Enhanced CO photocatalytic oxidation in the presence of humidity by tuning composition of Pd-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles supported on TiO2

Here we put forward for the first time that the negative effect of humidity on CO photooxidation at room temperature can be overcome by adjusting the composition of Pd-Pt bimetallic particles supported on TiO(2). Consequently, optimized Pd(x)Pt(1-x)/TiO(2) materials can be considered as common and efficient photocatalysts for simultaneous elimination of CO and VOCs in the presence of humidity, i.e. for real indoor air treatment.     

Highly efficient visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of nanostructured AgI/TiO2 photocatalyst

Nanostructured AgI/TiO(2) photocatalyst was synthesized by a feasible approach with AgNO(3), LiI, and Ti(OBu)(4) and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, angle-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, diffusive reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller technique. The results of characterization reveal that the nanostructured AgI/TiO(2) has a novel core/shell/shell nanostructure of AgI/Ag-I(2)/TiO(2). Compared with TiO(2) (P25) supported AgI, the formation of the nanostructure results in substantial shifting of the absorption edge of AgI to red, enhancement of the absorption intensity, and the appearance of a strong tail absorption above 490 nm, which is assigned to the absorption of I(2) and Ag. Photocatalytic tests show that the nanostructured AgI/TiO(2) photocatalyst exhibited very high visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of crystal violet and 4-chlorophenol, which is 4 and 6 times higher than that of P25 titania supported AgI, respectively. The highly efficient visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity of the nanostructured AgI/TiO(2) is attributed to its strong absorption in the visible region and low recombination rate of the electron-hole pair due to the synergetic effect among the components of AgI, Ag, I(20, and TiO(2) in the nanostructured AgI/TiO(2).     

Samarium-doped mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles with improved photocatalytic performance for elimination of gaseous organic pollutants

Mesoporous TiO₂ doped with different amounts of Sm were prepared via a sol-gel route with Pluronic P123 as template. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and N₂ sorption experiments, etc. The photocatalytic activity of the mesoporous TiO₂ was tested in elimination of gaseous methanol and acetone. The Sm doped mesoporous TiO₂ have higher activity than those of the commercial photocatalyst (Degussa, P25) and Sm doped TiO₂ counterparts without mesopore structure under ultraviolet light irradiation. A possible mechanism was proposed to account for the high photocatalytic activity of the Sm doped mesoporous TiO₂. The superior activity of the Sm doped mesoporous TiO₂ may be attributed to the synergic effect of the high surface area, mesopore structure and doped Sm species.     

Fabrication of platy apatite nanocrystals loaded with TiO2 nanoparticles by two-step emulsion method and their photocatalytic activity

Nanometer-sized TiO(2) island structure on the platy hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (HAp) has been accomplished by two-step emulsion process. At the first step, platy HAp nanocrystals, of which size was in the range of 70-200 nm after heat-treatment at 1078 K for 1 h, were prepared using the W/O emulsion system. Before the second step, HAp nanocrystals were immersed in NaH(2)PO(4) solution for the formation of hydroxyl group on their surface. In the following, titanium tetraisopropoxide reacted with the hydroxyl group of HAp surface to form TiO(2) nanoparticles on the surface of HAp nanocrystals, which were dispersed in the micrometer-sized methanol droplets of polyethylene cetylether-cyclohexane mixture (methanol/oil emulsion). The resulting hydroxyapatite nanocrystals loaded with TiO(2) nanoparticles showed the high photocatalytic activity comparing to the commercial TiO(2) catalyst.     

Sunlight-induced efficient and selective photocatalytic benzene oxidation on TiO2-supported gold nanoparticles under CO2 atmosphere

The sunlight-induced photocatalytic oxidation of aqueous benzene on TiO(2)-supported gold nanoparticles was considerably improved when the reaction was conducted under a CO(2) atmosphere. 13% yield and 89% selectivity of phenol was obtained on P25-supported gold nanoparticles under 230 kPa of CO(2).     

Flame synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles with high photocatalytic activity

Growth behaviour of TiO₂ particles, which has significant influence on their crystallinity and surface area, has been controlled by varying the process parameters of the flame aerosol synthesis. An existing method to determine the crystallinity of the powder has been modified which facilitates comparison of the degree of crystallinity of the nanoparticles synthesized by various methods. Resultant TiO₂ nanoparticles were characterized by XRD and nitrogen physisorption to determine the degree of crystallinity quantitatively and surface area, respectively, and the decomposition rate of an industrial dye, methylene blue, has been taken as the measure of the photocatalytic activity (PCA). TiO₂ nanoparticles showed improved photocatalytic activity compared to the commercial photocatalyst, Degussa P25. This is attributed to the increased degree of crystallinity and surface area of the TiO₂ nanoparticles compared to Degussa P25. The results of this study elucidate the importance of the gas-phase processes and strategy to synthesize highly active TiO₂ photocatalysts in a single step. Moreover, difference in the PCA of the nanoparticles synthesized by the similar gas-phase routes has been shown and the particles are tailor-made for improved PCA in the present study.     

