Ultrasonic-assisted preparation of novel ternary ZnO/Ag3VO4/Ag2CrO4 nanocomposites and their enhanced visible-light activities in degradation of different pollutants

Novel ternary ZnO/Ag₃VO₄/Ag₂CrO₄ nanocomposites were successfully fabricated via preparation of ZnO/Ag₃VO₄ followed by coupling of it with Ag₂CrO₄ through facile ultrasonic-assisted method. The resultant samples were carefully characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and photoluminescence techniques. Photocatalytic activity for degradation of organic dyes, including rhodamine B, methylene blue, and methyl orange was examined under visible-light irradiation. Among the prepared samples, the ternary nanocomposite with 20% of Ag₂CrO₄ demonstrated the superior activity. This nanocomposite showed 10.6, 2.9, and 3.0-folds greater activity compared to ZnO, ZnO/Ag₂CrO₄, and ZnO/Ag₃VO₄, respectively. The enhanced activity was attributed to more harvesting of the visible-light irradiation and efficiently separation of the photogenerated charge carriers in the ternary nanocomposites. To understand efficiently separation of the charge carriers, a plausible diagram was proposed based on formation of tandem n-n heterojunctions.     

Combination of Ag2CrO4 and AgI semiconductors with g-C3N4: Novel nanocomposites with substantially improved photocatalytic performance under visible light

Novel g-C₃N₄/Ag₂CrO₄/AgI nanocomposites with improved photocatalytic performance under visible light were synthesized by consecutive deposition of Ag₂CrO₄ and AgI semiconductors over g-C₃N₄ sheets by refluxing method. The synthesized g-C₃N₄/Ag₂CrO₄/AgI photocatalysts were fully characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, UV–vis DRS, TGA, FT-IR, and PL instruments. Photocatalytic performance of g-C₃N₄/Ag₂CrO₄/AgI (30%) nanocomposite for degradation of RhB was 27.9, 4.0, and 3.1 folds greater than those of the g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄/Ag₂CrO₄ (20%), and g-C₃N₄/AgI (30%) photocatalysts, respectively. The substantially increased photocatalytic performance was related to efficient retardation of the charge carriers from recombination and more absorbing of visible light, due to the synergistic effects of Ag₂CrO₄ and AgI on g-C₃N₄. The photocatalytic performance of the ternary nanocomposite did not considerably change after several cycles, indicating that the ternary nanocomposite is stable and it could be reused in successive runs.     

Fe2O3/carbon quantum dots complex photocatalysts and their enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

In this study, we report the facile fabrication of Fe(2)O(3)/CQDs nanocomposites, and investigate their effective photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of toxic gas (gas-phase benzene and methanol) under visible light. The crucial roles of CQDs in the enhancement of photocatalytic activity of the Fe(2)O(3)/CQDs composites are illustrated.     

Novel ternary g-C3N4/Ag3VO4/AgBr nanocomposites with excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance for environmental applications

Novel visible-light-induced photocatalysts were fabricated by integration of Ag₃VO₄ and AgBr semiconductors with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) through a facile refluxing method. The fabricated photocatalysts were extensively characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS, BET, TGA, and PL instruments. The photocatalytic performance of these samples was studied by degradations of three dye contaminants under visible-light exposure. Among the ternary photocatalysts, the g-C₃N₄/Ag₃VO₄/AgBr (10%) nanocomposite displayed the maximum activity for RhB degradation with rate constant of 1366.6 × 10⁻⁴ min⁻¹, which is 116, 7.23, and 38.5 times as high as those of the g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄/AgBr (10%), and g-C₃N₄/Ag₃VO₄ (30%) photocatalysts, respectively. The effects of synthesis time and calcination temperature were also investigated and discussed. Furthermore, according to the trapping experiments, it was found that superoxide anion radicals were the predominant reactive species in this system. Finally, the ternary photocatalyst displayed superlative activity in removal of the contaminants under visible-light exposure, displaying great potential of this ternary photocatalyst for environmental remediation, because of a facile synthesis route and outstanding photocatalytic performance.     

Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3 p-n异质结复合光催化剂的制备及增强的可见光催化性能

半导体光催化氧化技术作为一种“绿色技术”,被广泛应用于环境污染物治理和太阳能转化领域.高效、稳定、可回收利用的催化剂的开发是光催化技术发展的一个重要方向. Ag系半导体光催化剂因在可见光分解水制氢及降解有机污染物等方面表现出优异的催化性能而广受关注.然而,该催化剂失活快制约了其应用.因此,提高Ag系半导体材料的光催化稳定性成为近年来研究的一个热点.研究发现,在半导体的表面或者界面形成p–n异质结是提高催化剂光催化性能和稳定性的有效途径.理论上讲,当p型半导体和n型半导体形成p–n结以后,在两种半导体接触边缘的附近处存在着正、负空间电荷分列两边的偶极层,产生了从n型半导体指向p型半导体的内建电场.内建电场的存在使得p型半导体与n型半导体之间产生了电位差,即内建电势差.这种电势差能够有效促进电子和空穴的分离,达到光生电子和空穴对分离、转移和传递的目的,从而抑制电子和空穴的复合,提高光催化效率. Ag2CO3是p型半导体,其导带为0.21 eV,价带为2.83 eV; Ag3PO4是n型半导体,其导带为0.43 eV,价带为2.86 eV.两者能带结构匹配,能形成p–n异质结.因此,本文采用简单的共沉淀法,制备了不同比例的Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3复合光催化剂,并通过X射线衍射、透射电镜、X射线光电子能谱、紫外-可见漫反射光谱以及瞬态光电压谱等对其进行了表征.透射电镜照片显示,粒径较小的Ag3PO4颗粒均匀的分布在粒径较大的Ag2CO3周围. P元素和C元素的摩尔比接近于投料比. Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3复合催化剂的吸收光谱体现出两种催化剂的混合特征,在可见光区的吸收强度增加.瞬态光电压表征不仅证实了Ag2CO3是p型半导体, Ag3PO4是n型半导体,更说明了40%-Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3复合光催化剂的载流子寿命较长.罗丹明B(RhB)的降解实验证实40%-Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3(Ag3PO4与Ag2CO3的摩尔比为40%：60%)复合催化剂的光催化效率最高,500 W氙灯(附加420 nm截止波长的滤光片)照射15 min后, RhB就能被完全降解,而纯的Ag3PO4和Ag2CO3对RhB的降解率只有40%和10%.循环实验发现,前两次循环中由于单质银的生成导致催化剂活性下降,但从第三次循环开始其催化活性趋于稳定.此外,还通过添加草酸钠(空穴的清除剂)、异丙醇(羟基自由基的清除剂)和对苯醌(超氧自由基的淬灭剂)等来判断光催化过程中起主要作用的活性自由基.实验证实空穴是Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3光催化剂在降解RhB过程中产生的主要活性自由基物种. Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3光催化剂相对于单纯的Ag3PO4和Ag2CO3有更高的空穴产生能力.当可见光照射到复合催化剂表面时, Ag2CO3导带上的激发电子能够快速转移到Ag3PO4的导带上,同时Ag3PO4价带上的光生空穴能够快速转移到Ag2CO3的价带上. p–n结的形成提高了光生电子和空穴的分离效率,抑制了电子和空穴的再结合,因此,复合光催化剂光催化降解效率提高.综上所述, Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3之间能形成有效p–n结,40%-Ag3PO4/Ag2CO3复合光催化剂表现出最佳的光催化性能.     

