Fabrication of CuO/T-ZnOw nanocomposites using photo-deposition and their photocatalytic property

CuO/tetrapod-like ZnO whisker (T-ZnOw) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized using a simple photo-deposition method. Some nanocomposites exhibit remarkably improved photocatalytic property, while the extents of the improvements vary with different Cu/Zn molar ratios and polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations. Moreover, it is found that excessively high Cu/Zn molar ratio or PEG concentration would reduce the photocatalytic property of the nanocomposites. A direct relationship between the morphology and the photocatalytic property of CuO/T-ZnOw was established and then analyzed by discussing the photocatalytic mechanism of the CuO/T-ZnOw nanocomposites.     

A novel one-step electron beam irradiation method for synthesis of Ag/Cu2O nanocomposites

In this paper, a novel method for fabrication of silver/cuprous oxide (Ag/Cu₂O) nanocomposites is reported. The method involves the reduction of Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺ in the aqueous solution to Ag/Cu₂O without adding any reducing reagent under electron beam (EB) irradiation. Dye methyl orange is used as the pollutant model to investigate the photocatalytic properties of these nanocomposites. The results reveal that they have higher photocatalytic efficiencies than that of Cu₂O under visible light. These visible light-sensitive catalysts may have potential application in the field of environmental remediation.     

Synthesis and characterization of Ag/BiVO4 composite photocatalyst

Ag/BiVO₄ composite photocatalysts were hydrothermal synthesized and characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS and DRS techniques. Their photocatalytic activities were determined by oxidative decomposition of methyl orange in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. It revealed that the doped Ag species greatly improved the visible light absorption abilities and morphologies of the composites, and thus lead to enhanced photocatalytic activities compared with that of the pure BiVO₄.     

Tunable photocatalytic selectivity of fluoropolymer PVDF modified TiO2

Fluoropolymer poly-vinylidene-fluoride modified TiO₂ (PVDF/TiO₂) were prepared via a simple chemisorption approach and characterized by thermo gravimetric analyse, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra. The modified mechanism and the photocatalytic selectivity of the PVDF/TiO₂ were studied. The existence of Ti-F coordination bond on the interface between TiO₂ and PVDF was confirmed. For the PVDF modification, the photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of cationic dye was greatly enhanced, and the PCD of anionic dye was obviously inhibited. PVDF/TiO₂ shows high photocatalytic selectivity than that of TiO₂ by degrading mixed solution of cationic dyes MB and anionic dyes MO. The selectivity can be tuned by changing the PVDF modification amount.     

Photocatalytic properties of porous C-doped TiO2 and Ag/C-doped TiO2 nanomaterials by eggshell membrane templating

Porous organic carbon-doped titania (C-TiO₂) nanomaterials and their composites with Ag nanoparticles (Ag/C-TiO₂) were synthesized by an eggshell membrane templating method, and their structural and photocatalytic properties were systematically characterized. These nanomaterials, exhibiting a macroscopic morphology of a thin film, are composed of interwoven tubes, and the tube wall consists of nanocrystals. The doped organic carbon was composed of the active carbon and carbonate species, which could form a layer around the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles, while the silver was incorporated into Ag/C-TiO₂ composites as separated Ag nanoparticles. The degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation was employed to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of these as-prepared TiO₂-based materials. Both C-TiO₂ and Ag/C-TiO₂ nanomaterials showed higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO₂ material–commercial Degussa P25. These results can be accounted for the coupling effect of the incorporation of carbon species and Ag nanoparticles.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nano-structured thin film with a silver hierarchical configuration

TiO₂ sol-gels with various Ag/TiO₂ molar ratios from 0 to 0.9% were used to fabricate silver-modified nano-structured TiO₂ thin films using a layer-by-layer dip-coating (LLDC) technique. This technique allows obtaining TiO₂ nano-structured thin films with a silver hierarchical configuration. The coating of pure TiO₂ sol-gel and Ag-modified sol-gel was marked as T and A, respectively. According to the coating order and the nature of the TiO₂ sol-gel, four types of the TiO₂ thin films were constructed, and marked as AT (bottom layer was Ag modified, surface layer was pure TiO₂), TA (bottom layer was pure TiO₂, surface layer was Ag modified), TT (pure TiO₂ thin film) and AA (TiO₂ thin film was uniformly Ag modified). These thin films were characterized by means of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and transient photocurrent (I_ph). LSV confirmed the existence of Ag⁰ state in the TiO₂ thin film. SEM and XRD experiments indicated that the sizes of the TiO₂ nanoparticles of the resulting films were in the order of TT > AT > TA > AA, suggesting the gradient Ag distribution in the films. The SEM and XRD results also confirmed that Ag had an inhibition effect on the size growth of anatase nanoparticles. Photocatalytic activities of the resulting thin films were also evaluated in the photocatalytic degradation process of methyl orange. The preliminary results demonstrated the sequence of the photocatalytic activity of the resulting films was AT > TA > AA > TT. This suggested that the silver hierarchical configuration can be used to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ thin film.     

Effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes loaded with Ag nanoparticles on the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes loaded with Ag nanoparticles (Ag/MWNTs) were prepared by two methods (direct photoreduction and thermal decomposition). The photocatalytic activity of Ag/MWNTs for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation was investigated in detail. The adsorption and photocatalytic activity tests indicated that the MWNTs served as both an adsorbent and a visible light photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of MWNTs was remarkably enhanced when the Ag nanoparticles were loaded on the surface of MWNTs. Moreover, the visible light photocatalytic activity of Ag/MWNTs depended on the synthetic route. On the basis of the experimental results, a possible visible light photocatalytic degradation mechanism was discussed.     

Influence of silver doping on the photocatalytic activity of titania films

By means of X-ray diffraction, BET nitrogen adsorption, UV-Vis-NIR transmission spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photodegradation of methylene blue, effects of Ag doping on the microstructure and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films prepared by sol–gel method were studied. It is found that with a suitable amount (2–4 mol%), the Ag dopant increases the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ films. The mechanism can be attributed to that (1) anatase grain sizes decrease with Ag doping and the specific surface areas of doped TiO₂ films increase, the charge transfer in TiO₂ films is promoted; (2) by enhancing the electron–hole pairs separation and inhibiting their recombination, the Ag dopant enhances the charge pair separation efficiency for doped TiO₂ films.     

Efficient one-pot synthesis of Ag nanoparticles loaded on N-doped multiphase TiO2 hollow nanorod arrays with enhanced photocatalytic activity

The simultaneous Ag loaded and N-doped TiO₂ hollow nanorod arrays with various contents of silver (Ag/N-THNAs) were successfully synthesized on glass substrates by one-pot liquid phase deposition (LPD) method using ZnO nanorod arrays as template. The catalysts were characterized by Raman spectrum, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), ultraviolet-vis (UV-vis) absorption spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results suggest that AgNO₃ additive in the precursor solutions not only can promote the anatase-to-rutile phase transition, but also influence the amount of N doping in the samples. The photocatalytic activity of all the samples was evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The sample exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity under UV light illumination when the AgNO₃ concentration in the precursor solution was 0.03 M, due to Ag nanoparticles acting as electron sinks; When the AgNO₃ concentration was 0.07 M, the sample performed best under visible light illumination, attributed to the synergetic effects of Ag loading, N doping, and the multiphase structure (anatase/rutile).     

Structural,thermal and optical behavior of laser irradiation-induced PVA–PEG–Ag nanocomposites

Polyvinyl alcohol?polyethylene glycol?silver (PVA–PEG–Ag) nanocomposites were prepared by adding Ag nanoparticles with 5?wt.% to the (PVA–PEG) blend. The films of 0.05?mm thickness were prepared by the casting method. Samples from these films were irradiated with infrared (IR) laser fluences ranging from 1.7 to 15?J/cm². The effect of IR laser radiation on the structural properties of PVA–PEG–Ag has been investigated using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate that the crosslinking dominates due to laser exposure at the fluence range 1.7–15?J/cm², reducing the ordering character of the nanocomposite samples. Also, the variation of transition temperatures with the laser fluence has been determined using differential thermal analysis. The nanocomposite thermograms were characterized by the appearance of an endothermic peak due to melting, and were found to be dependent on the laser fluence. In addition, the color changes due to laser irradiation were computed using the transmission data. It is found that the color difference is largely dependent on the proportions of the red color component.     

A twice liquid arc discharge approach for synthesis of visible-light-active nanocrystalline Ag:ZnO photocatalyst

Ag:ZnO hybrid nanostructures were successfully prepared by a twice arc discharge method in liquid. The visible light photocatalytic activities were successfully demonstrated for the degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh. B), Methyl orange (MO), and Methylene blue (MB) as standard organic compounds under the irradiation of 90 W halogen light for 2 h. The Ag:ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The results revealed that the Ag:ZnO nanostructures extended the light absorption spectrum toward the visible region and significantly enhanced the Rh. B photodegradation under visible light irradiation. 3 mM Ag:ZnO nanostructures exhibited highest photocatalytic efficiency. It has been confirmed that the Ag:ZnO nanostructures could be excited by visible light (E<3.3 eV). The significant enhancement in the Ag:ZnO nanostructures photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation can be ascribed to the effect of physisorbed noble metal Ag by acting as electron traps in ZnO band gap. A mechanism for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant over Ag:ZnO photocatalyst was proposed based on our observations.     

