N-doped NaTaO3: novel visible-light-driven photocatalysts synthesised by a sol–gel method

N-doped NaTaO₃ catalysts were synthesized via a sol–gel method followed by a subsequent calcination process under NH₃ atmosphere. The as prepared samples were characterized by XPS, XRD, UV–Vis DRS, and BET analyses. All XRD peaks of the sample calcined at 900 °C matched with pure perovskite NaTaO₃ while peaks of TaON and Na₂Ta₄O₁₁ were found for that calcined at 1,000 °C. The DRS of samples shown cutoff edge has red shifted, from 315 nm of pure to 391 nm of N-doped NaTaO₃. N-doping helps to narrow the band gap, and the prepared sample was visible light sensitive. The XPS spectrum of Ta4p3&N1s shown two new peaks at 398.3 and 401.4 eV appear in the N-doped sample corresponding to Ta–N bonds and adsorption nitride, respectively. Photocatalytic activity of the catalysts was evaluated using Rhodamine B dye. The result demonstrated that the sample calcined under NH₃ had a higher photocatalytic activity than that of P25 under visible light. The NaTaO₃/TaON heterojunction played an important role on promoting photoactivity.     

Novel ternary g-C3N4/Ag3VO4/AgBr nanocomposites with excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance for environmental applications

Novel visible-light-induced photocatalysts were fabricated by integration of Ag₃VO₄ and AgBr semiconductors with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) through a facile refluxing method. The fabricated photocatalysts were extensively characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS, BET, TGA, and PL instruments. The photocatalytic performance of these samples was studied by degradations of three dye contaminants under visible-light exposure. Among the ternary photocatalysts, the g-C₃N₄/Ag₃VO₄/AgBr (10%) nanocomposite displayed the maximum activity for RhB degradation with rate constant of 1366.6 × 10⁻⁴ min⁻¹, which is 116, 7.23, and 38.5 times as high as those of the g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄/AgBr (10%), and g-C₃N₄/Ag₃VO₄ (30%) photocatalysts, respectively. The effects of synthesis time and calcination temperature were also investigated and discussed. Furthermore, according to the trapping experiments, it was found that superoxide anion radicals were the predominant reactive species in this system. Finally, the ternary photocatalyst displayed superlative activity in removal of the contaminants under visible-light exposure, displaying great potential of this ternary photocatalyst for environmental remediation, because of a facile synthesis route and outstanding photocatalytic performance.     

CeTiO4/g-C3N4复合材料的制备及其高效的光催化染料降解性能

采用简单固相法成功制备了CeTiO₄/g?C₃N₄?x(CTO/CN?x,x g为g?C₃N₄的添加量)复合材料,并通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、N₂吸附-脱附测试、紫外可见吸收光谱(UV?Vis)及电化学测试对材料进行表征。研究发现:CeTiO₄与g?C₃N₄层状纳米片紧密复合,并成功构建了界面异质结结构;形成CTO/CN?x复合相的光催化材料具有良好的可见光光响应性能,且光生空穴-电子对的分离和迁移率明显提高;通过太阳光模拟不同样品光催化降解有机污染物罗丹明B,降解140 min后复合材料CTO/CN?6表现出最高的光催化活性,反应速率常数为0.0202 min^-1。其活性增强的主要原因是异质结结构的构筑降低了CTO光生载流子的复合几率,提高了光生载流子的迁移速率。     

Novel Bi/BiOBr/AgBr composite microspheres: Ion exchange synthesis and photocatalytic performance

Novel Bi/BiOBr/AgBr composite microspheres were prepared by a rational in situ ion exchange reaction between Bi/BiOBr microspheres and AgNO₃. The characteristic of the as-obtained ternary microspheres was tested by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) and photoluminescence (PL). Under visible light irradiation, Bi/BiOBr/AgBr microspheres exhibited an excellent photocatalytic efficiency for rhodamine B (RhB) degradation, which was about 1.4 and 4.9 times as high as that of Bi/BiOBr and BiOBr/AgBr, demonstrating that the highest separation efficiency of charge carriers in the heterostructured Bi/BiOBr/AgBr. The photocatalytic activity of Bi/BiOBr/AgBr microspheres just exhibited a slight decrease after three consecutive cycles. The photocatalytic mechanism investigation confirmed that the superoxide radicals (O₂^•−) were the dominant reactive oxygen species for RhB degradation in Bi/BiOBr/AgBr suspension.     

