Enhanced Raman scattering and photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO heterojunction nanocrystals

In this work, we study the enhancement of Raman signals and photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO heterojunctions with an Ag content of 1 at.%, which were synthesized by photochemical deposition of Ag nanoparticles onto pre-synthesized ZnO nanorods. A strong interaction between Ag and ZnO nanocrystals were evidenced by XPS and UV-vis spectroscopy. The binding energy of Ag nanoparticles shifts toward lower energy compared to that of pure Ag nanoparticles, revealing that electrons transfer from Ag to the ZnO nanocrystals. The red shift of the plasmon absorption peak of Ag nanoparticles in Ag/ZnO heterojunctions further confirms the strong interaction between the two components. This strong interaction, arising from the coupling between Ag and ZnO nanocrystals, is responsible for the enhancement of Raman signals and photocatalytic activity of the Ag/ZnO heterojunctions.     

Band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO composites for enhanced photocatalytic activity

The toxic dye pigments, even in small quantities, can damage ecosystems. Removing organic, inorganic, and microbiological contaminants from wastewater via heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method. Herein, we report the band structure tuning of ZnO/CuO nanocomposites to enhance photocatalytic activity. The nanocomposites were synthesized by a chemical approach using step-wise implantation of p-type semiconductor CuO to n-type semiconductor ZnO. Various characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV spectroscopy were used to investigate the crystal structure, surface morphology, elemental composition and optical properties of the synthesized samples. As the CuO content increased from 10% to 50% in ZnO/CuO nanocomposites, the optical bandgap decreased from 3.36 to 2.14 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated against the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible irradiation. Our study demonstrates a novel p–n junction oxide photocatalyst based on wt. 10% CuO/ZnO with superior photocatalytic activity. Effectively 66.6% increase in degradation rate was achieved for wt. 10% CuO/ZnO nanocomposite compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles.     

Electron transfer between colloidal ZnO nanocrystals

Colloidal ZnO nanocrystals capped with dodecylamine and dissolved in toluene can be charged photochemically to give stable solutions in which electrons are present in the conduction bands of the nanocrystals. These conduction-band electrons are readily monitored by EPR spectroscopy, with g* values that correlate with the nanocrystal sizes. Mixing a solution of charged small nanocrystals (e(-)(CB):ZnO-S) with a solution of uncharged large nanocrystals (ZnO-L) caused changes in the EPR spectrum indicative of quantitative electron transfer from small to large nanocrystals. EPR spectra of the reverse reaction, e(-)(CB):ZnO-L + ZnO-S, showed that electrons do not transfer from large to small nanocrystals. Stopped-flow kinetics studies monitoring the change in the UV band-edge absorption showed that reactions of 50 μM nanocrystals were complete within the 5 ms mixing time of the instrument. Similar results were obtained for the reaction of charged nanocrystals with methyl viologen (MV(2+)). These and related results indicate that the electron-transfer reactions of these colloidal nanocrystals are quantitative and very rapid, despite the presence of ~1.5 nm long dodecylamine capping ligands. These soluble ZnO nanocrystals are thus well-defined redox reagents suitable for studies of electron transfer involving semiconductor nanostructures.     

水热法制备ZnO纳米棒及其光催化性能研究

以Zn(acac)2.H2O为单源前驱体,采用水热法在140℃条件下制备了ZnO纳米棒,并用XRD、SEM、TEM等测试手段对其进行了表征。利用紫外—可见分光光度计测试了其光吸收性能,发现ZnO纳米棒对200-400 nm波长范围的光有很强的吸收性,在可见光范围内,也有较强的吸收。以ZnO纳米棒为光催化剂对有机染料酸性红4B进行了光催化降解实验,并研究了光源、污水浓度对ZnO纳米棒光催化氧化效果的影响。研究结果表明,在日光照射180 min后,对酸性红4B的降解率接近100%。     

Low-temperature synthesis of anatase-brookite composite nanocrystals: the junction effect on photocatalytic activity

Anatase-brookite composite nanocrystals have successfully been synthesized at 50 degrees C using a simple liquid-phase process. The photocatalytic activity of the sample for the gas-phase oxidation of CH3CHO is 5.4 times greater than that of a single-phase anatase sample with comparable crystallite size and surface area. Electron energy loss spectra suggest that this high activity results from junction between anatase and brookite crystals.     

