One-pot synthesis of graphene–cuprous oxide composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this paper, graphene–cuprous oxide (G–Cu₂O) composites were synthesized at room temperature using graphene oxide (GO) as two-dimensional support. From Zeta potential analysis, the surface charge of G–Cu₂O composites altered from positive to negative, which favors the adsorption and photodegradation of positively charged dyes. Compared with Cu₂O under similar synthesis condition, the G–Cu₂O composites demonstrated improved photodegradation activity for methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light. Controlled experiments indicated that the G–Cu₂O composite synthesized with 80 mg GO in the reaction system possessed more negative Zeta potential, highest specific surface area and thus presented the highest photocatalytic activity. Electrons mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance of G–Cu₂O composite was proposed in the degradation of MB.     

可见光下具有高光子效应和光催化活性的CuS-石墨烯氧化物/TiO2复合材料的制备（英文）

CuS-graphene oxide/TiO2 composites were prepared using a sol-gel method to improve the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activities were examined by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The photodegradation of MB under visible-light irradiation reached 90.1% after 120 min. The kinetics of MB degradation was plotted alongside the values calculated from the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation. The CuS-graphene oxide/TiO2 sample prepared using 0.2 mol of TiO2 showed the best photocatalytic activity. This was attributed to a cooperative reaction as a result of increased photoabsorption by graphene oxide and an increased photocatalytic effect by CuS.     

水滑石与海泡石复合材料对有机染料的光催化降解性能（英文）

由于ZnCr-LDH纳米粒子具有良好的光催化性能,但极易团聚,在一定程度上制约了它在光催化领域的应用.将水滑石制成核-壳复合材料可以避免粒子团聚,改善其单分散性和稳定性,从而提高光催化活性.本文设计了一种水滑石/海泡石(Sep@LDH)纳米复合材料作为光催化剂,以甲基橙(MO)和亚甲基蓝(MB)混合溶液模拟有机染料废水,进行光催化反应.通过XRD,SEM,UV-Vis DRS,PL,TG-DTG和BET/BJH,证明了水滑石成功的生长在海泡石的表面,通过光催化实验详细研究了Sep@LDH纳米复合材料的光催化性能及光降解反应机理.采用共沉淀制备了不同Zn/Cr摩尔比的水滑石纳米材料,对水滑石进行优化,结合表征分析,发现摩尔比为1的ZnCr-LDH其结晶度、层间规整度高,禁带宽度最窄(2.30 eV)和光致发光性能最佳.因而用作后续复合材料的制备.另一方面,我们以酸活化的海泡石(Sep)为载体,采用原位生长法成功制备了一种新型的水滑石/海泡石(Sep@LDH)光催化剂,研究了海泡石的添加量对复合材料性能的影响.结果表明,Sep含量对复合材料形貌、粒径大小、结构以及光学性质影响较大.其中,样品Sep_4@LDH(海泡石添加量为4 g),比表面积最大,因而光催化效率最高.降解动力学结果表明,染料的光降解过程遵循准一级动力学模型.我们通过对活性物种(·OH,h~+,·O_2~-)的考察,研究了光催化降解机理.结果表明,·OH在光降解过程中起着至关重要的作用.Sep_4@LDH复合材料循环使用5次后,MO和MB的光降解率依然分别可以达到86.2%和84.9%,表现出较高的稳定性.     