Pt deposited TiO2 catalyst fabricated by thermal decomposition of titanium complex for solar hydrogen production

C, N codoped TiO₂ catalyst has been synthesized by thermal decomposition of a novel water-soluble titanium complex. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of the synthesized TiO₂ catalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the Pt deposited TiO₂ catalysts synthesized at different temperatures was evaluated by means of hydrogen evolution reaction under both UV–vis and visible light irradiation. The investigation results reveal that the photocatalytic H₂ evolution rate strongly depended on the crystalline grain size as well as specific surface area of the synthesized catalyst. Our studies successfully demonstrate a simple method for the synthesis of visible-light responsive Pt deposited TiO₂ catalyst for solar hydrogen production.     

Synthesis of ZnTiO3/tourmaline/Ni foam catalyst and enhanced photocatalytic performance

ZnTiO₃/tourmaline loaded on the nickel foam (ZnTiO₃/tourmaline/Ni-foam) is prepared by a facile coating method. Morphology and structure of the photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electrons microscopy (SEM), raman spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV–vis DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic properties of the materials were tested by using the Rhodamine B (RhB) solution as the target pollutant. The results indicates that the ZnTiO₃/tourmaline/Ni foam exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than that of ZnTiO₃ and ZnTiO₃/Ni foam under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, and its degradation rate was up to 99.2%. Moreover, the degradation rate remained at 91.3% after eight consecutive photocatalytic reaction cycles. The outstanding photocatalytic performances of ZnTiO₃/tourmaline/Ni foam was mainly attributed to the existence of tourmaline, which can help to inhibit the recombination of electron-hole paris, and the proper pore structure of the carrier. Meanwhile, the trapping experiments indicated that ·O₂^– was the main active species in the photocatalytic degradation of RhB.     

Z-scheme TiO2/g-C3N4 composites prepared by hydrothermal assisted thermal polymerization with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Melamine was added to the precursor of TiO₂, then TiO₂ prepared by hydrothermal, while melamine was modified. Subsequently, a series of Z-scheme TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction composites were successfully synthesized by simple calcination. The morphology and structure of samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS, SEM, TEM, PL and BET. The photocatalytic activity of these samples has been investigated by degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), and results indicated that photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was greatly influenced by the content of titanium tetrabutoxide in precursors and the hydrothermal time. The degradation rate of TiO₂/g-C₃N₄-1 to RhB was the best, which was 5.05-fold of pure TiO₂ (19.61%) and 2.25-fold of bulk g-C₃N₄ (44.06%), respectively. The trapping experiment results showed that ^·O₂^? and h⁺ were main active species during degradation of RhB. The photocatalytic activity of the sample did not decrease significantly after 4 cycles. The unique Z-scheme heterojunction between TiO₂ and g-C₃N₄ improved photocatalytic activity of the samples under visible light.

     

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation using glucose as electron donor over Pt/Cd x Zn1−x S solid solutions

Cd _x Zn_1?x S solid solution photocatalysts were prepared by a hydrothermal process. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffusive reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) measurements. Using glucose as an electron donor, photocatalytic hydrogen generation over Pt/Cd _x Zn_1?x S was investigated. The results show that glucose not only improves the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen generation but prevents photocorrosion of Cd _x Zn_1?x S. Glucose was degraded effectively with the hydrogen generation. The factors which affect photocatalytic hydrogen generation, such as composition and structure of Cd _x Zn_1?x S solid solutions, irradiation time, initial concentration of the glucose, and concentration of NaOH were studied.     

