Simultaneous Tuning Band Gaps of Cu2O and TiO2 to Form S-Scheme Hetero-Photocatalyst

Photocatalytic Z or S scheme merits higher redox potentials and faster charge separation. However, heterostructure photocatalysts with band gaps of bulk materials often have a type I band structure leading to poor photocatalytic activity. In view of this, we report simultaneous tuning of band gaps of Cu₂O and TiO₂, where quantum dot Cu₂O nanoparticles were formed on doped TiO₂ with Ti³⁺. The reduced size of Cu₂O made its conduction band more negative, whereas the introduction of Ti³⁺ made the absorption edge red shift to the visible light region. The as-formed heterostructure enabled an S-Scheme mechanism with remarkable activity and stability for visible light photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The as-obtained photocatalysts’ activity demonstrated ca. 510-fold increase as compared to individual ones and a mechanical blend. The as-obtained photocatalysts maintained over 80 % for 5 cycles and 2 months exposure to O₂ did not decrease the degradation rate. ESR characterization and scavenger experiments proved the S-Scheme mechanism.     

Photocatalytic removal of nitrogen oxides from air on TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> modified with bases and platinum

The efficiency of TiO₂ (Degussa P-25) modified with an alkaline admixture (urea, BaO), sulfuric acid, or platinum in the photocatalytic oxidation of NO (50 ppm) with a flowing 7% O₂ + N₂ mixture under UV irradiation in a flow reactor at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is reported. Because of the progressive blocking of active sites of the photocatalyst by the reaction products (NO₂, NO₃⁻), it is impossible to realize prolonged continuous removal of NO _x (NO + NO₂) from air without catalyst regeneration at elevated temperatures. The efficiency of the photocatalysts is characterized by specific photoadsorption capacity (SPC) calculated from the total amount of NO _x adsorbed during 2-h-long irradiation. Modification of TiO₂ with 5% BaO or 5% urea raises the SPC of the catalyst by a factor of 2–3. Presumably, this promoting effect is due to the basic properties of these dopants, which readily sorb NO₂ and NO₃⁻. A considerable favorable effect on SPC is also attained by adding 0.5% Pt to (5% BaO)/TiO₂. The SPC of the (0.5% Pt)/TiO₂ catalyst depends on the state of the platinum. The samples calcined in air at 500°C, which contain Pt⁺ and Pt²⁺, have an approximately 2 times higher SPC than unpromoted TiO₂ and ensure a much larger NO₂/NO ratio at the reactor outlet. Conversely, the samples reduced in an H₂ atmosphere at 200°C, whose platinum is in the Pt0 state, show a lower SPC than the initial TiO₂ and cause no significant change in the NO₂/NO ratio.     

Photocatalytic decomposition of 4-chlorophenol over an efficient N-doped TiO2 under sunlight irradiation

Using a new nitrogen precursor of a mixture of ammonia and hydrazine hydrate, N-doped TiO₂ photocatalyst with a high efficiency under visible light was synthesized by a precipitation method. The analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggested that the doping concentration of nitrogen was 0.45 at%, while it was 0.21 at% or 0.24 at% using single ammonia or hydrazine hydrate as nitrogen precursor. The patterns of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) indicated that the paramagnetic species of NO₂^2?, NO and Ti³⁺ existed as the proposed active species. The ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra revealed that the band-gap of the N-doped TiO₂ was 3.12 eV, which was slightly lower than 3.15 eV of pure TiO₂. The N-doped TiO₂ showed higher efficiency under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiations. Moreover, the degradation grade of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) using the as-synthesized N-doped TiO₂ under sunlight irradiation for 6 h was 82.0%, which was higher than 66.2% of the pure TiO₂, 60.1% or 65.2% of the N-doped TiO₂ using single ammonia or hydrazine hydrate as precursor. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate the visible light response of the N-doped TiO₂. Our study demonstrated that the visible activities vary well with the concentrations of NO₂^2? species incorporated by N–TiO₂ series photocatalysts and the higher activity of the as-prepared N-doped TiO₂ was attributed to the enhancement of the concentration of NO₂^2? species.     