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%。     

Ag‐Enhanced TiO2–x/C Composites with Metal‐Organic Frameworks as Precursors for Photodegradation of Methyl Blue

A series of Ag‐enhanced TiO_2–x/C composites (Ag/TiO_2–x/C composites) with metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as precursors were prepared, and their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the UV‐light driven photodegradation behaviors of methyl blue (MB). The as‐obtained samples were characterized by several techniques such as SEM, XRD, N₂‐adsorption, XPS, UV/Vis spectrophotometry and UV/Vis diffuse‐reflectance spectra. The best photocatalytic performance was achieved in Ag/TiO_2–x/C composite pyrolyzed at 1000 °C (ATC‐P10) due to rapid capture of electrons caused by silver doping, higher density of TiO_2–x lattice oxygen vacancies for better trapping of electrons, and high surface area due to reduction and evaporation of metallic Zn. No obvious deactivation was observed after 10 cycles of UV‐light degradation of MB under the same experimental conditions. This report reveals a new approach to prepare stable and highly efficient UV‐light‐driven photocatalysts for organic pollutants in water.     

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and phenol on Fe-doped sulfated titania

Fe-doped sulfated titania (FST) photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity were prepared from industrial titanyl sulfate solution and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry analysis?Cdifferential scanning calorimeter (TGA-DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and nitrogen adsorption?Cdesorption techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the FST photocatalyst was evaluated using the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and the photooxidation of phenol in aqueous solutions in the presence of UV irradiation, respectively. The effect of various parameters, such as calcining temperature, calcination time, initial concentration of substrate, amount of catalyst and pH value on the photocatalytic activity of FST photocatalyst was investigated. Among the parameters studied, calcining temperature, initial concentration of substrate, and amount of catalyst have a very similar effect on the activity of FST photocatalyst for both the photodegradation of MB and the photooxidation of phenol, while the others have distinct differences. The optimal calcination conditions were 500?°C, 1.5?h and 650?°C, 2.5?h; the optimal catalyst concentration were 1.0 and 1.2?g?L^?1; the optimal pH values were 8 and 4 for the photodegradation of MB and the photooxidation of phenol, respectively. In addition, the mechanism for the high photocatalytic efficiency of FST photocatalyst has also been put forward.     

Preparation and characterization of zinc oxide nanoflakes using anodization method and their photodegradation activity on methylene blue

In this work, we report the formation of leaf-like ZnO nanoflakes by anodization of zinc foil in a mixture of ammonium sulfate and sodium hydroxide electrolytes under various applied voltage and concentration of sodium hydroxide. The morphology and structure of ZnO nanoflakes were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of the prepared nanoflakes zinc oxide was evaluated in the photodegradation of organic dye methylene blue (MB) solution under UV irradiation. It was found that zinc oxide prepared under high concentration of sodium hydroxide and high voltage showed better performance in the photodegradation of methylene blue.     

Azo dyes degradation using TiO2-Pt/graphene oxide and TiO2-Pt/reduced graphene oxide photocatalysts under UV and natural sunlight irradiation

The photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes with different structures (amaranth, sunset yellow and tartrazine) using TiO₂-Pt nanoparticles (TPt), TiO₂-Pt/graphene oxide (TPt-GO) and TiO₂-Pt/reduced graphene oxide (TPt-rGO) composites were investigated in the presence of UV and natural sunlight irradiation. The composites were prepared by a combined chemical-thermal method and characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Infrared (FTIR) and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The modification of TiO₂-Pt with graphene oxide shifted its optical absorption edge towards the visible region and increased its photocatalytic activity under UV and natural sunlight irradiation. The efficiency of catalysts on azo dyes degradation (in similar conditions) reached high values (above 99%) under sunlight conditions, proving the remarkable photocatalytic activities of obtained composites. TPt-GO nanocomposite exhibited higher photoactivity than TPt or TPt-rGO, demonstrating degradation efficiencies of 99.56% for amaranth, 99.15% for sunset yellow and 96.23% for tartrazine. The dye photodegradation process follows a pseudo-first-order kinetic with respect to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood reaction mechanism. A direct dependence between azo dyes degradation rate and chemical structure of dyes has been observed.     

