Formation and performances of porous InVO4 films

Porous complex oxide films consisting of preferentially orientated orthorhombic phase of InVO₄ have been prepared using a novel simple method by pyrolysis of amorphous complex precursor. The formation and controlling of porous InVO₄ films can be easily obtained by modifying the calcination temperature. The pure orthorhombic InVO₄ phase can be obtained at a relatively lower temperature (500 °C), and the films are preferential orientation of the (200) face parallel to the substrate. The phase separation mechanism was suggested for the formation of porous films. Under visible light irradiation (λ>400 nm), porous InVO₄ films have shown the photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of gaseous formaldehyde, and can generate photocurrent. The electrochemical properties of the films with different crystal structure and pore structure were also investigated.     

Pt / InVO4 / TiO2可见光催化剂的制备及性能研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了Pt / InVO₄ / TiO₂三元体系可见光催化剂。以乙烯为模拟目标分子，评价其光催化活性并与二元体系催化剂Pt / TiO₂ 和InVO₄ / TiO₂进行比较。用DRS，XRD对催化剂的吸收带边和晶型进行了表征。结果表明：Pt / InVO₄ / TiO₂在可见光区（λ>450 nm）的光催化比活性比Pt / TiO相似文献   

乙烯在纳米催化剂InVO4-TiO2上的可见光降解

The InVO₄-TiO₂ nano-crystalline photocatalyst was prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by DRS, FTIR, Raman and XRD. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared sample were investigated by photocatalytic degradation of ethylene in the gaseous phase under visible light irradiation (λ>450 nm). The results indicate that both of pure TiO₂ and InVO₄ or their simple mixture show no photocatalytic activities for degradation of ethylene under visible light irradiation. However, as-synthesized InVO₄-TiO₂ catalyzes the degradation of ethylene into CO₂ under visible light irradiation. In addition, the interaction between InVO₄ and TiO₂ results in some structural distortion to all the crystal forms of TiO₂ in as-synthesized catalyst InVO₄-TiO₂.     

Visible-light-driven photocatalyst of Bi2WO6 nanoparticles prepared via amorphous complex precursor and photocatalytic properties

The visible-light-driven photocatalyst Bi₂WO₆ nanoparticles have been prepared by calcining amorphous complex precursor at a relatively low temperature of above 450 ^oC. The effects of calcination temperature and time on the structures and properties of Bi₂WO₆ nanoparticles have been investigated in detail. The photocatalytic activity of the Bi₂WO₆ powders were evaluated by degradation of RhB molecules in water under visible light irradiation (λ>400 nm). The results showed that the particle size and grain size of Bi₂WO₆ increased with the calcination temperature and time. The photocatalytic activity of the best sample was about 8.8 times higher than that of the sample prepared by traditional solid state reaction and the photo-degradations was a zero-order reaction. The best route to enhance the photocatalytic activity of Bi₂WO₆ was to prepare the sample at a lower temperature for a longer time, due to the samples with better crystallization and smaller particle size.     

单分散纳米InVO4(正交相)的低温合成

InVO₄ is a new developed visible light responding photocatalyst for water decomposition, which is obtained by a solid-state reaction at high temperature traditionally. In this paper, pure InVO₄ nano-crystalline powder has been prepared by a hydrothermal process at low temperature and was characterized by TEM, IR, and X-ray diffraction. Many factors such as pH value, reaction time and temperature have been investigated. It is found that the optimal conditions for the preparation is: n_InCl3∶n_NaVO3=1∶2; temperature : 150 ℃; Reaction time: 4～8 h; pH=7.9～8.0. And the experimental result shows that it is a convenient way to get single dispersing InVO₄ nano-crystalline powder by flux in alkyl alcohol.     

Hydrothermal synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic properties of Zn2SnO4

Nanosized Zn₂SnO₄ (ZTO) particles were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process in water/ethylene glycol mixed solution using amines (ethylamine, n-butylamine, n-hexylamine, and n-octylamine) as mineralizer. The products were characterized by X-ray diffractions (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N₂ adsorption. The results indicated that the hydrothermal conditions, such as alkaline concentration (n-butylamine), reaction temperature, solvent composition, and the kind of amines, had an important influence on the composition, crystallinity, and morphology of the product. The as-synthesized ZTO samples exhibited high activities and durabilities for photodegradation of methyl orange and the activities were mainly affected by the crystallinities of the samples. A hexagonal-shaped ZTO (H-ZTO) sample was prepared in 0.53 M of n-butylamine solution at 180 °C for 20 h and its optical properties were characterized by UV-Vis diffuse reflectance and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Furthermore, the photocatalytic H₂ evolution reaction from ethanol aqueous solution over H-ZTO was also investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of mixed-morphology CePO4 nanoparticles