Ag/Fe_3O_4/rGO纳米复合材料的制备及抗菌性能

以四水合氯化亚铁和硝酸银为原料,硼氢化钠为还原剂,氧化石墨烯(GO)为载体,通过原位还原法制备了具有磁分离功能的银/四氧化三铁/还原氧化石墨烯(Ag/Fe_3O_4/rGO)纳米复合抗菌材料.采用X射线粉末衍射仪(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)等对复合材料进行了表征.结果显示,Fe_3O_4和Ag纳米颗粒均匀分布在rGO片层上.复合材料的饱和磁化率(Ms)为40.5 A·m~2·kg·(-1),表明其具有较强的磁性,将其与菌液混合后,在磁场作用下10 min即可吸附沉降完成磁分离.以大肠杆菌(E.coli)和金黄色葡萄球菌(S.aureus)为实验菌株,通过琼脂扩散法评价了复合材料的抗菌性能.结果表明,该复合材料具有良好的抗菌效果,对E.coli和S.aureus的抑菌圈直径分别为18 mm和13 mm,最低抑菌浓度值(MIC)分别为50 mg/L和80 mg/L,最低杀菌浓度值(MBC)分别为30 mg/L和50 mg/L.     

梯型BiVO4/Ag3VO4光催化剂的构建及其可见光光催化性能

近年来,有机污染物的问题变得越来越严重.为了解决该问题,人们研究和开发了许多有效的光催化剂.本工作采用水热法和化学沉积法合成了BiVO4/Ag3VO4梯型半导体材料,该复合材料在可见光下具有很强的氧化还原能力.其中40%BiVO4/Ag3VO4具有最佳的光催化降解性能,其降解速率为0.05588 min^-1,分别是BiVO4和Ag3VO4的22.76和1.76倍.并且其性能稳定,经过四次循环后其降解率仍可保持90%以上.BiVO4和Ag3VO4复合后,其催化性能得到增强,归因于形成了新型的梯型光催化机制,该方法促进了光生电荷的分离并延长了电荷的寿命,且通过PL测试和瞬态光电流响应证明了电荷的有效转移.X射线衍射(XRD)可以观察到Ag3VO4和BiVO4物相,没有其他成分.用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)进一步观察了该催化剂的结构和形貌,从SEM可以看出,Ag3VO4生长在BiVO4的上面,能谱分析也证明该催化剂仅包含Ag3VO4和BiVO4的各种元素,而不含其他杂质,TEM进一步证明了两种物质复合在一起,而不是机械混合.通过紫外-可见光漫反射光谱(UV-vis)测试可以得到BiVO4和Ag3VO4的吸收带边,进一步计算BiVO4的带隙和导带分别为2.41和0.455 eV,Ag3VO4的带隙和导带分别为2.20和0.04 eV,二者组成的异质结的带隙满足降解的条件.用荧光光谱(PL)和光电流研究了样品的光电特征,结果表明BiVO4/Ag3VO4光催化剂具有很高的载流子分离效率和很低的光电流电阻,这有助于光生载流子的运输.光催化降解甲基蓝实验表明,BiVO4/Ag3VO4具有很强的光催化降解速率(0.05588 min^-1),是BiVO4的22.6倍,Ag3VO4的1.76倍,而且经过四次循环后仍能保持很高的活性.通过XRD发现使用后的催化剂并没有发生变化,说明该催化剂具有良好的稳定性.高分辨X射线光电子能谱(XPS)不仅进一步说明了该催化剂成功复合后没有其他杂质元素,而且从各元素的结合能变化可以看出构成异质结后电子的流向,证实了光催化机制为梯型机制.光照射后,BiVO4和Ag3VO4产生电子空穴对,当催化剂受光激发后,电子从价带被激发到导带,并在价带留下空穴.当BiVO4和Ag3VO4复合后,在接触界面形成内电场,由于库仑相互作用,能带边缘弯曲等作用加速了Ag3VO4价带上某些空穴和BiVO4导带上电子的复合,从而阻止了Ag3VO4和BiVO4内部电子空穴对的复合,这有助于Ag3VO4导带上的电子和BiVO4价带上的空穴参与氧化还原反应.从捕获实验可以看出,本实验中空穴在光催化降解中起着最重要的作用,这与上述结论一致.     

