AgIO3-modified AgI/TiO2 composites for photocatalytic degradation of p-chlorophenol under visible light irradiation

Semiconducting silver iodate (AgIO(3)) was used to modify the visible light response of an AgI/TiO(2) (AIT) catalyst by a facile method. The uncalcined AIT (AITun) and AIT calcined at 200°C (AIT200) consisted of AgIO(3), AgI, and TiO(2) semiconductors, while that calcined at 450 °C (AIT450) was composed of AgI and TiO(2). The activity in p-chlorophenol (PCP) degradation under visible light irradiation using either AITun or AIT200 was much higher than that with AIT450, which was mainly attributed to the fact that the presence of AgIO(3) provided a new matching band potential. AIT200 exhibited better photocatalytic properties than AITun due to its higher crystallinity after calcination. Moreover, the high catalytic activity of AIT200 was maintained after five successive cyclic experiments under visible irradiation. Considering the effect of radical scavengers and N(2) purging on the photocatalysis process, we deduced that the probable pathway of PCP degradation was mainly a surface charge process, caused by valence band holes.     

Core-shell structure CdS/TiO2 for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic organic pollutants degradation

CdS modified mesoporous titania core-shell spheres (CdS/CS-TiO₂) with enhanced visible-light activity were synthesized by an in situ method. This method included two steps: planting CdO into the framework of anatase TiO₂ core-shell spheres and then converting it to CdS by ion-exchange. The physicochemical properties of the obtained samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electronic micrograph, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra and nitrogen sorption. The in situ strategy resulted in CdS quantum dots highly dispersed in CS-TiO₂ without destroying the mesoporous core-shell structure. Compared with CS-TiO₂, the as-synthesized samples exhibited stronger visible-light absorption capability and greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of Rhodamine B and 4-chlorophenol aqueous solution under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm).     

Photocatalytic degradation of pathogenic bacteria with AgI/TiO2 under visible light irradiation

The photocatalytic disinfection of pathogenic bacteria in water was investigated systematically with AgI/TiO2 under visible light (lambda > 420 nm) irradiation. The catalyst was found to be highly effective in killing Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The adsorbed *OH and hVB+ on the surface of the catalyst were proposed to be the main active oxygen species by study of electron spin resonance and the effect of radical scavengers. The process of destruction of the cell wall and the cell membrane was verified by TEM, potassium ion leakage, lipid peroxidation, and FT-IR measurements. Some products from photocatalytic degradation of bacteria such as aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids were identified by FT-IR spectroscopy. These results suggested that the photocatalytic degradation of the cell structure caused the cell death. The electrostatic force interaction of the bacteria-catalyst significantly affected the efficiency of disinfection on the basis of the E. coli inactivation under different conditions.     

Mechanism of TiO2-assisted photocatalytic degradation of dyes under visible irradiation: photoelectrocatalytic study by TiO2-film electrodes

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of various dyes under visible light irradiation with a TiO(2) nanoparticles electrode has been investigated to reveal the mechanism for TiO(2)-assisted photocatalytic degradation of dyes. The degradation of both cationic and anionic dyes at different biases, including the change in the degradation rate of the dyes and the photocurrent change with the bias potential, the degraded intermediates, the voltage-induced adsorption of dyes, the accumulation of electrons in the TiO(2) electrode, the effect of various additives such as benzoquinone (BQ) and N,N-dimethyl aniline (DMA), and the formation of active oxygen species such as O(2)(*-) and H(2)O(2) were examined by UV-visible spectroscopy, HPLC, TOC, and spin-trap ESR spectrometry. It was found that the dyes could controllably interact with the TiO(2) surface by external bias changes and charging of dyes. The cationic dyes such as RhB and MG underwent efficient mineralization at negative bias, but the N-dealkylation process predominated at positive bias under visible light irradiation. The discolorations of the anionic dyes SRB and AR could not be accelerated significantly at either negative or positive bias. At a negative bias of -0.6 V vs SCE, O(2)(*-) and dye(*+) were formed simultaneously at the electrode/electrolyte interface during degradation of cationic RhB. In the case of anionic dyes, however, it is impossible for the O(2)(*-) and dye cationic radical to coexist at the electrode/electrolyte surface. Experimental results imply both the superoxide anionic radical and the dye cationic radical are essential to the mineralization of the dyes under visible light-induced photocatalytic conditions.     