FeNi层状双氢氧化物/TiO2复合光催化剂的制备及其制氢性能

层状双氢氧化物(LDH)的光生电子-空穴对易复合,虽然纳米薄片的结构促进了载流子分离,但其光催化效率仍然较低。我们利用LDH薄片结构的优势,将FeNi LDH和TiO₂通过静电自组装复合,设计制备出新型高效的FeNi LDH/TiO₂复合光催化材料,评价了其光催化分解水产氢性能。对其结构、光催化性能和光电化学等进行了详细表征。结果表明,FeNi LDH的高比表面积、复合物的异质结结构都有利于光生电荷的转移。光催化产氢结果表明,FeNi LDH/TiO₂复合材料的产氢速率(22.6mmol·g^-1·h^-1)分别比纯TiO₂(0.1 mmol·g^-1·h^-1)和FeNi LDH(0.05 mmol·g^-1·h^-1)提高了226和452倍,表明了异质结在提高LDH光催化效率方面的重要作用。     

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue on Fe3+-doped TiO2 nanoparticles under visible light irradiation

Fe³⁺-doped TiO₂ composite nanoparticles with different doping amounts were successfully synthesized using sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultravioletvisible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was used as a model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of Fe³⁺/TiO₂ nanoparticles under visible light irradiation. The influence of doping amount of Fe³⁺ (ω: 0.00%–3.00%) on photocatalytic activities of TiO₂ was investigated. Results show that the size of Fe³⁺/TiO₂ particles decreases with the increase of the amount of Fe³⁺ and their absorption spectra are broaden and absorption intensities are also increased. Doping Fe³⁺ can control the conversion of TiO₂ from anatase to rutile. The doping amount of Fe³⁺ remarkably affects the activity of the catalyst, and the optimum efficiency occurs at about the doping amount of 0.3%. The appropriate doping of Fe³⁺ can markedly increase the catalytic activity of TiO₂ under visible light irradiation. __________ Translated from Journal of Northwest Normal University (Natural Science), 2006, 42(6): 55–56 [译自: 西北师范大学学报(自然科学版)]     

Hydrothermal synthesis of mesostructured nanocrystalline TiO2 in an ionic liquid–water mixture and its photocatalytic performance

Anatase mesostructured TiO₂ nanocrystalline was prepared in a mixture of 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIM⁺BF₄⁻) ionic liquid and water by a low temperature hydrothermal method. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N₂ adsorption–desorption. The existence of BMIM⁺BF₄⁻ enhanced the polycondensation and crystallization rate, which encouraged the formation of anatase crystal. The TiO₂ particles were thermally very stable and thus resistant to anatase-rutile phase transformation during calcination at high temperatures. The anatase TiO₂ showed high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of p-chlorophenol than that of the commercially available TiO₂, Degussa P25. After 2 h reaction under the UV-irradiation of 250 W, the removing rate of p-chlorophenol was up to 96.3%.     

A comparative study of bismuth-based photocatalysts with titanium dioxide for perfluorooctanoic acid degradation

Bismuth-based material has been broadly studied due to their potential applications in various areas, especially used as promising photocatalysts for the removal of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and several approaches have been adopted to tailor their features. Herein, the bismuth-based photocatalysts (BiOCl, BiPO₄, BiOPO₄/BiOCl) were synthesized by hydrothermal method and advanced characterization techniques (XRD, SEM, EDS elemental mapping, Raman and UV–vis DRS) were employed to analyze their morphology, crystal structure, and purity of the prepared photocatalysts. These synthesized photocatalysts offered a praiseworthy activity as compared to commercial TiO₂ (P25) for the degradation of model pollutant perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) under 254 nm UV light. It was interesting to observe that all synthesized photocatalysts show significant degradation of PFOA and their photocatalytic activity follows the order: bismuth-based catalysts > TiO₂ (P25) > without catalyst. Bismuth-based catalysts degraded the PFOA by almost 99.99% within 45 min while this degradation efficiency was 66.05% with TiO₂ under the same reaction condition. Our work shows that the bismuth-based photocatalysts are promising in PFOA treatment.     

Synthesis and characterization of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> doping with rare earths by sol–gel method: photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation

The enhancement of TiO₂ photocatalyst activity will lead to more practical applications of this technology. In this work we studied the effect of rare earth doping of sol–gel synthesized TiO₂ for phenol degradation and we compared the performance with commercial catalyst. Photocatalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption to determine textural properties, ultraviolet visible light diffuse reflectance spectrometry (UV-Vis DRS), X-ray diffraction, STEM-EDS (scanning transmission electronic microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Main phase for materials calcined at 500 °C was anatase. Residual nitrogen from NH₄OH used in the sol–gel synthesis was identified by XPS analysis. Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ratio increased when TiO₂ was doped with 0.5 wt% of Ce. Anatase phase was stabilized in photocatalysts doped with La even after calcination at 800 °C, for Pr and Nd a mixture of anatase-rutile phases was obtained, whereas for Ce doping only rutile phase was found. For the photocatalytic oxidation of phenol, the best results were obtained for Ce doped TiO₂, which could be related to the ability of Ce^IV/Ce^III oxidation/reduction cycle.     

