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.     

溶胶凝胶法制备CNT／ZnO纳米复合材料及其光催化性研究

Chemistry and Chemical Engineer School, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China     

薄膜表面等离子体光催化剂Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni的制备和性能

用复合电沉积技术制备了Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni表面等离子体薄膜催化剂,以扫描电镜（SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）、拉曼光谱（Raman Spectra）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）对薄膜的表面形貌、晶体结构、化学组成和光谱特性进行了表征,在可见光照射下,用罗丹明B（RhB）作为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化性质和稳定性进行测定,采用测定薄膜电化学阻抗谱（EIS）和向反应系统中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化机制进行探索。结果表明：最优工艺下制备的Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni薄膜是由少量碳纳米管（CNT）和表面沉积纳米Ag粒子的AgBr晶体构成的复合薄膜。薄膜具有突出的表面等离子体共振效应、优异的光催化活性和良好的催化稳定性。光催化罗丹明B 20 min,Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni薄膜的降解率是Ag@AgBr/Ni薄膜的1.32倍,是P25 TiO₂/ITO多孔薄膜的21.6倍。在保持光催化性能基本不变的前提下可循环使用5次。CNT的存在使薄膜电荷传导性能和光催化还原溶解氧的性能大幅增加,是所制薄膜相对于Ag@AgBr/Ni薄膜光催化性能提高的主要原因。提出了薄膜光催化罗丹明B的反应机理。     

薄膜表面等离子体光催化剂Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni的制备和性能

用复合电沉积技术制备了Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni表面等离子体薄膜催化剂,以扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、拉曼光谱(Raman Spectra)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)对薄膜的表面形貌、晶体结构、化学组成和光谱特性进行了表征,在可见光照射下,用罗丹明B(RhB)作为模拟污染物对薄膜的光催化性质和稳定性进行测定,采用测定薄膜电化学阻抗谱(EIS)和向反应系统中加入活性物种捕获剂的方法对薄膜光催化机制进行探索。结果表明:最优工艺下制备的Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni薄膜是由少量碳纳米管(CNT)和表面沉积纳米Ag粒子的AgBr晶体构成的复合薄膜。薄膜具有突出的表面等离子体共振效应、优异的光催化活性和良好的催化稳定性。光催化罗丹明B 20 min,Ag@AgBr/CNT/Ni薄膜的降解率是Ag@AgBr/Ni薄膜的1.32倍,是P25 TiO_2/ITO多孔薄膜的21.6倍。在保持光催化性能基本不变的前提下可循环使用5次。CNT的存在使薄膜电荷传导性能和光催化还原溶解氧的性能大幅增加,是所制薄膜相对于Ag@AgBr/Ni薄膜光催化性能提高的主要原因。提出了薄膜光催化罗丹明B的反应机理。     

Photodegradation of Rhodamine B on Sulfur Doped ZnO/TiO2 Nanocomposite Photocatalyst under Visible-light Irradiation

Sulfur doped ZnO/TiO₂ nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized by a facile sol‐gel method. The structure and properties of catalysts were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV‐vis diffusive reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and N₂ desorption‐adsorption isotherm. The XRD study showed that TiO₂ was anatase phase and there was no obvious difference in crystal composition of various S‐ZnO/TiO₂. The XPS study showed that the Zn element exists as ZnO and S atoms form SO^2?₄. The prepared samples had mesoporosity revealed by N₂ desorption‐adsorption isotherm result. The degradation of Rhodamine B dye under visible light irradiation was chosen as probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO/TiO₂ nanocomposite. The commercial TiO₂ photocatalyst (Degussa P25) was taken as standard photocatalyst to contrast the prepared different photocatalyst in current work. The improvement of the photocatalytic activity of S‐ZnO/TiO₂ composite photocatalyst can be attributed to the suitable energetic positions between ZnO and TiO₂, the acidity site caused by sulfur doping and the enlargement of the specific area. S‐3.0ZnO/TiO₂ exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation after Zn amount was optimized, which was 2.6 times higher than P25.     