Facile synthesis of ZnO/CuO/Eu heterostructure photocatalyst for the degradation of industrial effluent

Zinc oxide-based ternary heterostructure ZnO/CuO/Eu(1%, 3%, and 5% of Eu) nanoparticles were effectively produced by employing Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)waste skin extract as fuel in a simple one-pot combustion process. The as-synthesized heterostructure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction studies, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. Besides, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of the as-obtained ternary nanocomposite was evaluated under UV light for the degradation of model organic pollutants including methylene blue (MB), Rhodamine-B (RB), and an effluent sample collected from the textile industrial waste. During this study, the effect of a variety of parameters on the photodegradation activity of the photocatalysts has been thoroughly evaluated, such as light source, catalyst dose, irradiation period, dye concentration, solution pH, etc. Under UV irradiation(100 mins), the ternary ZnO/CuO/Eu photocatalyst demonstrated excellent degradation activity of ～99 and ～93% for MB and RB, respectively, while for the industrial effluent, a decent degradation activity of 42% has been recorded. Further experiments have revealed a pH and concentration-dependent photocatalytic behavior of the heterostructure photocatalyst. Therefore, the results suggest that the heterostructure photocatalyst can be potentially applied for wastewater treatment and other environmental applications.     

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.     

Influence of operational parameters on photocatalytic degradation of a genotoxic azo dye Acid Violet 7 in aqueous ZnO suspensions

The photocatalytic degradation of a genotoxic azo dye Acid Violet 7 (AV 7) using ZnO as a photocatalyst in aqueous solution has been investigated under UV irradiation. The degradation is higher with UV/ZnO process than with UV/TiO(2)-P25 process at pH 9. The effects of different parameters such as pH of the solution, amount of catalyst, initial dye concentration and the influence of cations, anions and oxidants on photodegradation of AV 7 were analyzed. Addition of oxidants except H(2)O(2) has no significant effect on degradation. The degradation of AV 7 follows pseudo-first order kinetics according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The degradation of AV 7 has also been confirmed by COD and CV measurements.     

CPF/ZnO纳米复合催化材料的制备

通过原位聚合-热转化两步法,利用ZnO纳米微粒和糠醇(F)制备出了具有大共轭结构的高分子(CPF)和ZnO的纳米复合催化材料(CPF/ZnO);用TG-DTA、TEM、XRD、XPS、IR和UV-Vis等技术对其热稳定性、形貌、尺寸、结构及吸光特性等进行了表征,以亚甲基蓝(MB)溶液的催化降解研究了该材料在自然光条件下的催化性能。结果表明,由该方法可以得到平均尺寸约为 50 nm的CPF/ZnO纳米复合催化材料;其中的CPF为具有极性基团和大共轭结构的高分子;ZnO与CPF化学键合在一起;CPF的引入将ZnO的光谱响应拓展到了整个紫外-可见区,从而极大地改善了ZnO在自然光条件下的催化性能。如在460 ℃下处理40 min所得的纳米复合材料,在自然光条件下,10 min即可使MB溶液完全脱色,而在相同条件下,纯纳米ZnO仅能使MB的脱色率为10%左右;该催化材料重复使用3次仍可使MB溶液的脱色率保持在80%以上。     

共沉淀法制备稀土Ce掺杂的纳米ZnO及其光催化降解染料的性能

以六水合硝酸锌和六水合硝酸铈?髥为原料,通过共沉淀法制备了一系列稀土Ce掺杂的纳米ZnO,并采用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、傅里叶红外光谱(IR)、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线能谱分析(EDS)、紫外可见漫反射光谱对其进行了全面表征。部分样品还通过X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和光致荧光光谱(PL)进行了进一步分析。分别在日光和紫外光条件下,对这一系列Ce掺杂的ZnO进行了光催化降解亚甲基蓝的性能研究,得出当Ce的掺杂量为3%(n/n)时(ZnO-3%Ce),其光催化活性最佳,光催化降解亚甲基蓝的效率均超过98%。选取ZnO-3%Ce作为催化剂,分别进一步考察其在日光和紫外光下对罗丹明B和甲基橙的光催化降解性能。研究结果表明,ZnO-3%Ce在日光和紫外光下均表现出较好的光催化降解效果,体现出良好的光降解普适性。日光下光降解效率顺序为:亚甲基蓝>罗丹明B>甲基橙,而紫外光下降解效率顺序为:罗丹明B>亚甲基蓝>甲基橙。最后,我们研究了催化剂ZnO-3%Ce的循环利用及稳定性性能。实验结果表明:该催化剂循环使用3次之后,光催化效率仍然稳定在97%以上,并且其结构和组成保持不变,体现出优异的稳定性和应用前景。     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic application of TiO2/magnetic graphene for efficient photodegradation of crystal violet