Flower-like Bi2WO6/ZnO composite with excellent photocatalytic capability under visible light irradiation

The photocatalytic ability of ZnO is improved through the addition of flower-like Bi₂WO₆ to prepare a Bi₂WO₆/ZnO composite with visible light activity. The composite is characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. After modification, the band gap energy of Bi₂WO₆/ZnO is reduced from 3.2 eV for ZnO to 2.6 eV. Under visible light irradiation, the Bi₂WO₆/ZnO composite shows an excellent photocatalytic activity for degrading methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline. The photo-degradation efficiencies of (0.3:1) Bi₂WO₆/ZnO for MB and tetracycline are approximately 246 and 4500 times higher than those of bare ZnO, respectively, and correspondingly, the photo-degradation rates for the two pollutants are approximately 120 and 200 times higher than those with bare ZnO, respectively. Moreover, the photocatalyst of (0.3:1) Bi₂WO₆/ZnO exhibits a higher transient photocurrent density of approximately 4.5 μA compared with those of bare Bi₂WO₆ and ZnO nanoparticles. The successful recombination of Bi₂WO₆ and ZnO enhances the photocatalytic activity and reduces the band gap energy of ZnO, which can be attributed to the effective separation of electron–hole pairs. Active species trapping experiments display that [O₂]^? is the major species involved during photocatalysis rather than ?OH and h⁺. This study provides insight into designing a meaningful visible-light-driven photocatalyst for environmental remediation.     

Fabrication of nanoporous polymeric crystalline TiO2 composite for photocatalytic degradation of aqueous organic pollutants under visible light irradiation

A nanoporous polymeric crystalline TiO₂ composite (TiO₂/PDVB‐MA) has been successfully synthesized through an in situ synthesis method using divinylbenzene (DVB), methacrylic acid (MA) and tetrabutyl titanate. The experimental results showed that TiO₂ nanoparticles composed of the mixture phases of anatase and rutile were homogeneously dispersed into the PDVB‐MA support. The TiO₂/PDVB‐MA composite was used as photocatalyst for Rhodamine B (RhB), bisphenol A and 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol degradation under visible light irradiation. More interestingly, the excellent photocatalytic performance of the composite was observed with regard to RhB and bisphenol A, which might be ascribed to the synergistic effect between TiO₂ nanoparticles and PDVB‐MA. Moreover, TiO₂/PDVB‐MA composite could be recycled at least four times in the removal of RhB, suggesting that it is a promising photocatalyst to catalyze the degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation.     

Electrospun nanofibers of TiO2/CdS heteroarchitectures with enhanced photocatalytic activity by visible light

Herein, we have demonstrated that the electrospun nanofibers of TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures could be fabricated through combining electrospinning technique with hydrothermal process. The configuration, crystal structure, and element composition of the as-prepared TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), resonant Raman spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the high-density hexagonal wurtzite CdS crystalline particles of ca. 6-40 nm in diameter were uniformly and closely grown on anatase TiO(2) nanofibers. Especially, the light-absorption properties as well as photocatalytic characteristics of pure TiO(2) nanofibers and TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures with different amount loading of CdS were also investigated. The absorption of TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures was extended to the visible due to effective immobilization of sensitizing agent CdS on TiO(2). In contrast with the pure TiO(2) nanofibers, the TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures showed excellent photocatalytic activity by using rhodamine B dye as a model organic substrate under visible-light irradiation. It was worth noting that the cooperative photocatalytic mechanism of the TiO(2)/CdS heteroarchitectures was also discussed.     

One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of willow branch-shaped MoS2/CdS heterojunctions for photocatalytic H2 production under visible light irradiation

Willow branch-shaped MoS₂/CdS heterojunctions are successfully synthesized for the first time by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoelectrochemical and photoluminescence spectroscopy tests. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activities of the samples were evaluated under visible light irradiation. The resulting MoS₂/CdS heterojunctions exhibit a much improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity than that obtained with CdS and MoS₂. In particular, the optimized MC-5 (5 at.% MoS₂/CdS) photocatalyst achieved the highest hydrogen production rate of 250.8 μmol h^-1, which is 28 times higher than that of pristine CdS. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) at 420 nm was 3.66%. Further detailed characterizations revealed that the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MoS₂/CdS heterojunctions could be attributed to the efficient transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers resulting from the core-shell structure and the close contact between MoS₂ nanosheets and CdS single-crystal nanorods, as well as to increased visible light absorption. A tentative mechanism for photocatalytic H₂ evolution by MoS₂/CdS heterojunctions was proposed. This work will open up new opportunities for developing more efficient photocatalysts for water splitting.     