Preparation of nitrogen-substituted TiO2 thin film photocatalysts by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering deposition method and their photocatalytic reactivity under visible light irradiation

Nitrogen-substituted TiO2 (N-TiO2) thin film photocatalysts have been prepared by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) deposition method using a N2/Ar mixture sputtering gas. The effect of the concentration of substituted nitrogen on the characteristics of the N-TiO2 thin films was investigated by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The absorption band of the N-TiO2 thin film was found to shift smoothly to visible light regions up to 550 nm, its extent depending on the concentration of nitrogen substituted within the TiO2 lattice in a range of 2.0-16.5%. The N-TiO2 thin film photocatalyst with a nitrogen concentration of 6.0% exhibited the highest reactivity for the photocatalytic oxidation of 2-propanol diluted in water even under visible (lambda > or = 450 nm) or solar light irradiation. Moreover, N-TiO2 thin film photocatalysts prepared on conducting glass electrodes showed anodic photocurrents attributed to the photooxidation of water under visible light, its extent depending on wavelengths up to 550 nm. The absorbed photon to current conversion efficiencies reached 25.2% and 22.4% under UV (lambda = 360 nm) and visible light (lambda = 420 nm), respectively. UV-vis and photoelectrochemical investigations also confirmed that these thin films remain thermodynamically and mechanically stable even under heat treatment at 673 K. In addition, XPS and XRD studies revealed that a significantly high substitution of the lattice O atoms of the TiO2 with the N atoms plays a crucial role in the band gap narrowing of the TiO2 thin films, enabling them to absorb and operate under visible light irradiation as a highly reactive, effective photocatalyst.     

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.     

Carbon quantum dots decorated on ZnO nanoparticles: An efficient visible-light responsive antibacterial agents

Zinc oxide@carbon quantum dots (ZnO@CQDs) nanocomposite was prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. Characterization of the obtained samples was carried out by Scanning electron microscopy-EDX(SEM–EDX), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). These results revealed that we have prepared ZnO@CQDs nanocomposite successfully. Our study revealed that the antibacterial efficiency (against S.aureus and E.coli) under visible light irradiation of as prepared ZnO@CQDs nanocomposite was higher than pure ZnO nanoparticles. The ZnO@CQDs nanocomposite showed excellent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with a minimal inhibitory concentration (6–8 mg/mL) against to E.coli and S.aureus. We also tested the light response of ZnO@CQDs under UV–vis light, by calculating its band gap data, after decorated with CQDs, the band gap of the pure ZnO can significantly decreased from 2.57 eV to 2.50 eV. The ZnO decorated by CQDs can both enhance the light absorption and suppress photogenerated electron–hole's recombination which results in the enhancement of antibacterial properties.     

Photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 74 in water using Ag–Ag2O–Zno nanostuctures anchored on graphene oxide

Water pollution due to industrial effluents from industries which utilize dyes in the manufacturing of their products has serious implications on aquatic lives and the general environment. Thus, there is need for the removal of dyes from wastewater before being discharged into the environment. In this study, a nanocomposite consisting of silver, silver oxide (Ag₂O), zinc oxide (ZnO) and graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized, characterized and photocatalytically applied in the degradation (and possibly mineralization) of organic pollutants in water treatment process. The Ag–Ag₂O–ZnO nanostructure was synthesized by a co-precipitation method and calcined at 400 °C. It was functionalized using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane and further anchored on carboxylated graphene oxide via the formation of an amide bond to give the Ag–Ag₂O–ZnO/GO nanocomposite. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized by UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The applicability of Ag–Ag₂O–ZnO/GO nanocomposite as a photocatalyst was investigated in the photocatalytic degradation of acid blue 74 dye under visible light irradiation in synthetic wastewater containing the dye. The results indicated that Ag–Ag₂O–ZnO/GO nanocomposite has a higher photocatalytic activity (90% removal) compared to Ag–Ag₂O–ZnO (85% removal) and ZnO (75% removal) respectively and thus lends itself to application in water treatment, where the removal of organics is very important.     

ZnO/graphene-oxide nanocomposite with remarkably enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance

In this work, a high-performance photocatalyst of ZnO/graphene-oxide (ZnO/GO) nanocomposite was synthesized via a facile chemical deposition route and used for the photodegradation of organic dye from water under visible light. The nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N(2) adsorption-desorption analysis, and UV-Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy. The ZnO/GO nanocomposite consisting of flower-like ZnO nanoparticles anchored on graphene-oxide sheets has a high surface area and hierarchical porosity, which is benefit to the adsorption and mass transfer of dye and oxygen species. For the photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light, ZnO/GO nanocomposite exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency than graphene-oxide sheets and flower-like ZnO particles. Moreover, the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO/GO nanocomposite could be further improved by annealing the product in N(2) atmosphere. The outstanding photocatalytic performance was ascribed to the efficient photosensitized electron injection and repressed charge carriers recombination in the composite with GO as electron collector and transporter, thus leading to continuous generation of reactive oxygen species for the degradation of methylene blue.     