Design and fabrication of a TiO2/nano-silicon composite visible light photocatalyst

Nano-silicon (nc-Si) was utilized as the charges generator to promote the photocatalytic and super-hydrophilic reactivity of TiO₂ film under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic ability of TiO₂/nc-Si composite photocatalyst was evaluated by a set of experiments to photodecompose 100 ppm methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. And the super-hydrophilic property was characterized by measuring the water droplet contacts angle, under visible light irradiation in atmospheric air and at room temperature. Under 100 mW/cm² visible light irradiation, the droplet contact angles were reduced to 0° within 4 h with nc-Si charge generator. Additionally, the rate constant of MB photo-degradation was promoted 6.6 times.     

Surface modification of nanocrystalline anatase with CTAB in the acidic condition and its effects on photocatalytic activity and preferential growth of TiO2

The nanocrystalline anatase TiO₂, which was synthesized by a sol-hydrothermal process in advance, has successfully modified with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the acidic condition as well as in the basic condition. On the basis of the measurements of infrared spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the resulting TiO₂, together with the phase-transfer experiments, it is suggested that the modification mechanism in the acidic condition is closely related to Br⁻. Interestingly, compared with un-modified TiO₂, the modified TiO₂ exhibits high photocatalytic activity for degrading Rhodamine B (RhB) solution, especially for that modified in the acid. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of modified TiO₂ in the acid is attributed to the role that the Br⁻ can easily capture photo-induced holes and then form active Br, consequently effectively inducing photocatalytic oxidation reactions, based on the surface photovoltage responses of the resulting TiO₂. After that, a one-pot sol-hydrothermal route at the temperature as low as 80 °C is developed to directly synthesize CTAB-modified nanocrystalline TiO₂ with a little preferred growth along 〈0 0 1〉 direction, which can be easily dispersed in the organic system and possess good photocatalytic performance. This work provides a feasible strategy to further improve the photocatalytic performance of nanocrystalline anatase and to synthesize TiO₂ nanocrystals with preferential growth.     

Ultrasonic-assistant fabrication of cocoon-like Ag/AgFeO2 nanocatalyst with excellent plasmon enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

The AgFeO₂ delafossite was reported as a potential photocatalyst as well as its intense recombination rate of photogeneration charge carriers. In this work, we utilized plasmon modification method to enhance the photocatalytic activity of AgFeO₂. Silkworm cocoon like Ag/AgFeO₂ nanocatalyst was synthesized by an ultrasonic enhanced reduction method. XRD, HRTEM and XPS results demonstrated the well dispersed Ag⁰ on the surface of AgFeO₂. Under visible light irradiation, 20 mg/L of ARG solution was completely degraded by 0.25 g/L of Ag/AgFeO₂ photocatalyst with pseudo-first-order rate of 0.040 min⁻¹. The inducement of the prominently enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag/AgFeO₂ was deeply analyzed. Significant decreased intensity of photoluminescence (PL) spectra suggested the superior separation of photo-induced electrons and holes of Ag/AgFeO₂ as compared to that of AgFeO₂. The free h⁺ was confirmed as the dominant active species for the pollutant degradation. Ultimately, the photodegradation mechanism was proposed and discussed.     

四苯基卟啉锌/TiO2纳米复合材料的原位合成及可见光光催化

利用溶胶-凝胶法,经400℃(4 h)烧结后,原位合成不同摩尔比的5,10,15,20-四苯基卟啉锌(ZnTPP)/TiO2纳米复合材料,通过XRD,FTIR,UV-Vis,荧光光谱等表征分析,确认复合材料中TiO2为锐钛矿相,且ZnTPP在该过程中原位生成.经150 min可见光辐照,摩尔比为1:100的ZnTPP/TiO2复合材料能使罗丹明B溶液降解率达到92%.其光催化敏化的机理为,通过ZnTPP与TiO2之间的Zn-O键,使光生载流子形成有效的分离,提高了光催化性能.     

PATP在Ag/TiO_2纳米管基底上的表面增强拉曼散射和光催化过程研究

表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)是一种超灵敏、高选择性的分析方法,越来越受到人们的关注。对巯基苯胺(PATP)由于其易吸附在大多数SERS基底表面,并可以产生极强的SERS信号,因此常被用作SERS的探针分子。二氧化钛(TiO_2)是一种目前常用的光催化剂,但是其催化效率仍有待提高。将贵金属与TiO_2复合是提高其催化效率的有效手段。本文采用电化学阳极氧化法制备了二氧化钛纳米管(TiO_2NTs),并采用光化学还原方法在表面沉积了贵金属银,制备了一种同时具有SERS和催化性能的双功能基底,即银纳米粒子修饰的二氧化钛纳米管(Ag/TiO_2NTs),研究了PATP分子在该基底上的光催化过程,并与在银镜基底上的光催化过程进行了比较。我们发现,Ag/TiO_2NTs基底上的PATP在催化过程中峰强度逐渐减弱,但没有新峰的出现;而在银镜基底上PATP的峰强度随光照时间却几乎没有变化,证明了PATP分子在Ag/TiO_2 NTs上的光催化降解过程。本文还对Ag/TiO_2NTs上PATP的催化过程进行了动力学分析,结果表明PATP在该基底表面的催化反应为一级反应。     

