Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activities of rare earth-loaded BiVO4 catalysts

The BiVO₄-based photocatalysts loaded with rare earth (RE=Ho, Sm, Yb, Eu, Gd, Nd, Ce and La) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), nitrogen adsorption for the BET specific surface area and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by decolorization of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The results of XRD, SEM and XPS analysis deduced that the rare earth ions were present as RE₂O₃ in the samples. The DRS analysis showed the shift in the absorbption edge from the UV to the visible range: Ho³⁺-BiVO₄ < Sm³⁺-BiVO₄ < Yb³⁺-BiVO₄ < Eu³⁺-BiVO₄ < Gd³⁺-BiVO₄ < Nd³⁺-BiVO₄ < La³⁺-BiVO₄ < Ce³⁺-BiVO₄ < BiVO_4. Gd³⁺-BiVO₄ had the highest photocatalytic activity among all the RE³⁺-BiVO₄ catalysts. The optimal Gd content was 8 at% under visible light irradiation. This beneficial effect was attributed to the specific electron structure characteristics of gadolinium and the increasing in the separation efficiency of the electron-hole pairs. On the contrast, the other rare earth ions had the detrimental effect on the photocatalytic decolorization of MB.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and photoelectric properties of BiVO4 with different morphologies: An efficient visible-light photocatalyst

Different morphologies of monoclinic BiVO₄ with smaller size were hydrothermal synthesized by simply adjusting the amount of surfactant (polyvinyl pyrrolidone PVP K30) added. The detailed field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis revealed that the amount of PVP added could significantly affect the morphology and size of BiVO₄. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation (λ > 400 nm), and the as-prepared sample with well-assembled flower-like morphology showed a much higher photocatalytic activity due to larger specific surface area and higher separation efficiency of photo-induced carriers. The relationship between the behavior of photo-induced carriers and photocatalytic activity was studied using the surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) and corresponding phase spectra.     

BiVO4空心微球的合成及其光催化降解亚甲基蓝的性能研究

以BiNO₃·5H₂O和NH₄VO₃为原料,柠檬酸为络合剂,成功合成了BiVO₄空心纳米球．采用TEM、XRD、UV-Vis等测试技术对样品的形貌、相结构以及光吸收性能等进行了表征．结果表明,所制备的BiVO₄空心微球在紫外区和可见区均有较强的光吸收,空心球平均粒径为160 nm,空腔直径为10～80 nm．以亚甲基蓝染料溶液的脱色降解实验为模型反应研究了样品的光催化性能．光催化实验结果表明,在可见光照射下,反应150 min后,样品对亚甲基蓝溶液的脱色率可达到95%以上．此外,考察了柠檬酸添加量对空心球形貌的影响,并提出了BiVO₄空心纳米球的可能形成机理．     

水热法制备不同形貌和结构的BiVO4粉末

采用水热合成法,选择不同比例的起始原料、反应温度、反应时间、pH值和表面活性剂,制备出不同形貌和结构的BiVO₄粉末.采用X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、拉曼、傅里叶红外和紫外-可见吸收光谱技术对产物进行分析表征.结果表明,提高n_Bi/n_V或反应液pH值,可得到纯的单斜晶系白钨矿型BiVO₄粉末;水热温度和水热时间的不同则得到不同尺寸和内部结构的BiVO₄粉末.另外,不同表面活性剂的加入则主要影响BiVO₄的微观形貌. 关键词： 4')" href="#">BiVO₄ 水热法 光催化     

纤维状TiO2/BiVO4异质结的高可见光光催化性能

Novel TiO₂/BiVO₄ microfiber heterojunctions were constructed using cotton as biomorphic templates. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and photocatalytic experiment. The morphology of the as-synthesized TiO₂/BiVO₄ composites was consisted of a large quantity of microfiber structures with diameter from 2.5 μm to 5 μm, and the surface of samples became more coarse and compact with the increase of weight ratio of TiO₂. The TiO₂/BiVO₄ samples with proper content (10.00wt%) showed the highest pho-tocatalytic degradation activity for methylene blue (MB) degradation among all the samples under visible light, and 88.58%MB could be degraded within 150 min. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the formation of n-n heterojunction at the contact interface of TiO₂ and BiVO₄, which not only narrowed the band gap of BiVO₄ for extending the absorption range of visible light, but also promoted the transfer of charge carriers across interface. A possible photodegradation mechanism of MB in the presence of TiO₂/BiVO₄ microfibrous photocatalyst was proposed.     