A magnetized nano‐photocatalyst based on TiO₂/magnetic graphene was developed for efficient photodegradation of crystal violet (CV). Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and elemental mapping were used to characterize the prepared magnetic nano‐photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized magnetic nano‐photocatalyst was evaluated using the decomposition of CV as a model organic pollutant under UV light irradiation. The obtained results showed that TiO₂/magnetic graphene exhibited much higher photocatalytic performance than bare TiO₂. Incorporation of graphene enhanced the activity of the prepared magnetic nano‐photocatalyst. TiO₂/magnetic graphene can be easily separated from an aqueous solution by applying an external magnetic field. Effects of pH, magnetized nano‐photocatalyst dosage, UV light irradiation time, H₂O₂ amount and initial concentration of dye on the photodegradation efficiency were evaluated and optimized. Efficient photodegradation (>98%) of the selected dye under optimized conditions using the synthesized nano‐photocatalyst under UV light irradiation was achieved in 25 min. The prepared magnetic nano‐photocatalyst can be used in a wide pH range (4–10) for degradation of CV. The effects of scavengers, namely methanol (OH^? scavenger), p‐benzoquinone (O₂^?? scavenger) and disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (hole scavenger), on CV photodegradation were investigated.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of inverse sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles in a mixed toluene/pentanol solvent in the absence and presence of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)

Well-aligned ZnO nanorods (NRs) were grown on indium-tin-oxide (ITO) slide by the hydrothermal method and used as templates for preparing ZnO/Au composite nanoarrays. The optical and morphological properties of ZnO/Au composites under various HAuCl(4) concentrations were explored via UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The density and size of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on ZnO NRs can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of HAuCl(4). The optimal ZnO/Au composites display complete photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue (MB) within 60 min, which is superior to that with pure ZnO NRs prepared by the same method. The reason of better photocatalytic performance is that Au NPs act as electron traps and it prevents the rapid recombination of electrons and holes, resulting in the improvement of photocatalytic efficiency. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO/Au composites is mainly controlled by the density of Au NPs formed on ZnO NRs. The application in rapid photodegradation of MB shows the potential of ZnO/Au composite as a convenient catalyst for the environmental purification of organic pollutants.     

Nitrogen‐doped graphene‐cerium oxide (NG‐CeO2) photocatalyst for the photodegradation of methylene blue in waste water

This study shows a facile approach for the preparation of CeO₂ nanoparticles decorated with porous nitrogen‐doped graphene (NG) nanosheets for effective photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB). NG nanosheets were first synthesized using a hydrothermal method and then nitrogen‐doped graphene‐cerium oxide (NG‐CeO₂) was prepared through mixing of cerium nitrate with different concentrations of NG under ultrasonication followed by hydrothermal treatment. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposites was analyzed against MB dye. Results showed that the nanocomposites of NG‐CeO₂ have an average particle size of 20 nm. The as‐prepared NG‐CeO₂ nanocomposites exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activity for dye degradation under visible light irradiation, which could be attributed to synergistic effects between the NG nanosheets and CeO₂. The quantum of photodegradation increases with the increase of the NG content in the nanocomposites.     