Self-assembled 3D flowerlike hierarchical Fe3O4@Bi2O3 core-shell architectures and their enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

Three‐dimensional (3D) flowerlike hierarchical Fe₃O₄@Bi₂O₃ core–shell architectures were synthesized by a simple and direct solvothermal route without any linker shell. The results indicated that the size of the 3D flowerlike hierarchical microspheres was about 420 nm and the shell was composed of several nanosheets with a thickness of 4–10 nm and a width of 100–140 nm. The saturation magnetization of the superparamagnetic composite microspheres was about 41 emu g^?1 at room temperature. Moreover, the Fe₃O₄@Bi₂O₃ composite microspheres showed much higher (7–10 times) photocatalytic activity than commercial Bi₂O₃ particles under visible‐light irradiation. The possible formation mechanism was proposed for Ostwald ripening and the self‐assembled process. This novel composite material may have potential applications in water treatment, degradation of dye pollutants, and environmental cleaning, for example.     

Preparation and enhanced visible light photoelectrochemical activity of g-C3N4/ZnO nanotube arrays

Graphite-like carbon nitride particles were deposited onto ZnO nanotube arrays by thermal polycondenzation and the photoelectrochemical energy conversion property of the g-C₃N₄/ZnO photocathode was investigated. The photocurrent generated by the g-C₃N₄/ZnO composite photocathode is nearly five times as that of g-C₃N₄ and ten times as that of ZnO under visible light irradiation at applied potential of +0.40 V vs. Ag/AgCl electrode. The incident photon to electron conversion efficiency is also greatly enhanced after the modification of g-C₃N₄ nanoparticles onto the ZnO nanotube arrays. In addition, the g-C₃N₄/ZnO electrode exhibits excellent long-term stability. The matching conduction bands and valence bands of g-C₃N₄ and ZnO greatly enhanced the separation and transfer of the photogenerated electrons and holes in the composite, thus the photoelectrochemical performance of the g-C₃N₄/ZnO electrode is improved.     

Synthesis of V5+‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts were prepared via the ion exchange method. The catalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies. The V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts show much higher photocatalytic activities than Ag/AgCl under visible light irradiation for methyl orange (MO) decomposition. Especially, the 2.0 wt% V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalyst shows the highest photocatalytic activity and also high stability after five cycles. The MO degradation rate during each cycle is almost maintained at 97%. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical trapping experiments reveal that holes play an important role in the photocatalytic process.     

Fe2O3/ZnO/ZnFe2O4 composites for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light

In this study, novel ternary Fe₂O₃/ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ (ZFO) composites were successfully prepared through a simple hydrothermal reaction with subsequent thermal treatment. The as-prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) measurement, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible light irradiation indicated that the ZFO composites calcined at 500 °C has the best photocatalytic activity (the photocatalytic degradation efficiency can reach up to 95.7% within 60 min) and can maintain a stable photocatalytic degradation efficiency for at least three cycles. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of ZFO composites toward dye decomposition follows the order cationic Rh B > anionic methyl orange. Finally, using different scavengers, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were identified as the primary active species during the degradation reaction of Rh B.     

Magnetically separable ZnO/ZnFe2O4 and ZnO/CoFe2O4 photocatalysts supported onto nitrogen doped graphene for photocatalytic degradation of toxic dyes