Synthesis and characterization of the Pd/InVO4-TiO2 co-doped thin films with visible light photocatalytic activities

Novel Pd/InVO₄-TiO₂ thin films with visible light photocatalytic activity were synthesized from the Pd and InVO₂ co-doped TiO₂ sol via sol-gel method. The photocatalytic activities of Pd/InVO₄-TiO₂ thin films were investigated based on the oxidative decomposition of methyl orange in aqueous solution. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis). The results indicate that the Pd/InVO₄-TiO₂ thin films are compact, uniform and consist of sphere nanoparticles with diameters about 80-100 nm. The UV-vis spectra show that the Pd/InVO₄-TiO₂ thin films extend the light absorption spectrum toward the visible region. XPS results reveal that doped Pd exist in the form of metallic palladium. The photocatalytic experiments demonstrate that Pd doping can effectively enhance the photocatalytic activities of InVO₄-TiO₂ thin films in decomposition of aqueous methyl orange under visible light irradiation. It has been confirmed that Pd/InVO₄-TiO₂ thin films could be excited by visible light (E < 3.2 eV) due to the existence of the Pd and InVO₄ doped in the films.     

一种新型Ag3PO4/Ag/Ag2Mo2O7纳米线光催化剂：三元纳米复合物的光催化活性

Ag₃PO₄/Ag/Ag₂Mo₂O₇ composite photocatalyst was successfully prepared via an in situ precipitation method. The as-prepared Ag₃PO₄/Ag/Ag₂Mo₂O₇ nanocomposite included Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles (NPs) as well as Ag NPs assembling on the surface of Ag₂Mo₂O₇ nanowires. Under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm), the Ag₃PO₄/Ag/Ag₂Mo₂O₇ composite degraded rhodamine B (Rh B) efficiently and showed much higher photocatalytic efficiency than pure Ag₃PO₄, Ag₂Mo₂O₇, or Ag₃PO₄/Ag₂Mo₂O₇. It was elucidated that the excellent photocatalytic performance of Ag₃PO₄/Ag/Ag₂Mo₂O₇ for the degradation of Rh B under visible light could be ascribed to the high specific surface area, the extended absorption in the visible light region resulting from the Ag₃PO₄/Ag loading, and the efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes through the ternary heterostrucure composed of Ag₃PO₄, Ag and Ag₂Mo₂O₇.     

三元异质结构Ag-Bi2MoO6/BiPO4光催化剂高效降解苯酚红

多组分复合体系有利于电荷的有效分离,减少电子空穴对的复合几率。通过低温液相法首次合成Ag-Bi₂MoO₆/BiPO₄三元异质结构光催化剂。利用XRD、SEM、EDX及XPS等技术对样品进行了表征。结果表明,Ag纳米粒子光照积累在Bi₂MoO₆/BiPO₄的表面,通过表面等离子共振增加对可见光的吸收,同时作为电子受体促进了光生电子的转移。Ag、BiPO₄和Bi₂MoO₆形成三元异质结构有效地抑制了光生电子空穴对的复合。Ag-Bi₂MoO₆/BiPO₄表现出优异的光催化性能,其光催化活性较BiPO₄、Bi₂MoO₆和Bi₂MoO₆/BiPO₄样品有较大提高。并且对Ag-Bi₂MoO₆/BiPO₄三元异质结构的光催化机制进行了讨论。光催化过程中反应活性物种捕获实验结果表明h⁺和O₂^·-是主要的活性基团.     

Density functional theory study of doping effects in monoclinic clinobisvanite BiVO4

The doping effects of several transition metal impurities for monoclinic BiVO₄ are studied by DFT calculations. The results indicated that transition metal doping could reduce the effective mass of holes on the top of valence band, except Zr doping. In particular, we found the “e” states of impurities have significant influence on the photophysical properties of BiV_1 − xM_xO₄ under visible-light irradiation.     

Flowerlike PtCl4/Bi2WO6 composite photocatalyst with enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity

Flowerlike PtCl₄/Bi₂WO₆ composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized through a simple two-step method involving a template-free hydrothermal process and the following impregnation treatment. The samples were fully characterized by the study of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-Vis absorption spectra. The results indicated that the doping of Pt species did not affect the crystal structure and the morphology of Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst, but it had great influences on the photocatalytic activity of Bi₂WO₆ towards rhodamine-B (RhB) degradation. Besides, the Pt species was found to be present as PtCl₄ in the composite samples, and also an optimal Pt species content on the surface of Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst was discovered with the highest photocatalytic ability. The improved photocatalytic performance could be ascribed to the enhanced interfacial charge transfer and the inhibited recombination of electron-hole pairs. Meanwhile, a possible mechanism for RhB photocatalytic degradation over PtCl₄/Bi₂WO₆ catalyst was also proposed.     