Cerium phosphate nanoparticles with diameters of 10-180 nm were synthesized by a variety of solution techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) determined the crystalline phase(s) present in each sample. Population, shift, and spin-lattice relaxation ³¹P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements accounted for all the ³¹P nuclei expected in each sample, and were able to distinguish between phosphorous nuclei in different environments and phases. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterized the morphology and crystallinity of the powder samples as well as of the sintered compacts of the powders. In conjunction with TEM, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) provided a measure of the composition of the bulk intergranular regions within each CePO₄ sample. The presence of an amorphous, phosphate-rich intergranular phase was found in those samples prepared by dissolution of ceria in H₃PO₄ under various conditions.     

Preparation and characterization of mesoporous N-doped and sulfuric acid treated anatase TiO2 catalysts and their photocatalytic activity under UV and Vis illumination

Nitrogen-doped TiO₂ catalysts were prepared by a precipitation method. The samples were calcined at 400 °C for 4 h in air. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low temperature N₂-adsorption was used for structural characterization and UV-diffuse reflectance (UV-DR) was applied to investigate the optical properties of the as-prepared samples. It was found that microporous N-doped catalysts have solely anatase crystalline structure. Acidic treatment of the calcined samples was performed using sulfuric acid agitation. The crystalline structure remained unchanged due to surface treatment, while the porosity and the surface areas were decreased dramatically. Optical characterization of the doped catalysts showed that they could be excited by visible light photons in the 400–500 nm wavelength range (λ_g,1=390 nm, λ_g,2=510 nm). It was also established that surface treatment enhances the Vis-light absorption of the N-TiO₂ powders. Finally the catalysts were tested in the photocatalytic degradation of phenol in aqueous suspensions. Two different light sources were used; one of them was a UV-rich high pressure Hg-lamp, while the other was a tubular visible light source. We found that using visible light illumination N-doped, acid treated TiO₂ samples were more catalytically active than non-doped TiO₂ catalysts.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of high-efficiency visible-light-responsive photocatalyst SnSx/TiO2

Visible-light-responsive composite photocatalysts SnS₂/TiO₂ and SnS/TiO₂ with different mass ratios were prepared by in-situ synthesis technology in solution with commercial TiO₂. The junction-based materials SnS_x (x=1, 2)/TiO₂ were found to have high visible-light photocatalytic performance and possess much better activity than the single-phase SnS_x or TiO₂. The greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity of the SnS_x/TiO₂ composites was mainly attributed to the matching band potentials and efficient charge transfer and separation at the tight-bonding interface between SnS_x and TiO₂. The fact was confirmed by the comparison of photocatalytic activities of the SnS₂/TiO₂ samples prepared by physical mixing method and in-situ synthesis technique.     

In situ X-ray powder diffraction, synthesis, and magnetic properties of InVO3

We report the first synthesis and high-temperature in situ X-ray diffraction study of InVO₃. Polycrystalline InVO₃ has been prepared via reduction of InVO₄ using a carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide buffer gas. InVO₃ crystallizes in the bixbyite structure in space group Ia−3 (206) with a=9.80636(31) Å with In³⁺/V³⁺ disorder on the (8b) and (24d) cation sites. In situ powder X-ray diffraction experiments and thermal gravimetric analysis in a CO/CO₂ buffer gas revealed the existence of the metastable phase InVO₃. Bulk samples with 98.5(2)% purity were prepared using low-temperature reduction methods. The preparative methods limited the crystallinity of this new phase to approximately 225(50) Å. Magnetic susceptibility and neutron diffraction experiments suggest a spin-glass ground state for InVO₃.     

Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of novel zinc germanate nano-materials

We report the first instance of a hydrothermal synthesis of zinc germanate (Zn₂GeO₄) nano-materials having a variety of morphologies and photochemical properties in surfactant, template and catalyst-free conditions. A systematic variation of synthesis conditions and detailed characterization using X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering led to a better understanding of the growth of these particles from solution. At 140 °C, the zinc germanate particle morphology changes with pH from flower-shaped at pH 6.0, to poly-disperse nano-rods at pH 10 when the Zn to Ge ratio in the synthesis solution is 2. When the Zn to Ge ratio is reduced to 1.25, mono-disperse nano-rods could be prepared at pH 7.5. Nanorod formation is also independent of the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), in contrast to previous reports. Photocatalytic tests show that Zn₂GeO₄ nano-rods (by weight) and flower shaped (by surface area) are the most active for methylene blue dye degradation among the synthesized zinc germanate materials.     