A facile method to fabricate ZnO hollow spheres and their photocatalytic property

This paper presents a novel and facile method for the fabrication of ZnO hollow spheres. In this approach, zinc ions were first adsorbed onto the surfaces of sulfonated polystyrene core-shell template spheres, and then reacted with NaOH to form a ZnO crystal nucleus, which was followed by a growth step to form ZnO nanoshells. During the formation of ZnO nanoshells or later on, the template spheres were "dissolved" in the same media to obtain ZnO hollow spheres directly. Neither additional dissolution nor calcination process was needed in this method to remove the templates, and the reaction conditions were very mild: neither high temperature nor long time was needed. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis were used to investigate the morphology, surface composition, crystalline structure, specific surface area, and porosity of the ZnO hollow spheres, respectively. UV-visible spectra show that these ZnO hollow spheres had very good photocatalytic activity.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic activity of highly dispersed ZnO powders

The micromorphology of highly dispersed ZnO powders formed from Zn(OH)₂ gels under hydrothermal conditions is studied by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray diffraction analysis, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption. The parameters of hydrothermal synthesis (heating rate, treatment duration, and temperature) are found to effect the microstructural characteristics of the products. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized zinc oxide samples in the model reaction of Methyl Orange photodegradation is studied. The synthesis parameters for preparing ZnO powders with high photocatalytic activity are determined.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of single-crystalline hollow rh-In2O3 nanocrystals

We report here for the first time the hollow, metastable, single-crystal, rhombohedral In(2)O(3) (rh-In(2)O(3)) nanocrystals synthesized by annealing solvothermally prepared InOOH solid nanocrystals under ambient pressure at 400 °C, through a mechanism of the Kirkendall effect, in which pore formation is attributed to the difference in diffusion rates of anions (OH(-) and O(2-)) in a diffusion couple. The InOOH solid nanocrystals were prepared via a controlled hydrolysis solvothermal route by using In(NO(3))(3)·4.5H(2)O as a starting material and glycerol-ethanol as a mixed solvent. The glycerol-ethanol mixed solvent plays a key role on the formation of the intermediate InOOH, thus the final product of rh-In(2)O(3). The as-synthesized In(2)O(3) nanocrystals present excellent photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) dyes, which present ～92% degradation of RhB or MB after 4 or 3 h reaction in the presence of the as-synthesized In(2)O(3) nanocrystals, respectively.     

超声波制备介孔结构的氮掺杂TiO2纳米晶及其可见光催化性能

采用超声波辐射法制备了具有介孔结构的高浓度氮掺杂TiO₂纳米晶(N/TiO₂).采用N₂物理吸附、X射线粉末衍射、X射线光电子能谱、透射电镜、光致发光谱和紫外-可见漫反射光谱等手段对N/TiO₂进行了表征.以波长为400~660nm的可见光为光源,以水体污染物邻苯二甲酸二甲酯为降解对象,考察了不同制备方法对N/TiO₂光催化性能的影响.结果表明,超声波辐射使氮掺杂浓度提高了2.2倍,该法制备的N/TiO₂同时具有较好的介孔结构,表现了更高的光催化降解邻苯二甲酸二甲酯的活性.其活性提高的主要原因是N/TiO₂含有更高浓度的氮和对可见光具有更强的吸收能力.     

Effects of mechanical activation on structure and photocatalytic properties of ZnO powders

Zinc oxide (ZnO) was mechanically activated in air using a planetary ball mill using varying milling speeds and time. The obtained samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the mechanically treated ZnO powders were investigated in the reaction of Malachite Green (MG) degradation in aqueous solution under UV-light irradiation. A decrease in the crystallite size (from 90 to 10 nm) accompanied by an increase of microstrains and lattice parameters were established applying different milling speeds. The agglomeration of the particles was observed by SEM analysis. The absorption spectra of the initial and mechanically activated ZnO samples show shifting of the band position from 360 to 330 nm, which can be related to decrease in the crystalline size. The ZnO powders activated at lower milling speeds (for shorter time intervals) exhibit highest photocatalytic activity.      