BSA mediated Ag@Bi2S3 composites: synthesis,characterization, photodegradation of mixed dyes via metal-semiconductor interface,antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

Nowadays, the development of metal-metal sulfide interface semiconductors using green approach is best material for the photocatalytic and biological applications. Here, we provided for the first time, an environmentally friendly route to fabricate bovine serum albumin (BSA) assisted Ag@Bi₂S₃ composites through a metal-metal sulphide interface via a simple hydrothermal method for the evaluation of photochemical and biological applications. The synthesized composites were characterized by UV–vis DRS, PL, XRD, TEM, and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. The UV–vis DRS and PL spectra show that the obtained nano-sized Ag@Bi₂S₃ composite displays enhanced visible-light absorption and a decreased fluorescence emission compared to that of Bi₂S₃ nanorods (NRs). The photocatalytic performances of the synthesized composites were evaluated by the degradation of the single (RhB and MB) and mixed dye (RhB+MB) under sunlight irradiation. The results indicated that the Ag@Bi₂S₃ composite exhibits superior photocatalytic activity (98.38%) than that of individual Ag NPs and Bi₂S₃ NRs due to the synergistic effect of Ag and Bi₂S₃ nanophases in the Ag@Bi₂S₃ composite, which results in an effective charge separation, fast electron transfer from Ag to Bi₂S₃, and a low recombination of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. The Ag@Bi₂S₃ composite also has good recycling stability up to 5 cycles and its mechanism also investigated. The evaluation of reactive species during the photocatalytic reaction was also carried out. Further, the effects of Bi₂S₃ and Ag NPs on the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the resultant Ag@Bi₂S₃ composite were also systematically investigated.     

Structure and optical properties of [Ba1–xY2x/3](Zr0.25Ti0.75)O3 powders

[Ba_1–xY_2x/3](Zr_0.25Ti_0.75)O₃ powders with different yttrium concentrations (x = 0, 0.025 and 0.05) were prepared by solid state reaction. These powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform Raman scattering (FT-RS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray absorption near-edge (XANES) spectroscopies. The optical properties were investigated by means of ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Even with the addition of yttrium, the XRD patterns revealed that all powders crystallize in a perovskite-type cubic structure. FT-RS and FT-IR spectra indicated that the presence of [YO₆] clusters is able to change the interaction forces between the O–Ti–O and O–Zr–O bonds. XANES spectra were used to obtain information on the off-center Ti displacements or distortion effects on the [TiO₆] clusters. The different optical band gap values estimated from UV–vis spectra suggested the existence of intermediary energy levels (shallow or deep holes) within the band gap. The PL measurements carried out with a 350 nm wavelength at room temperature showed that all powders present typical broad band emissions in the blue region.     

Metal–metal charge transfer and interfacial charge transfer mechanism for the visible light photocatalytic activity of cerium and nitrogen co-doped TiO2

Nanosized cerium and nitrogen co-doped TiO₂ (Ce–TiO_2?xN_x) was synthesized by sol gel method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), FESEM, Fourier transform infrared, N₂ adsorption and desorption methods, photoluminescence and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) DRS techniques. PXRD analysis shows the dopant decreases the crystallite sizes and slows the crystallization of the titania matrix. XPS confirm the existence of cerium ion in +3 or +4 state, and nitrogen in ?3 state in Ce–TiO_2?xN_x. The modified surface of TiO₂ provides highly active sites for the dyes at the periphery of the Ce–O–Ti interface and also inhibits Ce particles from sintering. UV–visible DRS studies show that the metal–metal charge transfer (MMCT) of Ti/Ce assembly (Ti⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ → Ti³⁺/Ce⁴⁺) is responsible for the visible light photocatalytic activity. Photoluminescence was used to determine the effect of cerium ion on the electron–hole pair separation between the two interfaces Ce–TiO_2?xN_x and Ce₂O₃. This separation increases with the increase of cerium and nitrogen ion concentrations of doped samples. The degradation kinetics of methylene blue and methyl violet dyes in the presence of sol gel TiO₂, Ce–TiO_2?xN_x and commercial Degussa P25 was determined. The higher visible light activity of Ce–TiO_2?xN_x was due to the participation of MMCT and interfacial charge transfer mechanism.     