Fabrication of Co + F Doped ZnO Films for Improved Visible Light Responsive Photocatalysis

The aim of this work is to investigate the efficacy of nebulizer sprayed ZnO–Co–F thin films for degrading the methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The physical properties of the prepared samples like structural, surface morphological and optical properties are studied using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), UV-vis NIR spectrometer, spctroflurometer (PL) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The photocatalytic studies revealed that ZnO–Co–F film exhibited superior degradation efficiency over ZnO–Co and ZnO against MB as evinced by the degradation rate constants, 0.0782, 0.0475 and 0.0289 min^–1, respectively. This study showed that Co + F doping helps to remove the major limitations of ZnO and thereby leads towards better visible light activity. The structural and optical studies revealed the proper incorporation of Co²⁺ and F^– ions into the ZnO lattice and the reduction in band gap. PL emission confirmed that Co + F doping reduces the electronhole recombination rate and increases the availability of free carriers.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles by surface modification with KF using thermal shock method

ZnO nanoparticles were modified with KF using thermal shock method at various temperatures in order to improve the photocatalytic activity of ZnO under both UVA and visible light irradiation. The influences of KF-modification on the crystal structure, morphology, UV–visible absorption, specific surface area as well as surface structure of ZnO were respectively characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, UV–Visible diffuse reflectance, N₂ adsorption and XPS spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated via the degradation of methylene blue under UVA irradiation. According to the results, the thermal shock process with KF did not modify the structure, the particle size and the optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles but successfully increase their UVA and visible light induced photocatalytic activity. This enhancement of activity may be attributed to the increase of surface hydroxyl groups and zinc vacancies of modified ZnO samples.     

不同形貌ZnO@PANI纳米复合材料的制备及光催化性质

采用直接沉淀法和水热合成法制备出形貌和尺寸比较均一的颗粒状、棒状和球形花状的纳米ZnO。使用硅烷偶联剂KH-42(苯胺甲基三乙氧基硅烷,C₆H₅-NH-CH₂-Si(OCH₃)₃)对所得纳米ZnO进行表面化学修饰,修饰后的纳米ZnO(m-ZnO),经由皮克林乳液聚合法使苯胺单体在其表面聚合,形成聚苯胺(PANI)包覆的氧化锌纳米复合材料(m-ZnO@PANI),采用XRD、SEM、HRTEM、FTIR、UV-Vis、TG等对样品进行表征;研究了m-ZnO@PANI纳米复合材料对亚甲基蓝(MB)的光催化性能。结果表明,复合材料对可见光也有较强的吸收,在紫外、可见光照射下都有较好的光催化降解效率。其中,棒状ZnO纳米复合材料的光催化降解性能最好,它的紫外-可见光和可见光光催化降解率分别达到98.2%和97.1%,而且复合材料的光催化性能稳定,二次循环的紫外-可见光催化降解率仍达到96.0%。     

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.     

Realizing luminescent downshifting in ZnO thin films by Ce doping with enhancement of photocatalytic activity

ZnO thin films doped with Ce at different concentration were deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique. XRD analysis revealed the phase purity and polycrystalline nature of the films with hexagonal wurtzite geometry and the composition analysis confirmed the incorporation of Ce in the ZnO lattice in the case of doped films. Crystalline quality and optical transmittance diminished while electrical conductivity enhanced with Ce doping. Ce doping resulted in a red-shift of optical energy gap due to the downshift of the conduction band minimum after merging with Ce related impurity bands formed below the conduction band in the forbidden gap. In the room temperature photoluminescence spectra, UV emission intensity of the doped films decreased while the intensity of the visible emission band increased drastically implying the degradation in crystallinity as well as the incorporation of defect levels capable of luminescence downshifting. Ce doping showed improvement in photocatalytic efficiency by effectively trapping the free carriers and then transferring for dye degradation. Thus Ce doped ZnO thin films are capable of acting as luminescent downshifters as well as efficient photocatalysts.     