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) counting heterogeneous photocatalysis has confirmed as one of the preeminent method for waste water remediation. In the present work, we have successfully fabricated novel visible-light-driven nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) supported magnetic ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄ (ZnO/ZF/NG) and ZnO/CoFe₂O₄ (ZnO/CF/NG) nanocomposites. ZnO synthesized via direct precipitation method. Hydrothermal method was used for the preparation of nitrogen-doped graphene supported magnetic ZnO/ZF (ZnO/ZnFe₂O₄) and ZnO/CF (ZnO/CoFe₂O₄) nanocomposites. The procured materials were scrutinized by assorted characterizations to acquire information on their chemical composition, crystalline structure and photosensitive properties. The absorption and photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts were studied via UV–Visible spectra. Photodegradation performance of the synthesized nanocomposites was estimated toward mineralization of methyl orange (MO) and malachite green (MG) dyes in aqueous solution. The high surface area of ZnO/ZF/NG and ZnO/CF/NG was suitable for adsorptive removal of MO and MG dyes. The photodegradation performance of heterojunction photocatalysts was superior to bare photocatalyst in 140 min under visible-light irradiation. Spectrophotometer, GC–MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) elucidation was carried out to expose the possible intermediates formed. Both ZnO/ZF/NG and ZnO/CF/NG were rapidly isolated from the aqueous phase by applying an external magnetic field in 20 sec and 2 min, respectively. The photocatalytic performance and stability of ZnO/ZF/NG and ZnO/CF/NG nanocomposites were confirmed by conducting 10 consecutive regeneration cycles. Owing to recyclability of ZnO/ZF/NG and ZnO/CF/NG, these heterogeneous nanocomposites might be used as cost-effective for treatment of discarded water. The observations endorse that the synthesized ternary heterogeneous nanocomposites facilitates wastewater decontamination using photocatalytic technology.     

Preparation of magnetic Fe3O4/TiO2/Ag composite microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic activity

The novel three-component Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag composite mircospheres were prepared via a facile chemical deposition route. The Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ mircospheres were first prepared by the solvothermal method, and then Ag nanoparticles were anchored onto the out-layer of TiO₂ by the tyrosine-reduced method. The as-prepared magnetic Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag composite mircospheres were applied as photocatalysis for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag composite microspheres is superior to that of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ due to the dual effects of the enhanced light absorption and reduction of photoelectron–hole pair recombination in TiO₂ with the introduction of Ag NPs. Moreover, these magnetic Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag composite microspheres can be completely removed from the dispersion with the help of magnetic separation and reused with little or no loss of catalytic activity.     

Magnetic retrievable Ag/AgBr/ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst for efficient removal of organic pollutant under visible light

In the present work, a visible-light-driven Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized via a deposition–precipitation and photoreduction method. The crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology and optical properties of the as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence. The photocatalytic activities of the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposites were evaluated through the photodegradation of gaseous toluene and methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The results revealed that the as-prepared Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity. The degrading efficiency of MO could still reach 90% after four cycles, and the Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposite could be recycled easily by a magnet. Additionally, the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism was discussed according to the trapping experiments, which indicated that the photo-generated holes (h⁺) and •O₂⁻ played important roles in photodegradation process. At last, a possible photocatalytic oxidation pathways of toluene was proposed based on the results of GC–MS. The Ag/AgBr/ZnFe₂O₄ composites showed potential application for efficient removal of organic pollutant.     

Facile ion-exchange synthesis of Gd-doped K2Ta2O6 photocatalysts with enhanced visible light activity

One of the well-known ways of increasing the visible light absorption capability of semiconducting materials is cation doping. This study aims to use Gd doping to tailor the bandgap energy of K₂Ta₂O₆ (KTO) for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. Accordingly, the parent KTO and Gd-doped KTO with different Gd concentrations (K_2-3xGd_xTa₂O₆; x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 mol%) were synthesized by hydrothermal and facile ion-exchange methods, respectively. The powder XRD, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM-SAED, N₂ adsorption-desorption, XPS, UV–Vis DRS, PL and ESR techniques were used to investigate the effect of Gd dopant concentration on the structural and photocatalytic properties of KTO. The photocatalytic activity of these samples was investigated for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye in an aqueous solution at room temperature under visible light irradiation. The experimental results show that all Gd-doped KTO samples exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with parent KTO toward MB degradation. In particular, Gd-KTO obtained by doping of 0.075 mol% shows the highest photocatalytic activity among the Gd-doped samples and the degradation efficiency of MB was 79% after 180 min of visible light irradiation, which is approximately 1.5 times as high as that by parent KTO (53%). In addition, trapping experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis demonstrated that the hydroxyl radicals (^?OH) have played a crucial role in the photocatalytic degradation of MB. The reusability and stability of Gd doped-KTO with a Gd content of 0.075 mol% against MB degradation were examined for five cycles. Based on the present study results, a visible light induced photocatalytic mechanism has been proposed for Gd0075-KTO sample.     