Synthesis of 3D hierarchical porous TiO2/InVO4 nanocomposites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic properties

Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous TiO₂/InVO₄ nanocomposites were fabricated by loading TiO₂ nanoparticles on the surface of porous InVO₄ microspheres. X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) were adopted to analyze the structure–property relationship of samples. The results show that the surface of as-prepared TiO₂/InVO₄ nanocomposites are composed of uniformly interconnected bi-phase nanocrystals, forming a close interface between these two components, which is favorable for the highly efficient interparticle electron transfer to achieve enhanced photocatalytic properties. However, the adsorption ability is decreased due to the loading of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the surface of InVO₄. Therefore, under the joint action of these factors, the TiO₂/InVO₄ nanocomposites achieve the best photocatalytic activity when the mole ratio of In:Ti reaches 4:1, and the visible-light photocatalytic activity is about as 3.3 times high as that of pure InVO₄ without modification.     

Microemulsion synthesis, characterization of highly visible light responsive rare Earth-doped bi(2) o(3)

In this paper, Bi₂O₃ and rare earth (La, Ce)‐doped Bi₂O₃ visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts were prepared in a Triton X‐100/n‐hexanol/cyclohexane/water reverse microemulsion. The resulting materials were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, photoluminescence spectra (PLS) and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of the as‐prepared catalysts calcined at 500°C exhibited only the characteristic peaks of monoclinic α‐Bi₂O₃. PLS analysis implied that the separation efficiency for electron‐hole has been enhanced when Bi₂O₃ was doped with rare earth. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements presented an extension of light absorption into the visible region. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) and 2,4‐dichlorophenol (2,4‐DCP). The results displayed that the photocatalytic activity of rare earth‐doped Bi₂O₃ was higher than that of dopant‐free Bi₂O₃. The optimal dopant amount of La or Ce was 1.0 mol%. And the mechanisms of influence on the photocatalytic activity of the catalysts were discussed.     

A study of photodegradation of sulforhodamine B on Au–TiO2/bentonite under UV and visible light irradiation

Au–TiO₂/bentonite samples were prepared via deposition–precipitation method and calcined at different temperatures. These samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), BET method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and TEM. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were tested by photodegradation of sulforhodamine B (SRB) under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation. The result showed that Au–TiO₂/bentonite catalysts exhibited higher efficiency for mineralizing SRB than the well-known commercial TiO₂ photocatalyst P25 in terms of COD changes. The most important advantage of Au–TiO₂/bentonite over P25 was that it could be readily separated from aqueous suspensions by sedimentation after the reaction. It can maintain almost the same activity after being repeatedly used for 12 times. Possible mechanisms for SRB photoreaction in the presence of Au–TiO₂/bentonite were proposed in this paper.     

Enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanofibers hybridized with g-C3N4 via electrospinning

TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ nanofibers with diameter of 100–200 nm were prepared by electrospinning method after calcination at high temperature, using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Melamine (C₃H₆N₆), Ti(OC₄H₉)₄ as raw materials. The composite nanofibers were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, UV–vis and PL respectively. The effects of different g-C₃N₄ contents on structure and photocatalytic degradation of the composite nanofibers were investigated. The results indicated that with increasing g-C₃N₄ content, the diameter of the composite fibers increased and the morphology changed from uniform structure to a nonuniform one, containing beads. The composite nanofibers displayed the best photocatalytic degradation on RhB, when the g-C₃N₄ content was 0.8 wt%. The degree of degradation was up to 99% at the optimal conditions of 40 min. The degradation activity of the composite nanofibers on RhB, MB and MO was found to be higher than that of the TiO₂ nanofibers.     

New synthesis of excellent visible-light TiO2−xNx photocatalyst using a very simple method

An excellent visible-light-responsive (from 400 to 550 nm) TiO_2−xN_x photocatalyst was prepared by a simple wet method. Hydrazine was used as a new nitrogen resource in this paper. Self-made amorphous titanium dioxide precursor powders were dipped into hydrazine hydrate, and calcined at low temperature (110 °C) in the air. The TiO_2−xN_x was successfully synthesized, following by spontaneous combustion. The photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrometer (DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Analysis of XPS indicated that N atoms were incorporated into the lattice of the titania crystal during the combustion of hydrazine on the surface of TiO₂. Ethylene was selected as a target pollutant under visible-light excitation to evaluate the activity of this photocatalyst. The newly prepared TiO_2−xN_x photocatalyst with strong photocatalytic activity and high photochemical stability under visible-light irradiation was firstly demonstrated in the experiment.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline TiO2 co-doped with nitrogen and cobalt(II)