Preparation of diatomite–TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composite for photodegradation of bisphenol-A in water

To enhance the photodegradation performance of pure titanium dioxide (TiO₂), diatomite was used as a porous carrier to immobilize TiO₂ powders using calcination method. The photodegradation of bisphenol-A (BPA; 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol), which has been listed as one of endocrine disrupting chemicals, was carried out in a batch suspension reactor using pure TiO₂ powders and diatomite–TiO₂ composites, respectively. Under the controlled conditions, the photocatalytic efficiencies of the BPA degradation by the diatomite–TiO₂ composites can be found to be higher than those by pure TiO₂ powders. This result should be attributable to the accessibility of the BPA molecules to the surface of TiO₂ particle in the modified photocatalysts, showing that the enrichment of the organic solute enhanced the rate of photodegradation on the diatomite–TiO₂ composite. However, the photodegradation efficiency was not dependent on the pore properties of these TiO₂ photocatalysts. The experimental results further indicated that the photodegradation kinetics for the destruction of BPA in water followed the first-order model well. The apparent first-order reaction constants (k _obs), thus obtained from the fittings of the model, were in line with the destruction-removal efficiencies of BPA in all the photocatalytic experiments.     

Photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol by UV/photocatalysts: the effect of the interparticle electron transfer process

Summary This study explores the photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). Coupled-photocatalyst systems are tested to determine whether the interparticle electron transfer (IPET) process improves the photodegradation efficiency. TiO₂, ZnO and SnO₂ are selected as photocatalysts. In the single-photocatalyst test, ZnO exhibits the highest catalytic activity. The pseudo first-order rate constant of the coupled-catalyst system, ZnO/SnO₂, is approximately 22% higher than that of ZnO; these rate constants are 0.95 and 0.78 h^-1 at pH 11, respectively.     

Organometallic Iridium(III) Complex Sensitized Ternary Hybrid Photocatalyst for CO2 to CO Conversion

A series of heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes functionalized with two phosphonic acid (−PO₃H₂) groups ( ^dfppy IrP , ^ppy IrP , ^btp IrP , and ^piq IrP ) were prepared and anchored onto rhenium(I) catalyst (ReP)-loaded TiO₂ particles (TiO₂/ReP) to build up a new IrP -sensitized TiO₂ photocatalyst system ( IrP /TiO₂/ReP). The photosensitizing behavior of the IrP series was examined within the IrP /TiO₂/ReP platform for the photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into CO. The four IrP -based ternary hybrids showed increased conversion activity and durability than that of the corresponding homo- ( IrP +ReP) and heterogeneous ( IrP +TiO₂/ReP) mixed systems. Among the four IrP /TiO₂/ReP photocatalysts, the low-energy-light (>500 nm) activated ^piq IrP immobilized ternary system ( ^piq IrP /TiO₂/ReP) exhibited the most durable conversion activity, giving a turnover number of ≥730 for 170 h. A similar kinetic feature observed through time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of both ^btp IrP /TiO₂ and TiO₂-free ^btp IrP films suggests that the net electron flow in the ternary hybrid proceeds dominantly through a reductive quenching mechanism, unlike the oxidative quenching route of typical dye/TiO₂-based photolysis.     

TiO2/Mo-TiO2 的制备、表征和光催化活性

 采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了掺 Mo 的 TiO2 粉末, 再由其制得 TiO2/Mo-TiO2 复合物光催化剂. 使用 X 射线光电子能谱、X 射线衍射、透射电镜、N2 吸附-脱附、紫外-可见漫反射光谱和荧光光谱等手段对催化剂进行了表征. 在紫外光照射下, 以甲基橙溶液降解为探针反应, 研究了 Mo 掺杂量对样品光催化活性的影响. 结果表明, Mo-TiO2 催化剂的活性不如纯 TiO2, 这是因为 Mo 离子促进了光生载流子的复合; 而带有 n-n 异质结半导体结构的 TiO2/Mo-TiO2 复合催化剂具有比纯 TiO2 和 Mo-TiO2 催化剂更高的光催化活性. 当 Mo 掺杂摩尔分数为 2%, TiO2:Mo-TiO2 质量比为 10:1 时, 活性是纯 TiO2 的 1.57 倍.     