Photobleaching of pollutant dye catalyzed by p-n junction ZnO-CuO photocatalyst under UV-visible light activation

The p-n junction ZnO/CuO nanocomposite photocatalysts are prepared via the copreripitation route. The detailed structural, compositional and optical characterization and physico-chemical properties of the obtained products are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), photoluminscience spectra (PL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping techniques. The experimental results showed that the absorption wavelength range of the ZnO/CuO nanocomposite was notably extended towards the visible-light region (400–500 nm). The photocataltic activity of the ZnO/CuO nanocomposite was evaluated based on the decomposition of by methyl orange (MeO) in aqueous solution under UV-vis light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CuO nanocomposite is found much better than of bare ZnO photocatalyst under the identical conditions. Factors influencing photocatalytic activity and the mechanism of photocatalysis reaction were also addressed.     

Visible light driven photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CuO nanocomposites coupled with rGO heterostructures synthesized by solid-state method for RhB dye degradation

Metal oxide frame works along with carbon materials have been attracting tremendous attention of researches as the potential materials for energy and environmental remediation. In the present work heterostructures of (ZnO/CuO)/rGO ternary nanocomposites were synthesized by solid-state method. The crystalline structure of the nanoparticles was obtained from the XRD analysis. Optical band gap of the ZnO nanoparticles (3.1 eV) is tuned to 2.8 eV in the synthesized (ZnO/CuO)/rGO ternary nanocomposites. Field emission scanning electron microscope images of the (ZnO/CuO)/rGO ternary nanocomposites revealed formation of well-developed flowers like morphology of (ZnO/CuO) nanoparticles on rGO sheets. Photoluminescence spectroscopy analysis of (ZnO/CuO)/rGO ternary nanocomposites show enhancement in the electron-hole pair separation and thereby diminishing electron-hole pairs recombination rates effectively. In the present work, the photocatalytic activity of the ZC₃G₁₅ ternary nanocomposites show 99% and 93% of degradation efficiency respectively against RhB dye and 4-chlorophenol for 20 min under visible light irradiation. Thus, the simple solid-state method provides the effective ternary nanocomposites heterostructures light harvesting material for energy and environmental remediation.     

ZnO自组装薄膜的可控生长及其光催化性能

通过改变工艺参数, 制得了粒径可控的ZnO自组装薄膜. 该薄膜在可见光区域出现了光子带隙. 以染料甲基橙的光催化降解为模型评价了ZnO自组装薄膜的光催化活性. 利用X射线衍射仪(XRD)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)表征了ZnO的晶体结构和微观形貌. 实验结果表明, ZnO自组装薄膜在太阳光照射下表现出良好的光催化性能, 其光催化活性随着ZnO颗粒粒径的减小而提高. ZnO自组装薄膜光催化降解甲基橙的反应符合一级反应动力学规律.     

纳米ZnO薄膜的制备及其可见光催化降解甲基橙

采用溶胶-凝胶方法制备ZnO透明溶胶, 在铝箔上涂膜后经500 ℃处理制得具有可见光响应的纳米ZnO薄膜光催化剂. 以甲基橙模拟有机污染物, 在可见光下研究了薄膜的降解性能, 结果表明, 用一片有效面积为200 cm2的ZnO/Al薄膜作为催化剂, 甲基橙的降解率达到96.3％, 比ZnO负载在玻璃上制得的ZnO/glass薄膜催化剂活性高得多. 采用扫描电镜与原子力显微镜对ZnO/Al薄膜制备条件进行了表征, 结果发现多孔ZnO/Al薄膜比致密ZnO/Al薄膜具有更高的活性, 实验制备的具有高活性的ZnO/Al薄膜颗粒平均直径为52.2 nm. 采用本方法制备的ZnO/Al薄膜是一种具有应用前景的, 能在可见光下降解有机物的有效光催化剂.     

Effect of titania structure on the properties of its supported copper oxide catalysts

A facile and rapid microwave irradiation method was explored for the synthesis of bismuth phosphate (BiPO(4)) nanostructures with various morphologies and phases in different solvents. The BiPO(4) products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The effect of the solvents on the formation of the BiPO(4) nanostructures was discussed on the basis of experimental results. The different BiPO(4) nanostructures exhibited different optical properties, BET surface areas and photocatalytic activities on the degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV and visible light irradiation. The experimental results suggested that the photocatalytic activity was closely relative with the crystalline phase and band gap of BiPO(4). Hexagonal BiPO(4) nanoparticles with narrow band gap showed the highest photocatalytic performance.