The preparation and characterization of La doped TiO2 nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activity

In this paper, pure and La doped TiO₂ nanoparticles with different La content were prepared by a sol-gel process using Ti (OC₄H₉)₄ as raw material, and also were characterized by XRD, TG-DTA, TEM, XPS, DRS and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. We mainly investigated the effects of calcining temperature and La content on the properties and the photocatalytic activity for degrading phenol of as-prepared TiO₂ samples, and also discussed the relationships between PL spectra and photocatalytic activity as well as the mechanisms of La doping on TiO₂ phase transformation. The results showed that La³⁺ did not enter into the crystal lattices of TiO₂ and was uniformly dispersed onto TiO₂ as the form of La₂O₃ particles with small size, which possibly made La dopant have a great inhibition on TiO₂ phase transformation; La dopant did not give rise to a new PL signal, but it could improve the intensity of PL spectra with a appropriate La content, which was possibly attributed to the increase in the content of surface oxygen vacancies and defects after doping La; La doped TiO₂ nanoparticles calcined at 600°C exhibited higher photocatalytic activity, indicating that 600°C was an appropriate calcination temperature. The order of photocatalytic activity of La doped TiO₂ samples with different La content was as following: 1>1.5>3>0.5>5>0 mol%, which was the same as the order of their PL intensity, namely, the stronger the PL intensity, the higher the photocatalytic activity, demonstrating that there were certain relationships between PL spectra and photocatalytic activity. This could be explained by the points that PL spectra mainly resulted from surface oxygen vacancies and defects during the process of PL, while surface oxygen vacancies and defects could be favorable in capturing the photoinduced electrons during the process of photocatalytic reactions.     

Synthesis of nanosized NaTaO3 in low temperature and its photocatalytic performance

A simple synthetic route in mild condition to obtain nanosized NaTaO₃ powder with cubic morphology is reported in which the compound was hydrothermally prepared at 120 °C for 12 h. The cubic crystalline structure of this nanosized NaTaO₃ product was ensured by using XRD and TEM. The band gap of the nanosized NaTaO₃ was 3.96 eV based on UV spectrum. The hydrothermal process probably follows the dissolution-precipitation mechanism. Also this NaTaO₃ powder showed high photoreactivity under UV light in gas phase and liquid phase photoreactions.     

一维纳米Co_3O_4,Ag/Co_3O_4及CuO/Co_3O_4的合成与电催化性能(英文)

采用水热合成法制备了Co3O4及复合Ag/Co3O4、CuO/Co3O4一维纳米产品。用XRD,FE-SEM和TEM手段对产品进行了表征。采用循环伏安法研究了合成产品修饰的玻碳电极在碱性溶液中对对硝基苯酚的电催化还原性能。与裸玻碳电极相比,1mmol·L-1的对硝基苯酚在用Co3O4、特别是CuO/Co3O4修饰的玻碳电极上还原的峰电流明显增大,用Ag/Co3O4(Ag/Co原子比分别为1∶5和2∶5)修饰的玻碳电极催化还原对硝基苯酚时,尽管还原峰电流增大不是太大,但其峰电位明显降低(分别降低0.265和0.371V)。     

TiO2 nanoparticles incorporated with CuInS2 clusters: preparation and photocatalytic activity for degradation of 4-nitrophenol

TiO₂ nanoparticles incorporated with CuInS₂ clusters were prepared in a solvothermal process and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersion X-ray analysis (EDX). Compared with pure TiO₂ nanoparticles, the TiO₂ nanoparticles incorporated with CuInS₂ clusters display higher photocatalytic activity with 99.9% of degradation ratio of 4-nitrophenol after 2 h irradiation. In order to investigate the effect of the CuInS₂ clusters on the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles, diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectra (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and photocurrent action spectra were measured. The results indicate that the enhanced photocatalytic activity is probably due to the interface between TiO₂ and CuInS₂ as a trap of the photogenerated electrons to decrease the recombination of electrons and holes.     