Combination of ultrasound-treated 2D g-C3N4 with Ag/black TiO2 nanostructure for improved photocatalysis

Herein, nanosheets of g-C₃N₄ (CN), prepared using a green ultrasonication process under various conditions, were combined with Ag/black TiO₂ nanocomposites (AgBT) to create two-dimensional (2D) CN/Ag/black TiO₂ tri-composites (CNAgBT). The thickness of the CN sheets varied with the ultrasonication conditions. The CNAgBT sample prepared using ultrasound-treated CN exhibited the highest average photocatalytic efficiencies for the degradation of two model pollutants, followed in decreasing order by AgBT, black TiO₂ (BT), sheet CN, bulk CN, and TiO₂. The order of pollutant degradation efficiencies by the photocatalysts was consistent with that of the charge carrier separation efficiencies. The degradation efficiency of the CNAgBT increased as the CN-to-AgBT ratio increased from 0.05 to 0.1, but decreased gradually for higher ratios between 0.15 and 0.20, indicating a lower optimal CN-to-AgBT ratio. A plausible photocatalytic degradation mechanism for the CNAgBT nanocomposites was proposed. Additionally, CNAgBT with a CN-to-AgBT ratio of 0.1 displayed a higher hydrogen generation rate with a maximum value of 21.5 mmol g⁻¹ over 5 h than those of the AgBT and BT. Overall, the CNAgBT prepared using ultrasonication-treated CNs showed enhanced photocatalytic performance for both pollutant degradation and hydrogen generation.     

Preparation and photocatalytic property of CeO2 lamellar

A novel room temperature solid-state chemical synthesis was introduced to successfully fabricate CeO₂ samples, coupled by a polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400)/cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The as-prepared products were characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, BET and UV. A study of photocatalytic degradation of the methylene blue MB under UV illumination has been carried out. It is indicated that the samples exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity. Besides, the samples assisted with surfactants possess higher photocatalytic activity than the sample without any surfactants, wherein the sample with SDS as an additive shows the highest photocatalytic activity, which is able to reach 89.6% MB degradation ratio within 60 min illumination. Moreover, the effects of important operational parameters such as initial MB concentration, catalyst loading and pH were also investigated. The above sample under the optimum conditions obtained the maximum MB degradation ratio up to 96.5%, which is higher than that of the commercial TiO₂ P25 under the same conditions. It can be concluded that CeO₂ will be a potential photocatalyst in the application of organic pollutant.     

Combinatorial discovery of anomalous substrate effect on the photochemical properties of transition metal-doped epitaxial SrTiO3 heterostructures

Epitaxial Sr(V_xCr_yTi_1−x−y)O₃ (0≤x+y≤0.05) ternary composition spreads were grown on two different single crystal substrates, LaAlO₃ and Nb-doped SrTiO₃, by use of combinatorial laser molecular beam epitaxy with a specially patterned slide masking plate. The photocatalytic activity on the composition spreads was evaluated by the photo-reduction of Ag⁺ in an AgNO₃ aqueous solution to deposit Ag metal on the spreads. The V-doping effect was found to depend greatly on the substrate: the photodeposition of Ag was much enhanced in the composition region of SrV_0.05Ti_0.95O₃ only on the Nb-doped SrTiO₃, but not on the LaAlO₃ and non-doped SrTiO₃.     

Ag/K_4Nb_6O_(17)异质结催化剂的制备、光谱分析及光催化性能研究

采用低温水热法成功制备了层状的K4Nb6O17半导体光催化材料。考虑到水热合成的K4Nb6O17表面多羟基(Nb—OH)和端氧(Nb O,Nb—O-)的特点,采用Ag(en)2+配合物前驱体法制备了高度均匀分散的Ag/K4Nb6O17异质结光催化剂,光催化性能评价结果表明,半导体K4Nb6O17表面负载极少量的Ag,其光催化降解甲基橙活性便得到大幅度提高,Ag的最佳负载量为0.5 at%。综合XRD,FTIR,UV-VisDRS,XRF和TEM表征结果,对Ag/K4Nb6O17异质结光催化剂的作用机制进行了较详细地阐述并获得如下结论:(1)K4Nb6O17提供了降解有机染料分子的电子和空穴;(2)K4Nb6O17纳米晶上Ag粒子作为光生电子接受器,促进了金属-半导体界面上电荷的转移,有效地分离了光生电子-空穴对,提高了光催化活性。