反应机理。     

Investigation of the structural properties of annealed CdIn2Te4/CdS thin film solar cells produced by the electron-beam evaporation (e-beam) technique

Thin film CdIn₂Te₄/CdS solar cells were deposited onto the ITO-coated glass substrate by electron beam evaporation (e-beam) technique, and the the effect of annealing on their structural properties is studied. The annealing was performed under nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h. The manufactured solar cells were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis. Crystallite size (D), inter-planer distance (d) and lattice constant (a) values were calculated for the thin film solar cell from XRD data. Annealed samples display well defined XRD patterns with three diffraction peaks. We observed increased peak intensity in the annealed films. EDAX analysis showed that only CdIn₂Te₄ is present in absorber layer and CdS is found in the window layer, but no impurity atoms are present the structure. It is observed that surface roughness of the annealed films incresed, according to SEM images. The I–V characteristics show that the current is increased for annealed thin films solar cells.

     

薄膜表面等离子体光催化剂Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni的制备和性能

用复合电沉积技术制备了Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni表面等离子体薄膜催化剂,以扫描电镜（SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）、拉曼光谱（Raman Spectra）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）对薄膜的表面形貌、晶体结构、化学组成和光谱特性进行了表征,在可见光照射下,用罗丹明B（RhB）作为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化性质和稳定性进行测定,采用测定薄膜电化学阻抗谱（EIS）和向反应系统中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化机制进行探索。结果表明：最优工艺下制备的Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni薄膜是由少量碳纳米管（CNT）和表面沉积纳米Ag粒子的AgBr晶体构成的复合薄膜。薄膜具有突出的表面等离子体共振效应、优异的光催化活性和良好的催化稳定性。光催化罗丹明B 20 min,Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni薄膜的降解率是Ag@AgBr/Ni薄膜的1.32倍,是P25 TiO₂/ITO多孔薄膜的21.6倍。在保持光催化性能基本不变的前提下可循环使用5次。CNT的存在使薄膜电荷传导性能和光催化还原溶解氧的性能大幅增加,是所制薄膜相对于Ag@AgBr/Ni薄膜光催化性能提高的主要原因。提出了薄膜光催化罗丹明B的反应机理。     

Influence of thermal annealing on the structural and optical properties of maghemite (γ‐Fe2O3) nanoparticle thin films

In this study, maghemite (γ‐Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles were initially synthesized via chemical co‐precipitation and then deposited by spray pyrolysis as thin films on white glass substrates. The thin films were annealed for 8 h at 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C in an oven. The structural studies of maghemite nanoparticles were carried out using X‐ray diffractometer. Structural properties that we investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, SEM, and Energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDS). Optical properties of the samples were also investigated by ultraviolet‐visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. The results showed that maghemite nanoparticles have crystalline structure with domain that increases in size with increasing annealing temperature. The optical band gap values were found to reduce from 2.9 to 2.4 eV with increase in annealing temperature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photoinduced charge property of Ag‐TiO2 films and its relationships with photocatalytic activity under visible illumination

In this article, TiO₂ films were synthesized by traditional spin coating method. To improve their photocatalytic activities, we deposited silver on these films by photodeposition. These films also were characterized by several testing techniques, such as X‐ray diffraction, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection spectrum, XPS, Raman spectroscopy (Raman), surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and SEM. The activity of different films was evaluated for degrading rhodamine B solution under visible illumination. The effects of AgNO₃ solution concentration on photoinduced charge property and photocatalytic activity were investigated. The results show that the Ag‐TiO₂ film immersed in 10^?3 mol·L^?1 AgNO₃ solution exhibits higher activity, which is in good agreement with the characterization results. The weaker the surface photovoltage spectroscopy signal, the higher the photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the activity of some films is higher than that of international Degussa P‐25 TiO₂ under visible illumination. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.