UV-shielding property, photocatalytic activity and photocytotoxicity of ceria colloid solutions

UV-shielding property, photocatalytic activity and cytotoxicity (including photocytotoxicity) of citrate-stabilized ceria colloid solutions were studied. It was established that UV-shielding property (namely, the sun protection factor, the critical absorption wavelength and the UVA/UVB-ratio) of ceria nanoparticles are as good as those of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles. It was further demonstrated that ceria nanoparticles possesses substantially lower photocatalytic activity, which additionally decreases upon decrease in ceria particle size. It was found that colloid ceria solutions are non-toxic to mouse fibroblasts (L929) and fibroblast-like cells of African Green monkey (VERO). Moreover, ceria nanoparticles are capable to protect these cells from UV-irradiation-induced damage. It was proposed that nanocrystalline ceria could be used not only as UV-blocking material, but also as prophylactic and even therapeutic compound for sunburns treatment.     

纳米SnO2／ZnO复合氧化物的制备及制备条件对光催化性能的影响

以SnCl4·5H2O、ZnSO4·7H2O、NH3·H2O为原料,采用共沉淀法制备出纳米SnO2/ZnO复合光催化剂,以降解甲基橙为模型反应,考察了不同条件制备的复合氧化物的光催化活性,并用TEM、XRD测试手段对其进行了表征。结果表明,ZnO复合SnO2后,光催化活性明显提高,但是焙烧温度超过900℃后,其光催化活性又大大降低。     

ZnO纳米柱状阵列表面AgX等离子基元修饰及其可见光光催化活性

采用浸渍法制备了表面AgX（X=I,Br）等离子基元修饰的ZnO纳米柱状阵列,研究了浸渍浓度和时间以及紫外光光照预处理对ZnO纳米柱状阵列可见光光催化活性的影响.采用场发射扫描电子显微镜、X射线衍射仪、紫外可见漫反射吸收光谱以及X射线光电子能谱仪等手段对ZnO纳米柱状阵列的形貌、相组成、禁带宽度及其表面特性进行了表征.结果显示,AgBr颗粒分布于ZnO纳米柱状阵列的顶端及顶端侧面,同时AgBr颗粒之间相互接触而形成网状结构.通过紫外光光照预处理,AgBr表面出现细小颗粒,形成Ag/AgBr/ZnO纳米复合结构.可见光光催化降解甲基橙结果表明,在相同工艺条件下所制AgBr/ZnO的可见光光催化活性明显优于AgI/ZnO,且与浸渍浓度及时间有关.由于ZnO纳米柱状阵列的比表面积大,AgBr的可见光响应特性以及Ag/AgBr纳米结构的表面等离子效应,经过紫外光光照预处理形成的Ag/AgBr/ZnO纳米复合结构表现出最好的可见光光催化活性.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of ZnO and its photocatalytic activity in degradation of CTAB

Nanosized zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) was prepared by a microwave irradiation method using zinc nitrate and triethanolamine as starting materials and distilled water as a solvent. The as-prepared powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photocatalytic degradation of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) using the prepared material under UV irradiation was studied.The effects of ZnO dosage and initial pH on the photodegradation of CTAB were investigated. As the ZnO load increased, the CTAB degradation first increased and then decreased. The optimum ZnO dosage was 3 g L^–1. Photodegradation of CTAB is more efficient in slightly alkaline media (pH 9).     