Supramolecular aggregation in new crystals with nonlinear optical properties: 2-aminophenol-HClO4, 3-aminophenol-HClO4 and 4-aminophenol-HClO4

Three new hybrid crystals of 2-aminophenol-HClO₄ (2-AP-HClO₄, 1), 3-aminophenol-HClO₄ (3-AP-HClO₄, 2) and 4-aminophenol-HClO₄ (4-AP-HClO₄, 3) were obtained and their crystal structures determined. The 1 crystallises in centrosymmetric space group C2/c of monoclinic system while the other two (2 and 3) crystallise in the non-centro symmetric space group P2₁ and P2₁2₁2₁, respectively. The oppositely charged units of the crystals, i.e. positively charged 2-APH⁺, 3-APH⁺ and 4-APH⁺ and ClO₄⁻, interact via weak N⁺–HO and O–HO hydrogen bonds forming 3D-supramolecular network. Relative to KDP the SHG efficiencies are 0.62 for 2 and 0.33 for 3, measured at 1064 nm using the Kurtz–Perry method.     

ZnFe2O4/Ag/TiO2复合材料的制备及其光催化性能

以硝酸银、钛酸四丁酯、无水氯化锌、六水氯化铁为原料,采用溶胶-凝胶法与溶剂热相结合的方法制备了ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂复合材料,通过扫描电子显微镜、能谱分析仪、X射线粉末衍射仪、X射线光电子能谱仪、振动样品磁强计、紫外可见分光光度计对样品进行表征及测试。结果表明：ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂-10具有最佳的光催化效果,在紫外和可见光下对染料的降解率都能达到90%以上,具有优异的紫外可见光光催化活性。ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂具有独特的磁性,能在外部磁场作用下进行回收利用,这使其在实际应用中成为可能。通过磁分离技术重复回收利用5次后仍然保持优良的光催化性能,说明ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂-10具有优异的磁性及较高的光催化循环稳定性。     

ZnFe2O4/Ag/TiO2复合材料的制备及其光催化性能

以硝酸银、钛酸四丁酯、无水氯化锌、六水氯化铁为原料,采用溶胶-凝胶法与溶剂热相结合的方法制备了ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂复合材料,通过扫描电子显微镜、能谱分析仪、X射线粉末衍射仪、X射线光电子能谱仪、振动样品磁强计、紫外可见分光光度计对样品进行表征及测试。结果表明： ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂-10具有最佳的光催化效果,在紫外和可见光下对染料的降解率都能达到90%以上,具有优异的紫外可见光光催化活性。ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂具有独特的磁性,能在外部磁场作用下进行回收利用,这使其在实际应用中成为可能。通过磁分离技术重复回收利用5次后仍然保持优良的光催化性能,说明ZnFe₂O₄/Ag/TiO₂-10具有优异的磁性及较高的光催化循环稳定性。     

Synthesis, structure, and magnetism of Tb4PdGa12 and Tb4PtGa12

Single crystals of Tb₄MGa₁₂ (M=Pd, Pt) have been synthesized. The isostructural compounds crystallize in the cubic space group , with Z=2 and lattice parameters: a=8.5940(5) and 8.5850(3) Å for Tb₄PdGa₁₂ and Tb₄PtGa₁₂, respectively. The crystal structure consists of corner-sharing MGa₆ octahedra and TbGa₃ cuboctahedra. Magnetic measurements suggest that Tb₄PdGa₁₂ is an antiferromagnetic metamagnet with a Néel temperature of 16 K, while the Pt analog orders at T_N=12 K.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic performances of BiVO4 by ammonia co-precipitation process

This paper reports the preparation and photocatalytic performance of Bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) by a facile and inexpensive approach. An amorphous BiVO₄ was first prepared by a co-precipitation process from aqueous solutions of Bi(NO₃)₃ and NH₄VO₃ using ammonia. Followed by heating treatment at various temperatures, the amorphous phase converted to crystalline BiVO₄ with a structure between monoclinic and tetragonal scheelite. The crystallization of BiVO₄ occurred at about 523 K, while the nanocrystalline BiVO₄ were formed with a heat-treatment of lower than 673 K. However, when the heat-treatment was carried out at 773 K, the accumulation of nanocrystals to bulk particles was observed. The photocatalytic performances of the materials were investigated by O₂ evolution under visible-light, and MB decomposition under solar simulator. The results demonstrated that the crystalline structure is still the vital factor for the activities of both reactions. However, the crystallinity of BiVO₄ gives a major influence on the activity of O₂ evolution, whereas the surface area, plays an important role for photocatalytic MB decomposition.