In situ preparation of polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine–decorated TiO2 nanorods for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction

The integration of photosensitizers with low-cost and non-toxic metal oxides is a promising strategy to design heterogeneous photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction. Herein, p–n heterojunction photocatalysts (T-CoPPcs) consisting of p-type polymeric cobalt phthalocyanines (CoPPcs) as a photosensitizer coupled with n-type TiO₂ nanorods were fabricated through a facile, eco-friendly, one-pot hydrothermal reaction. In this process, CoPPcs were grown on n-type TiO₂ nanorods, whereas protonated titanate nanorods began converting to the highly crystalline anatase phase with small crystals on the TiO₂ surfaces. The introduction of CoPPcs not only improved the solar light utilization but also accelerated the separation and migration of charge carriers via the p–n heterojunction with the strong interfacial contact Ti–O–Co bond. The increases in crystallinity and surface area of TiO₂ nanorods also contributed to the enhanced photoactivities of T-CoPPcs. The CO₂ photoreduction of the synthesized materials was evaluated in CO₂-saturated MeCN/water using [Co(bpy)₃]²⁺ as a cocatalyst and triethanolamine as a hole scavenger. The optimized nanocomposite exhibited a remarkable CO generation rate of 4.42 mmol/h/g with a high selectivity of 85.3% and outstanding catalytic stability. The influences of cocatalyst concentration, water content, catalyst loading, and hole scavenger concentration were optimized for efficient CO₂ reduction. The photocatalytic CO₂ conversion efficiency of the present system is found to be higher than that of TiO₂-based materials reported in the literature. We believe that this research into a heterostructural design strategy and photocatalytic system may be an inspiration for the development of photocatalytic CO₂-to-CO conversion.     

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO-doped cupric oxides and evaluation of their photocatalytic performance under visible light

ZnO–CuO binary oxide photocatalysts were synthesized by the liquid phase coprecipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO–CuO nanocomposites was estimated on the basis of decoloration of methyl orange dye under visible light. The effects of parameters such as calcining temperature, amount of catalyst and pH on the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methyl orange solutions were investigated in detail. The maximum photocatalytic activity was obtained on ZnO–CuO nanocomposites with a calcining temperature of 350 °C, using a catalyst amount of 0.056 g/L and a pH of 7.5. The visible light-driven capability of ZnO–CuO nanocomposites is much better than that of commercially available TiO₂ photocatalysts under comparable conditions.     

Low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis of S-doped TiO2 with visible light photocatalytic activity

A one-step low-temperature hydrothermal route was developed for the synthesis of S-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts from TiS₂ and HCl. Crystalline TiO₂ was formed and sulfur could be efficiently doped into the anatase lattice under hydrothermal conditions. When the initial TiS₂ concentration is increased, the content of S-dopant and optical absorption in the visible region also increase. The photocatalytic activity of the S-doped TiO₂ was evaluated through the degradation of 4-chlorophenol under visible light irradiation. Our results show that the S-doped TiO₂ prepared by this hydrothermal approach possesses much higher photocatalytic activity than that obtained by the traditional high-temperature thermal annealing method.     

掺杂Fe2O3对吸附相反应技术制备TiO2的形貌和光催化性能的影响

利用吸附相反应技术制备得到了掺杂不同浓度的Fe₂O₃的TiO₂复合光催化剂。通过透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外可见光谱和X射线衍射(XRD)研究不同掺杂浓度对TiO₂形貌和结晶过程的影响,并利用3种波长光源下的甲基橙光降解实验考评了各个复合光催化剂的催化活性。结果表明,掺杂后复合光催化剂中Fe₂O₃分散性较好较均匀。在TiO₂紫外可见吸收光谱中由于Fe₂O₃的掺杂而出现了红移,而且随着掺杂浓度增加红移越来越明显,复合光催化剂的禁带宽度也越来越小。在焙烧过程中无定形Fe₂O₃或Fe³⁺进入了TiO₂的晶格结构,从而抑制了TiO₂的结晶过程。半导体禁带宽度的减少以及TiO₂结晶过程的抑制作用,都导致紫外光下复合光催化剂催化活性的降低。但Fe₂O₃的掺杂也使得复合光催化剂在可见光区出现了一定的光催化活性。     

Photocatalytic decomposition of orange II over TiO2-loaded on SBA-15 prepared using a microwave process

SBA-15 mesoporous material was prepared by microwave-hydrothermal method and was used as support in TiO₂-loaded SBA-15 photocatalysts. The physical properties of these particles were investigated. We also examined the activity of these samples as photocatalysts for the decomposition of orange II. Titania loaded on a silica matrix decreases the surface area of the support as expected for TiO₂ incorporation. For TiO₂-loaded SBA-15 photocatalysts, the IR absorption at ∼960 cm⁻¹ commonly accepted as the characteristic vibration of the Ti-O-Si bond. The photocatalytic activity increases with an increase of the TiO₂ loading.     