Microwave-assisted method for preparation of Sb-doped ZnO nanostructures and their photocatalytic activity

Nanostructures of Sb-doped ZnO with 0.00, 0.03, 0.06, 0.10 and 0.15 mol fractions of Sb⁺³ ions were prepared by a one-pot method in water under microwave irradiation for 5 min. Powder X-ray diffraction studies display that the nanostructures are excellently crystallized in the form of Wurtzite hexagonal crystalline phase and doping Sb⁺³ ions does not change structure of ZnO. Moreover, size of the nanostructures decreases with increasing mole fraction of Sb⁺³ ions. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images show that morphology and size of the nanostructures are changing with mole fraction of the dopant. In Fourier transform infrared spectra, intensity of the characteristic peak corresponding to Sb–O bond gradually increases with mole fraction of Sb⁺³ ions. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra of the nanostructures are similar to each other and they have a maximum of about 357 nm. Photocatalytic activity of the nanostructures was investigated by degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. For the nanostructures with 0.10 mol fraction of Sb⁺³ ions, the degradation rate constant increases nearly two times relative to pure ZnO. In addition, influence of various operational parameters on the degradation activity was investigated and the results were discussed.     

Preparation, characterization, and photocatalytic activity of polyaniline/ZnO nanocomposite

Polyaniline (PANI)/zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposite was synthesized by in-situ polymerization. X-ray diffraction patterns, UV?Cvisible spectroscopy, SEM, and TEM were used to characterize the composition and structure of the nanocomposite. Nanostructured PANI/ZnO composite was used as photocatalyst in the photodegradation of methylene blue dye molecules in aqueous solution. The photocatalytic activity of PANI/ZnO nanocomposite under UV and visible light irradiation was evaluated and was compared with that of ZnO nanoparticles. ZnO/PANI core?Cshell nanocomposite had greater photocatalytic activity than ZnO nanoparticles and pristine PANI under visible light irradiation. According to these results, application of PANI as a shell on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles causes the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the PANI/ZnO nanocomposite. Also UV?Cvisible spectroscopy studies showed that the absorption peak for PANI/ZnO nanocomposite has a red shift toward visible wavelengths compared with the ZnO nanoparticles and pristine PANI. The effect of different operating conditions on the photocatalytic performance of PANI/ZnO nanocomposite in the photodegradation of methylene blue dye molecules was investigated in a bath experimental setup.     

ZnO nanoparticles photocatalytic activity toward atmospheric toluene under simulated sunlight

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of toluene through zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles coated on glass plates was examined under simulated sunlight....     

Hydrothermal synthesis, structure and photocatalytic property of nano-TiO_2-MnO_2

TiCI4 and MnSO4.H2O as raw materials are hydrolyzed stiochiometrically, following the intermediate of oxide hydrating reacts at 150℃, 0.5 MPa in high-pressure reactor, after filtering, washing and drying, nanometric TiO2-MnO2 (Ti1-xMnxO2) is prepared. The effects of the reaction temperature and time on nanometric TiO2-MnO2 are also discussed. XRD shows that the product is TiO2-MnO2 with amorphous phase. After being sintered at above 780℃, it transfers into Ti1-xMnxO2 with a rutile structure. TEM shows that TiO2-MnO2 is the spherical particle. And the average diameter of the particles is 20 nm. The optical absorbance was determined by UV-265 spec-trophotometer after dispersing the sample in the mixture of water and glycerol with the ratio of 1 : 1 equably. It is found that the nano-material possesses the advantages of both nano-TiO2 and nano-MnO2, and it has strong absorption in the UV and visible region. Photodegradation of dyes in an aqueous solution is investigated using nanometricTiO2-MnO2 as a pho     

Enhancement of the photocatalytic activity and electrochemical property of graphene-SrWO4 nanocomposite

SrWO₄ is a promising candidate as not only photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants from water, but also electrode material for energy storage devices. However, the drawbacks of its poor adsorptive performance, low electrical conductivity, and high recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pair impede its practical applications. In this work, we have developed a new graphene/SrWO₄ nanocomposite synthesized via a facile chemical precipitation method. Characterizations show that SrWO₄ nanoparticles with 80 nm or so deposited on the surface of graphene nanosheets. Graphene nanosheets in the graphene-SrWO₄ hybrid could increase adsorptive property, improve the electrical conductivity of hybrid, and reduce the recombination of electron-hole pairs. As a kind of photocatalyst or electrode material for supercapacitor, the binary graphene-SrWO₄ hybrid presents enhanced photocatalytic activity and electrochemical property compared to pure SrWO₄.