Visible-light-activated Ce-Si co-doped TiO2 photocatalyst

To enhance the visible photocatalytic activity and thermal stability of TiO₂, Ce-Si co-doped TiO₂ materials were synthesized through a nonaqueous method of which the purpose was to reduce the aggregation between TiO₂ particles. The obtained materials maintained anatase phase and large surface area of 103.3 m² g⁻¹ even after calcined at 800 °C. The XPS results also indicated that Si was weaved into the lattice of TiO₂, and Ce mainly existed as oxides on the surface of TiO₂ particles. The doped Si might enhance surface area and suppress transformation from anatase to rutile, while the doped Ce might cause visible absorption and inhibit crystallite growth during heat treatment. Evaluated by decomposing dye Rhodamine B, visible photocatalytic activity of Ce-Si co-doped TiO₂ was obviously higher than that of pure TiO₂ and reached the maximum at Ce and Si contents of 0.5 mol% and 10 mol%.     

Preparation and characterization of iodine-doped mesoporous TiO2 by hydrothermal method

Iodine-doped mesoporous TiO₂ (I/TiO₂) was prepared by hydrothermal method, using tetrabutyl titanate as precursor, potassium iodate as iodine sources. The as-prepared I/TiO₂ catalysts were characterized by UV-vis, XRD, TEM, BET, TG/DTA, XPS and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Production of OH radicals on the I/TiO₂ surface was detected by the PL technique using terephthalic acid as a probe molecule. The effects of hydrothermal reaction temperature, calcination temperature and iodine doping content on the structure and properties of the catalysts were investigated. The results showed that iodine-doped TiO₂ calcinated at 300 °C have good anatase crystal. The optimal hydrothermal conditions have been determined to be that reaction temperature 120 °C, calcinated temperature 300 °C and added 1.16 mmol iodine dopants. The average particle size of I/TiO₂ synthesized under optimal condition (I-3 sample) is about 3.9 nm. The I-3 photocatalyst contains 100% anatase crystalline phase of TiO₂. BET specific surface area of I-3 sample is184.8 m² g⁻¹ and is 3.67 times that of pure TiO₂ (50.37 m² g⁻¹). Iodine in I/TiO₂ catalyst mainly exists in the form of I₂, and photoactivity of I/TiO₂ catalyst in visible light comes from photosensitize of I₂. I/TiO₂ catalysis shows very high efficiency for the degradation of phenol under visible light.     

Unusual photo-induced adsorption-desorption behavior of propylene on Ag/TiO2 nanotube under visible light irradiation

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanotube with a large amount of single-electron-trapped-oxygen-vacancies (coded as T2) was obtained by annealing nanotube H₂Ti₂O₄(OH)₂ (coded as T1) at 400 °C in air. Silver nanoparticles with a diameter of about 30-50 nm were loaded onto the surface of T2 via deposition associated with photochemical reduction under ultraviolet irradiation. The resulting Ag/TiO₂ nanotube (coded as T3) was characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible light diffusion reflectance spectrometry. It was found that C₃H₆ experienced unusual photo-induced adsorption-desorption on T3 under visible light irradiation. Namely, C₃H₆ was initially desorbed from T3 and then adsorbed on T3 under visible light irradiation. On the contrary, C₃H₆ was initially adsorbed on T3 in the dark, followed by desorption. The reason might lie in that two kinds of active sites exist on the surface of T3, corresponding to quite different rates of adsorption and desorption. It was found that oxygen vacancies in association with deposited silver particles, were responsible for the alternative adsorption-desorption of C₃H₆ on T3.     

Synthesis and properties of Au-Fe3O4 and Ag-Fe3O4 heterodimeric nanoparticles

Monodisperse Au-Fe 3 O 4 heterodimeric nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by injecting precursors into a hot reaction solution.The size of Au and Fe 3 O 4 particles can be controlled by changing the injection temperature.UV-Vis spectra show that the surface plasma resonance band of Au-Fe 3 O 4 heterodimeric NPs was evidently red-shifted compared with the resonance band of Au NPs of similar size.The as-prepared heterodimeric Au-Fe 3 O 4 NPs exhibited superparamagnetic properties at room temperature.The Ag-Fe 3 O 4 heterodimeric NPs were also prepared by this synthetic method simply using AgNO 3 as precursor instead of HAuCl 4.It is indicated that the reported method can be readily extended to the synthesis of other noble metal conjugated heterodimeric NPs.     