Carbon-doped anatase TiO2 nanotube array/glass and its enhanced photocatalytic activity under solar light

To enhance the photocatalytic activity under solar light, highly ordered TiO₂ nanotube arrays (TNAs) film with anatase phase was fabricated on glass and successfully doped with carbon at various temperatures of 450–550 °C. The characterization results indicate that, after carbon doping, the TNAs still remained nanotubular structure with anatase phase. But their optical response shifted from UV to the visible light region and the recombination of photogenerated carriers was suppressed effectively. It is more important that the carbon-doped TNAs/glass (C-TNAs) samples exhibited high solar light photocatalytic activity, and 68%, 61% and 56% MO was photodegraded in 150 min by the C-TNAs calcined at 550, 500 and 450 °C, respectively. Especially, the apparent reaction rate constant of C-TNAs calcined at 550 (k, 0.065 min⁻¹) with the highest activity is 3.6 times that of pristine anatase TNAs (k, 0.018 min⁻¹). It is clear that carbon doping enhanced the photocatalytic activity under sunlight at optimized annealing temperature. The efficient activity could be attributed to the synergetic effects of strong visible light absorption, good crystallization, large surface, and enhanced separation of photoinduced carriers.     

Distinct visible-light response of composite films with CdS electrodeposited on TiO2 nanorod and nanotube arrays

Thorough infiltration of CdS nanoparticles into spaces of titania nanorod and nanotube arrays was achieved by an ac electrodeposition technique to construct composite films of CdS over titania. The substrate affected not only the electrodeposition rate but also the oriented growth of CdS. A photocurrent much larger than the simple summation of those arising from the two component layers of CdS and titania was detected for both composite films under visible-light illumination. Such an enhancement in the photocurrent was even more prominent for the composite film based on the titania nanorod arrays, which was contributed to the higher charge separation rate arising from the nearly single-crystalline nanorods when compared with the polycrystalline nanotubes.     

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation on mesoporous anatase TiO2 microspheres by codoping with W and N

Mesoporous anatase TiO₂ microspheres were prepared via solvothermal method. Ammonium tungstate was used as the W source, and ammonia gas flowing in an ammonothermal reactor as the N source for codoping. TiO₂:(W,N) mesoporous microspheres, which were prepared from solvothermal treatment at 160 °C for 16 h and thermal ammonolysis at 500 °C for 2 h after calcination, have high specific surface area of 106 m² g⁻¹. XPS results indicate the presence of N_O, N_i and W⁶⁺ in the codoped mesoporous TiO₂ microspheres. Monodoping with N shifts the absorption band edge of anatase TiO₂ from ultraviolet region to visible region. Although codoping with W makes the visible light absorbance decrease a little, the photocatalytic degradation of a cationic dye rhodamine B (RhB) on mesoporous TiO₂:(W,N) microspheres is increased to 1.7 times of that on mesoporous TiO₂:N microspheres. This may due to decreasing recombination centers by W-doping charge compensation.     

Change of adsorption modes of dyes on fluorinated TiO2 and its effect on photocatalytic degradation of dyes under visible irradiation

Surface-fluorinated TiO2 (F-TiO2) particles were prepared via the HF etching method. The surface characteristics of fluorinated TiO2, the adsorption modes of dyes, and the reaction pathways for the photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants under visible light irradiation were investigated. It was found that, in the treatment of TiO2 by HF etching, F(-) not only displaces surface HO(-) but also substitutes some surface lattice oxygen. Using zwitterionic Rhodamine B (RhB) dye as a model, the change of the adsorption mode of RhB on F-TiO2 relative to that on pure TiO2 was validated by adsorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and IR techniques for the first time. RhB preferentially anchors on pure TiO2 through the carboxylic (-COOH) group, while its adsorption group is switched to the cationic moiety (-NEt 2 group) on F-TiO2. Both the photocatalytic degradation kinetics and mechanisms were drastically changed after surface fluorination. Dyes with positively charged nitrogen-alkyl groups such as methylene blue (MB), malachite green (MG), Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G), and RhB all underwent a rapid N-dealkylation process on F-TiO2, while on pure TiO2 direct cleavage of dye chromophore ring structures predominated. The relationship between surface fluorination and the degradation rate/pathway of dyes under visible irradiation was also discussed in terms of the effect of fluorination on the surface adsorption of dyes and on the energy band structure of TiO2.     

Synthesis of thiol-functionalized TiO_2 nanocomposite and photocatalytic degradation for PAH under visible light irradiation

In this paper,a thiol-functionalized nanophotocatalyst MPTES/TiO_2 was first synthesized by one-pot method using P123 as a template.X-ray diffraction confirms the complete anatase crystalline of thiol-functionalized TiO_2,N_2 adsorption-desorption isotherm demonstrated that these materials possess high surface area and mesoporous structure.The results of XPS show that MPTES has been successfully polymerized in mesoporous structured TiO_2.The photodegradation of phenanthrene(PHE) was investigated under vi...     