中空Ta2O5/TiO2复合光催化剂的可控氧化制备及性能

以钛粉、钽粉为原料,炭黑作为反应性模板,通过熔盐法在炭黑表面原位生长了TaTiC₂纳米碳化物涂层,并以所得TaTiC₂/C复合物为碳化物前驱体,再经可控氧化制备出中空Ta₂O₅/TiO₂复合光催化剂。采用X射线粉末衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）、紫外-可见（UV-Vis）漫反射（DRS）及N₂物理吸附等手段对所制备的光催化剂进行形貌、显微结构及孔结构表征。以高压汞灯为紫外光源,以亚甲基蓝为目标降解物,通过光催化降解实验评价中空Ta₂O₅/TiO₂复合光催化剂的光催化活性。结果表明,熔盐法生长碳化物涂层厚度均匀（20~30 nm）,碳化物主要以TaTiC₂晶相存在且具有纳米级的颗粒尺寸。中空Ta₂O₅/TiO₂复合光催化剂同时具有200 nm左右的中空大孔结构及壳层10 nm左右的介孔结构。中空大孔和介孔的存在提高了所制备催化剂对亚甲基蓝的吸附能力。此外,TiO₂与Ta₂O₅通过电子能带结构的耦合,有效提高了光生电子和空穴的分离效率,从而显著提高了光催化活性。n_Ti∶n_Ta=2.5∶1.5时,相应的中空Ta₂O₅/TiO₂复合光催化剂表现出最佳的光催化活性,对亚甲基蓝的紫外光催化降解率高达97%。     

中空Ta_2O_5/TiO_2复合光催化剂的可控氧化制备及性能

以钛粉、钽粉为原料,炭黑作为反应性模板,通过熔盐法在炭黑表面原位生长了TaTiC_2纳米碳化物涂层,并以所得TaTiC_2/C复合物为碳化物前驱体,再经可控氧化制备出中空Ta_2O_5/TiO_2复合光催化剂。采用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射(DRS)及N2物理吸附等手段对所制备的光催化剂进行形貌、显微结构及孔结构表征。以高压汞灯为紫外光源,以亚甲基蓝为目标降解物,通过光催化降解实验评价中空Ta_2O_5/TiO_2复合光催化剂的光催化活性。结果表明,熔盐法生长碳化物涂层厚度均匀(20~30 nm),碳化物主要以TaTiC_2晶相存在且具有纳米级的颗粒尺寸。中空Ta_2O_5/TiO_2复合光催化剂同时具有200 nm左右的中空大孔结构及壳层10 nm左右的介孔结构。中空大孔和介孔的存在提高了所制备催化剂对亚甲基蓝的吸附能力。此外,TiO_2与Ta2O5通过电子能带结构的耦合,有效提高了光生电子和空穴的分离效率,从而显著提高了光催化活性。nTi∶nTa=2.5∶1.5时,相应的中空Ta_2O_5/TiO_2复合光催化剂表现出最佳的光催化活性,对亚甲基蓝的紫外光催化降解率高达97%。     

Effect of sacrificial electron donors on hydrogen generation over visible light–irradiated nonmetal-doped TiO2 photocatalysts

Hydrogen generation over carbon-, nitrogen- and sulfur-doped TiO₂ semiconductor photocatalysts (represented as C–TiO₂, N–TiO₂ and S–TiO₂, respectively) under visible light irradiation has been achieved using various sacrificial electron donors, namely triethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoethanolamine, triethylamine, MeOH, EtOH, EDTA, l-ascorbic acid and phenol. The highest initial rate of H₂ production was found to be in the range 1,000–2,200 μmol/g/h at ambient conditions when triethanolamine was used as sacrificial electron donor. The efficacy of hydrogen production over these photocatalysts depends strongly on the nature of the sacrificial electron donor and decreases in the following order: C–TiO₂ > S–TiO₂ > N–TiO₂. The results of the present studies suggest that the rate of H₂ production is not simply governed by the reduction potential of the sacrificial electron donor but also by the kinetic barrier of the electron transfer process.