Sunlight-induced photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen over efficient carbon doped TiO2 (CTiO2) nanoparticles

Carbon doped titanium oxide (CTiO₂) photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by the sol–gel method. The crystal structure, surface morphology, and optical properties of CTiO₂ have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (S_BET), scanning electron microscope, UV–Vis, X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen (AMP) in aqueous solution, seawater, and polluted seawater has been investigated by using the synthesized photocatalyst under irradiation of UV and natural sunlight. The effectiveness of CTiO₂ compared to pure TiO₂ toward the photocatalytic removal of AMP was significantly observed. The optimized conditions including catalyst dose, initial concentration of AMP and solution pH were also studied for effective photocatalytic removal. The highest degradation rate was obtained when 2.0 g L^?1 of the catalyst was used at pH 7. The kinetic results revealed that the photocatalytic degradation of AMP using CTiO₂ obeyed a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics.

     

Efficient oxygen reduction on layers of ordered TiO2 nanotubes loaded with Au nanoparticles

Au nanoparticles dispersed over a self-organized nanotubular TiO₂ matrix can be used as a highly efficient catalyst system for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction in aqueous solutions. For the same loading of Au nanoparticles, the nanotubular support provides a manifold increase in the reaction rate in comparison with a flat TiO₂ support, or a pure Au sheet electrode.     

Removal of an organic pollutant from waste water by photocatalytic behavior of AgX/TiO2 loaded on mordenite nanocrystals

Mordenite (MOR) nanocrystals were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. Sol–gel and deposition methods were utilized to modify the zeolite surface with TiO₂ and then AgBr or AgCl particles. Photocatalysts were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Activity was evaluated by photodegradation of Acid Blue 92 as an azo dye. The effect of silver halide deposition on the photocatalytic behavior of the prepared nanocomposites was studied under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light, and the results were compared. The results showed that AgCl/TiO₂/MOR was more active under UV, while with visible source, AgBr/TiO₂/MOR exhibited better photocatalytic performance. A mechanism for the reaction is also proposed.     

Facilely anchoring Cu2O nanoparticles on mesoporous TiO2 nanorods for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction through efficient charge transfer

Semiconductor-employed photocatalytic CO₂ reduction has been regarded as a promising approach for environmental-friendly conversion of CO₂ into solar fuels. Herein, TiO₂/Cu₂O composite nanorods have been successfully fabricated by a facile chemical reduction method and applied for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. The composition and structure characterization indicates that the Cu₂O nanoparticles are coupled with TiO₂ nanorods with an intimate contact. Under light illumination, all the TiO₂/Cu₂O composite nanorods enhance the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. In particular, the TiO₂/Cu₂O-15% sample exhibits the highest CH₄ yield (1.35 µmol g^-1 h^-1) within 4 h irradiation, and it is 3.07 and 15 times higher than that of pristine TiO₂ nanorods and Cu₂O nanoparticles, respectively. The enhanced photoreduction capability of the TiO₂/Cu₂O-15% is attributed to the intimate construction of Cu₂O nanoparticles on TiO₂ nanorods with formed p-n junction to accelerate the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. This work provides a reference for rational design of a p-n heterojunction photocatalyst for CO₂ photoreduction.     

Polyacrylamide gel synthesis and photocatalytic properties of TiO2 nanoparticles

In this study, a polyacrylamide gel route was introduced to synthesize TiO₂ nanoparticles. The influence of synthesis conditions on the properties of products was investigated. It is found that the samples prepared at the calcination temperature of 400 °C crystallize majorly in the anatase phase with a minor rutile phase. The second rutile phase has a dependence on the chelating agent, which is formed more readily when using acetic acid as the chelating agent. The introduction of acrylamide and glucose to the precursor solution shows the capability of improving the particle morphology, and the resulted particles are uniformly shaped like spheres. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared TiO₂ samples was evaluated by the degradation of acid orange 7 under 254 nm ultraviolet irradiation, revealing that they exhibit a good photocatalytic activity. Ethanol was used as a ^·OH scavenger to investigate its effect on the photocatalytic efficiency as well as the ^·OH radical yields. Based on the experimental results, ^·OH radical is suggested to be the dominant active species responsible for the dye degradation.     

PdO nanoparticles decorated TiO2 film with enhanced photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties

Magnetron sputtering and gas aggregation source (GAS) approaches were combined for the preparation of columnar TiO₂ structures decorated with PdO nanoparticles (NPs). The totally solvent-free synthesis approach provides good control of surface coverage, size, morphology, and stoichiometry of PdO NPs in comparison to wet chemical synthesis methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed that the heat treatment led to the formation of a mixed oxide state PdO/PdO₂ on the TiO₂ layer. A steady equilibrium between PdO (oxidation by free and adsorbed ?OH) and PdO₂ (reduced by trapped photogenerated electrons) phases under UV irradiation seems to provide an efficient electron-hole pair separation. Such robust PdO–TiO₂ thin films have a strong potential for use as photocatalytic and self-cleaning windows or similar out-door technical surfaces.     