Polypyrrole-coated cotton textile as adsorbent of methylene blue dye

Pollution caused by organic dyes is of serious environmental and health concern to the population. Dyes are widely used in textile coloring applications. In the present work, cotton textile was coated with a conducting polymer, polypyrrole (PPy), in situ during the oxidative polymerization of pyrrole. The resulting materials were utilized as easily separated and recyclable adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) as a model of cationic dyes in alkaline solutions. It showed also some affinity to remove Acid Green 25 as an anionic dye in acidic medium. The adsorption was assessed by monitoring the decrease in dye concentration by UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy. The influence of various parameters such as initial dye concentration, contact time, pH, temperature, and adsorbent dose on the adsorption process was studied. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model were found to describe the adsorption process. The thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption of MB by PPy was feasible, spontaneous, and exothermic process. Investigation of the substrate regeneration revealed that PPy deposited on cotton textile can be reused for dye adsorption several times with good efficiency and it allows for the recovery of MB for recycling purposes.     

Fe-CuS/还原氧化石墨烯(RGO)的制备及其光催化性能

以氯化铜（CuCl₂·2H₂O）、硫脲（（NH₂）₂CS,Tu）、1,2-丙二醇（1,2-PG）、氯化铁（FeCl₃·6H₂O）及氧化石墨烯（GO）为原料,通过溶剂热法制备了具有可见光活性的Fe-CuS/RGO复合材料。采用XRD、SEM、TEM、Raman、XPS、TG、UV-Vis等手段对产品进行了表征,并以亚甲基蓝（MB）为目标降解物对其可见光催化活性进行了研究。光催化结果表明：在汞灯（150 W）下照射140 min,CuS、CuS/RGO和Fe-CuS/RGO对MB的脱色率分别为41.2%、81.5%和90.6%。Fe-CuS/RGO对MB的降解效率较CuS/RGO和CuS有较大提升,可能原因是Fe元素有利于电荷在CuS与RGO界面间传输,降低了光生电子-空穴对的复合几率,进而提高了光催化活性。     

Fe-CuS/还原氧化石墨烯(RGO)的制备及其光催化性能

以氯化铜(CuCl_2·2H_2O)、硫脲((NH2)2CS,Tu)、1,2-丙二醇(1,2-PG)、氯化铁(FeCl_3·6H_2O)及氧化石墨烯(GO)为原料,通过溶剂热法制备了具有可见光活性的Fe-CuS/RGO复合材料。采用XRD、SEM、TEM、Raman、XPS、TG、UV-Vis等手段对产品进行了表征,并以亚甲基蓝(MB)为目标降解物对其可见光催化活性进行了研究。光催化结果表明:在汞灯(150 W)下照射140 min,CuS、CuS/RGO和Fe-CuS/RGO对MB的脱色率分别为41.2%、81.5%和90.6%。Fe-CuS/RGO对MB的降解效率较CuS/RGO和CuS有较大提升,可能原因是Fe元素有利于电荷在CuS与RGO界面间传输,降低了光生电子-空穴对的复合几率,进而提高了光催化活性。     

Single and Binary Dye Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange in Alcohol Aqueous Solution via Rice Husk Based Activated Carbon: Kinetics and Equilibrium Studies

The present work was mainly focused on the single and binary adsorption of methylene blue(MB) and methyl orange(MO) from alcohol aqueous solution over rice husk based activated carbon(RHAC). The study of single dye adsorption equilibrium experiments found that the Langmuir adsorption model was consistent with the adsorption behavior of RHAC on MB and MO, indicating that it was a single layer adsorption. The adsorption behavior conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The binary dye adsorption experiments showed that the Langmuir-Freundlich model could be applied to describe the adsorption behavior of RHAC on MB and MO. Comparation with the single dye system, the adsorption capacity on the binary dye system was larger, and there was "competitive adsorption" and "synergistic adsorption" effects existed. Meanwhile, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model also fit for the binary dye adsorption behavior.