CdS/TiO2 composite films for methylene blue photodecomposition under visible light irradiation and non-photocorrosion of cadmium sulfide

Cadmium sulfide/titanium dioxide (CdS/TiO₂) composite films were grown on glass by the chemical bath deposition (DBQ) and sol-gel/dip coating methods, respectively, in order to increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ in photodegradation processes. The influence of the CdS deposition time on the morphology, optical absorption, and phononic modes of the composites were examined. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed clearly the CdS deposit on the TiO₂ surface. The absorbance spectra indicated that the absorption of composites depends on the CdS deposition time and the absorption edges are shifted to the visible range. Micro Raman spectra exhibited the phonons associated with the TiO₂ anatase and the longitudinal optic (LO) phonon of CdS whose intensity increases with the CdS deposition time. Photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation was observed in all films and the results were compared with those obtained with TiO₂ films. The decomposition is higher for the composite with the CdS deposition time of 15 min. This optimal deposition time allows maximal enhancement of the charge carriers transfer to TiO₂ involved in the photocatalysis. No signal associated with cadmium was detected by the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), which means that the CdS photocorrosion does not occur since trap centers such as OH-Cd-S and Cl^?, which trap holes and inhibit the photocorrosion, are produced during the growth process.     

Enhancement of photocatalytic H2 evolution on CdS by loading MoS2 as Cocatalyst under visible light irradiation

This communication presents our recent results that the activity of photocatalytic H2 production can be significantly enhanced when a small amount of MoS2 is loaded on CdS as cocatalyst. The MoS2/CdS catalysts show high rate of H2 evolution from photocatalytic re-forming of lactic acid under visible light irradiation. The rate of H2 evolution on CdS is increased by up to 36 times when loaded with only 0.2 wt % of MoS2, and the activity of MoS2/CdS is even higher than those of the CdS photocatalysts loaded with different noble metals, such as Pt, Ru, Rh, Pd, and Au. The junction formed between MoS2 and CdS and the excellent H2 activation property of MoS2 are supposed to be responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of MoS2/CdS.     

Preparation of mesoporous TiO2/CNT nanocomposites by synthesis of mesoporous titania via EISA and their photocatalytic degradation under visible light irradiation

Stabilized mesoporous TiO₂ was synthesized by evaporation induced self assembly (EISA) method and mechanically incorporated into single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) with different ratios. The physicochemical properties of the nanocomposites (mesoporous TiO₂/SWCNT) materials were investigated by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), photoluminescence (PL) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy measurements. The catalytic activity of mesoporous TiO₂ and nanocomposites were assessed by examining the degradation of rhodamine B as model aqueous solution under visible light. CNTs are facilitating the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO₂ in the degradation of rhodamine B efficiently.     

Evaluation of the reaction mechanism for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants with MIL-88A/BiOI structure under visible light irradiation

Research on Chemical Intermediates - In this study, we synthesized novel visible light photocatalyst MIL-88A/BiOI using depositing BiOI particles on the surface of a metal–organic framework...     

The effects of solvent on photocatalytic properties of Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction under visible light irradiation

Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ heterojunction photocatalysts with two different microstructures were controllably fabricated via a facile two-step synthetic route. XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, BET-surface, DRS, PL spectra, photoelectrochemical measurement (Mott-Schottky), and zeta-potential analyzer were employed to clarify structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained products. The results showed that Bi₂WO₆ nanoparticles/nanosheets grew on the primary TiO₂ nanorods. The TiO₂ nanorods used as a synthetic template inhibit the growth of Bi₂WO₆ crystals along the c-axis, resulting in Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ heterostructure with one-dimensional (1D) morphology. The photocatalytic properties of Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ heterojunction photocatalysts were strongly dependent on their shapes and structures. Compared with bare Bi₂WO₆ and TiO₂, Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ composite have stronger adsorption ability and better visible light photocatalytic activities towards organic dyes. The Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ composite prepared in EG solvent with optimal Bi:Ti ratio of 2:12 (S-TB2) showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which could totally decompose Rhodamine B within 10 min upon irradiation with visible light (λ > 422 nm), and retained the high photocatalytic performance after five recycles, confirming its stability and practical usability. The results of PL indicated that Bi₂WO₆ and TiO₂ could combine well to form a heterojunction structure which facilitated electron–hole separation, and lead to the increasing photocatalytic activity.     

A facile strategy to synthesize Pd/TiO2 nanotube arrays with high visible light photocatalytic performance

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Novel Pd/TiO2 nanotube arrays (Pd/TNTAs) were fabricated by introducing Pd nanoparticles onto TNTAs via a facile deposition–reduction method. Pd...     

Facile synthesis and kinetic mechanism of Ag-doped TiO2/SiO2 nanoparticles for phenol degradation under visible light irradiation

Research on Chemical Intermediates - Ternary Ag–TiO2–SiO2 nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized via a facile sol–gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction,...