Nitrogen-modified cobalt-doped TiO₂ materials were successfully prepared via a modified sol–gel method. The structure and properties of the catalysts were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, ultraviolet–visible light diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–Vis DRS), N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of the pure and co-doped TiO₂ samples indicate that the predominant phase was anatase. The average grain size obtained from TEM was approximately 10 nm. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis results indicate that the specific surface area was 77.7 m² g^?1. The UV–Vis DRS results for the co-doped sample reveal an absorption edge that had been red-shifted to 500 nm. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated through photodegradation of papermaking wastewater under UV and visible light irradiation. Compared with the cobalt-doped TiO₂ sample and Degussa P25, the 3 mol% N-doped mesoporous N/Co-TiO₂ photocatalyst exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, which can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of the N and Co co-doping.     

Fabrication and Optical Properties of Aligned Zn1-xMgxO Nanowire Arrays

Aligned Zn_1-xMg_xO nanowire arrays were successfully prepared on Si(111) substrates via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with a mixture of ZnO, Mg, and activated carbon powders as reactants. The microstructures and optical properties of the synthesized Zn_1-xMg_xO nanowire arrays were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive analysis X-ray (EDAX), and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum analytic apparatus, respectively. While Mg content was achieved or less approximately 0.29 (x, atomic ratio) in ZnO lattice, the crystal lattice of the synthesized samples exhibited wurtzite structure. The Mg atoms were distributed into the ZnO crystal as the interstitial and displaced atoms, and there was no phase separation in preparing Zn_1-xMg_xO nanowire arrays. However, as the Mg content was up to 0.53 (x) in the fabricated Zn_1-xMg_xO samples, a clear phase separation phenomena appeared in the Zn_1-xMg_xO crystal. Compared with the PL spectrum of the pure ZnO nanowire arrays, the analytic results showed that a blue-shift of the near-band edge emission with increasing Mg content was observed in the Zn_1-xMg_xO arrays. And the relative intensities of green peak at ca 535 nm and UV emission peak at ca 376 nm were all restrained.     

AgBr@TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/GO ternary composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity for oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde

AgBr@TiO₂/GO (graphene oxide) ternary composite photocatalyst was synthesized by fabricating core–shell-structured AgBr@TiO₂ and anchoring it onto the surface of GO. The obtained samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectrum, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. It was found that the AgBr nanoparticles were prone to aggregation while the core–shell-structured AgBr@TiO₂ possessed excellent dispersity. PL analysis revealed that the ternary-structured AgBr@TiO₂/GO could effectively promote the separation rate of electron–hole pairs. Photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde under visible-light irradiation was selected as probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the different samples. It was found that the AgBr@TiO₂/GO ternary composite exhibited evidently improved photocatalytic activity compared with AgBr, AgBr@TiO₂, and AgBr/GO. On the basis of the experiment results, the photocatalytic oxidation mechanism of benzyl alcohol over AgBr@TiO₂/GO is tentatively discussed.     

Control of nitrogen doping in NaTaO3 synthesized by hydrothermal reaction and chemical state of nitrogen

Nitrogen-doped NaTaO₃ was synthesized through 1-pot reaction, hydrothermal process using Ta₃N₅ as precursor. Changing concentration and amount of NaOH aqueous solution influenced nitrogen content in NaTaO₃. Absorption edge of nitrogen-doped NaTaO₃ was extended at 570 nm, and absorbance in visible light region depended on nitrogen content in NaTaO₃. Anodic photocurrent measured under visible light irradiation became larger with increasing nitrogen content in NaTaO_3-xN_y. Under ultraviolet light irradiation (λ ≤ 400 nm), the highest anodic photocurrent was observed when nitrogen concentration was y = 0.024. It was possible to expand the wavelength range that can be effectively utilized for the photoelectrochemical reaction.