纤维状TiO2/Bi2O3光催化剂的制备及其光催化性能

以C₁₆H₃₆O₄Ti和Bi(NO₃)·5H₂O为原料,以棉花纤维为生物模板,合成了系列纤维状TiO₂/Bi₂O₃光催化剂．采用XRD、SEM、UV-Vis等测试技术对样品的相结构、形貌和吸光性能等进行了表征分析．结果表明,样品中的Bi₂O₃为单斜相和四方相共存的混晶,纤维长度达到毫米级,     

钒酸铟分级结构微米花和纳米线的水热合成和可见光催化性能

采用水热法合成InVO₄分级结构微米花和InVO₄纳米线．FESEM结果表明, 通过控制水热反应参数可以获得不同形貌InVO₄晶体．利用可见光(λ>420 nm)照射下的罗丹明B降解实验评价了InVO₄样品的光催化性能．结果表明,InVO₄的光催化活性比商用P25 TiO₂高得多,其中花状InVO₄纳米结构光催化效率最高,经可见光照射40 min,罗丹明     

Preparation and photoelectrochemical performance of Ag/graphene/TiO2 composite film

By dipping-lifting in sol-gel solution and reducing process, the graphene/TiO₂ composite film on the glass plate was first prepared. Then, the Ag/graphene/TiO₂ composite film was fabricated by interface reaction with AgNO₃ and N₂H₄·H₂O on the surface of graphene/TiO₂ composite film. The characterization results show that the uniform porous TiO₂ film is made up of the anatase crystal, and the Ag/graphene/TiO₂ composite film is constructed by doping or depositing graphene sheets and Ag nanoparticles on the surface of TiO₂ film. The photoelectrochemical measurement results indicate that the Ag/graphene/TiO₂ composite film has an excellent photoelectrochemical conversion property.     

Synthesis and characterization of axially periodic Zn2SnO4 dendritic nanostructures

Zn2SnO4 （ZTO） nanowires with a unique dendritic nanostructure were synthesized via a simple one-step thermal evaporation and condensation process. The morphology and microstructure of the ZTO nanodendrite have been investigated by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, x-ray diffraction （XRD） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. SEM observation revealed the formation of branched nanostructures and showed that each branch exhibited a unique periodic structure formed by a row of overlaid rhombohedra of ZTO nanocrystals along the axis of the nanobranch. HRTEM studies displayed that the branches grew homoepitaxially as single-crystalline nanowires from the ZTO nanowire backbone. A possible growth model of the branched ZTO nanowires is discussed. To successfully prepare branched structures would provide an opportunity for both fundamental research and practical applications, such as three-dimensional nanoelectronics, and opto-electronic nanodevices.     

Synthesis and characterization of thermoluminescent Li2B4O7 nanophosphor

Lithium borate (Li₂B₄O₇) is a low Z_eff, tissue equivalent material that is commonly used for medical dosimetry using the thermoluminescence (TL) technique. Nanocrystals of lithium borate were synthesized by the combustion method for the first time in the laboratory. TL characteristics of the synthesized material were studied and compared with those of commercially available microcrystalline Li₂B₄O₇. The optimum pre-irradiation annealing condition was found to be 300 °C for 10 min and that of post-irradiation annealing was 300 °C for 30 min. The synthesized Li₂B₄O₇ nanophosphor has very poor sensitivity for low doses of gamma up to 10¹ Gy whereas from 10¹ to 4.5×10² Gy this phosphor exhibits a linear response and then from 4.5×10² to 10³ Gy it shows supralinearity. Thermoluminescence properties of Li₂B₄O₇ nanophosphor doped with Cu has also been investigated in this paper. It shows low fading and a linear response over a wide range of gamma radiation from 1×10² to 5×10³ Gy. Therefore the synthesized lithium borate nanophosphor doped with Cu may be used for high dose measurements of gamma radiations.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of bulk BaTiO3+MgFe2O4 composite

BaTiO₃+MgFe₂O₄ material system was synthesized by hybrid chemical process using chlorides and nitrates of barium, titanium, iron, and magnesium. Magnetic properties of the composite samples measured as a function of annealing conditions indicated soft magnetic behavior. Saturation specific magnetization from 8 21 emu/g was observed for samples annealed at temperature between 950 and 1150 °C. Variation of specific saturation magnetization with respect to annealing temperature was related with the distribution of Fe cations in the tetrahedral and octahedral sites of MgFe₂O₄. Electrical properties of the samples annealed at different temperatures were measured to analyze the coexistence of ferroelectric phase. Dielectric constant varying from 15 to 200 with respect to frequency was observed for samples annealed from 950 to 1150 °C.