Ag/Ag3PO4/g-C3N4三元复合光催化剂的制备及其可见光驱动下的光催化活性增强

报道了一种新型Ag/Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄三元复合光催化剂的制备及其半导体界面处的快速载流子分离所引起的光催化活性的显著增强效应。通过X射线衍射,扫描电子显微镜,紫外-可见吸收光谱以及光致发光光谱等就其晶体结构、形貌、组分、光学吸收以及载流子的快速分离行为进行了表征与分析。以罗丹明B作为模型化合物分子,研究发现,所制备的Ag/Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄三元复合光催化剂在可见光照射下表现出比Ag₃PO₄以及Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄二元催化剂更为优异的光催化活性。研究认为,Ag₃PO₄表面尺寸约为40 nm的Ag纳米粒子在可见光下受激所产生的等离子表面共振效应以及Ag₃PO₄与g-C₃N₄界面处所形成的类似异质结结构对所制备的Ag/Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄三元复合光催化剂光催化活性的显著增强起到重要作用。     

Sonochemical synthesis and characterization of Cu2HgI4 nanostructures photocatalyst with enhanced visible light photocatalytic ability

These days, an important concern in water contamination is the remaining dyes from various sources (for instance, dye and dye intermediates industries, pulp and paper industries, textile industries, craft bleaching industries, tannery, and pharmaceutical industries, etc.), and a broad range of persistent organic contamination has been entered to the wastewater treatment systems or natural water supplies. Indeed, it is extremely hazardous and toxic to the living organism. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these organic pollutants before releasing them into the environment. Photocatalysis is a quickly growing technology for sewage procedures. For this purpose, Cu₂HgI₄ nanostructures were prepared via facile, and cost-effective sonochemical method. The effect of varied circumstances, such as various surfactants, sonication power, and sonication time was considered on the crystallinity, structure, shape, and particle size of products. Cu₂HgI₄ possesses a suitable bandgap (2.2 eV) in the visible area. The photocatalytic performance of the Cu₂HgI₄ was surveyed for the elimination of various organic dyes under visible radiation and exposed that this compound could degrade and remove methyl orange about 94.2% in an acidic medium after 160 min under visible light. Besides, the result showed that various parameters, including, pH, dye concentration, types of dyes, catalyst dosages, and time of irradiation affected the photocatalytic efficiency.     

Probing the magnetoelectric response and energy efficiency in Fe3O4/epoxy nanocomposites

Fe₃O₄/epoxy nanocomposites were manufactured and studied. Structural, morphological, thermomechanical and dielectric characterization was conducted via X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy. Nanocomposites’ magnetic behaviour was obtained by a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device and their ability to store/harvest energy was investigated by DC charge/discharge tests. Data imply that the incorporation of the nanoparticles has an augmenting influence on the thermomechanical, dielectric and magnetic properties of the systems. Dielectric relaxations recorded in all systems are attributed to interfacial polarization, glass to rubber transition of the polymer matrix, and re-orientation of polar side groups of the polymer chain. Magnetic measurements confirmed the ferrimagnetic nature of the nanocomposites, while induced magnetic properties enhance with filler content. Stored and harvested energies increase with the applied DC field and the coefficient of energy efficiency increases in general with filler content.     

Construction of a novel ZnCo2O4/Bi2O3 heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

A novel ZnCo₂O₄/Bi₂O₃ heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared via balling method. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the broad photoabsorption and low recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, which is driven by the photogenerated potential difference formed at the ZnCo₂O₄/Bi₂O₃ heterojunction interface.