高纯纳米氧化钛的制备及催化活性

以工业级硫酸钛为原料,在酸性环境下以EDTA作为络合剂,采用控制沉淀法制备高纯度纳米TiO2。考察了pH值、反应温度、煅烧温度等工艺条件对TiO2颗粒晶型、大小和分布影响。利用TEM、XRD、ICP等手段对产物进行表征,TiO2纯度超过99.9%,粒径为10-20nm,分布均匀。经过对其光催化降解苯酚反应活性实验,结果表明样品具有较好的光催化活性。     

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotube layers loaded with Ag and Au nanoparticles

Ag and Au nanoparticles were found to significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity of self-organized TiO₂ nanotubular structures. The catalyst systems are demonstrated to be highly efficient for the UV-light induced photocatalytic decomposition of a model organic pollutant – Acid Orange 7. The metallic nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼10 ± 2 nm (Ag) and ∼28 ± 3 nm (Au) were attached to a nanotubular TiO₂ layer that consists of individual tubes of ∼100 nm of diameter, ∼2 μm in length and approx. 15 nm of wall thickness. Both metal particle catalyst systems enhance the photocatalytic decomposition significantly more on the nanotubes support than placed on a compact TiO₂ surface.     

TiO2 films loaded with silver nanoparticles: control of multicolor photochromic behavior

Ag-TiO(2) films exhibiting multicolor photochromism were prepared by photoelectrochemical reduction of Ag(+) to Ag nanoparticles in nanoporous TiO(2) films under UV light. Color of the Ag-TiO(2) film, initially brownish-gray, changes under a colored visible light to the color of the light and reverts to brownish-gray under UV light. Their chromogenic properties were improved by simultaneous irradiation for Ag deposition with UV and blue lights to suppress the formation of anisotropic Ag particles. Nonvolatilization of a color image was also achieved by removing Ag(+) that was generated during the irradiation with a colored light. Once nonvolatilized, the image can be reproduced by UV light, even after the image is discolored under white light. This new effect evidenced that nanopores in the TiO(2) film determine the resonance wavelengths of the Ag particles, as their molds. In addition, solvatochromic behavior of the Ag-TiO(2) film proved that nanospaces left around the Ag nanoparticles affect the resonance wavelengths of the Ag particles.     

Multicomponent polymer coating to block photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles

Chemical grafting of anti-oxidant molecules with an additional hydrophobic polymer coating directly onto TiO(2) particle surfaces, using sonochemistry, is found to eliminate photocatalytic degradation enabling highly effective screening against UV radiation.     

Preparation and photocatalytic antibacterial property of nitrogen doped TiO2 nanoparticles

Nitrogen doped TiO₂ (N-TiO₂) nanoparticles with about 30 nm in size were produced by a sol–gel method and characterized respectively by UV–vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Their photocatalytic antibacterial properties were evaluated by the antibacterial ratio against Escherichia coli in dark and under simulated sunlight respectively. The XRD pattern showed that the doped nano-TiO₂ was mainly composed of anatase phase. The XPS spectra of the N-TiO₂ sample indicated that TiO₂ was doped by nitrogen atom. The nitrogen doping created a new N 2p state slightly above the valence band top consists of O 2p state, and this pushes up the valence band top and decreased the band gap. Which leaded to the absorption edge was red-shifted to the visible light region of UV–vis spectra of nitrogen doped nano-TiO₂ comparing with pure nano-TiO₂. The antibacterial percentage of N-TiO₂ against E. coli reached to 90 % under simulated sunlight for 2 h, which was much better than that in dark, also than that of pure nano-TiO₂. The photo-catalytic antibacterial activity was activated under visible light. The structure and integrity of cell wall and cell membrane were destructed, and even caused the bacteria death.     

Electrophoretic deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles using organic dyes

Electrophoretic deposition method has been developed for the deposition of TiO(2) nanoparticles modified with organic dyes. Alizarin red, alizarin yellow and pyrocatechol violet dyes were used for the dispersion and charging of TiO(2) in ethanol and anodic electrophoretic deposition of TiO(2) films. The deposition yield was varied by the variation of dye concentration in suspensions and deposition time. Aurintricarboxylic acid dye was used for the deposition of TiO(2) from aqueous suspensions. It was found that thin films of pure aurintricarboxylic acid and composite aurintricarboxylic acid TiO(2) films can be obtained. The deposition yield was studied by quartz crystal microbalance. Dye film thickness was varied in the range of 0.1-2 μm by variation in the deposition time at a constant voltage. The composition of the films and the amount of the deposited material can be varied by the variation of TiO(2) and dye concentration in suspensions and deposition time. The films were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis and electron microscopy. The deposition mechanisms were discussed. The electrophoretic deposition method offers advantages for the fabrication of dye-sensitized TiO(2) films.     

TiO2光催化氧化去除有机污染物的研究进展

本文综述了近年来TiO2光催化降解有机污染物的研究进展，讨论了各类 有机污染物光催化氧化反应的特点、影响反应速率的因素及光催化体系的改进。