Visible Light Photocatalyst Anatase Phased TiO2 Nanoparticles for Enhanced Antibacterial Performance

This study reports the development of anatase TiO₂ synthesized by facile photon-induced method (PIM) at various reaction times of 6 days, 8 days, 10-day samples. The 10 days TiO₂ sample shows stable anatase phase, whereas 100% rutile phase at the same temperature was observed for standard TiO₂. Mainly, the PIM was used to tuning the properties of visible light absorbance TiO₂ photocatalyst used for improving antibacterial performance. The antibacterial activity of TiO₂ against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was determined by the agar disc diffusion method. Anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against extracellular S. aureus with 80% and E. coli with 82% killing efficacy at concentrations as low as 100 μg/mL, which is 100% faster than the standard and other pure TiO₂ reported earlier. The obtained undoped anatase Titania with enhanced chemical reactivity has great potential for antibacterial properties. Moreover, the smaller crystallite size (25 nm) and narrowing bandgap (2.96 eV) TiO₂ nanoparticles were more effective in killing bacteria compared with standard TiO₂. Therefore, this work indicated that anatase phased TiO₂ under visible light absorbance has good potential with excellent clinical applications.

     

SiO2/TiO2 Hollow Nanoparticles Decorated with Ag Nanoparticles: Enhanced Visible Light Absorption and Improved Light Scattering in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Hollow SiO₂/TiO₂ nanoparticles decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) of controlled size (Ag@HNPs) were fabricated in order to enhance visible‐light absorption and improve light scattering in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). They exhibited localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and the LSPR effects were significantly influenced by the size of the Ag NPs. The absorption peak of the LSPR band dramatically increased with increasing Ag NP size. The LSPR of the large Ag NPs mainly increased the light absorption at short wavelengths, whereas the scattering from the SiO₂/TiO₂ HNPs improved the light absorption at long wavelengths. This enabled the working electrode to use the full solar spectrum. Furthermore, the SiO₂ layer thickness was adjusted to maximize the LSPR from the Ag NPs and avoid corrosion of the Ag NPs by the electrolyte. Importantly, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased from 7.1 % with purely TiO₂‐based DSSCs to 8.1 % with HNP‐based DSSCs, which is an approximately 12 % enhancement and can be attributed to greater light scattering. Furthermore, the PCEs of Ag@HNP‐based DSSCs were 11 % higher (8.1 vs. 9.0 %) than the bare‐HNP‐based DSSCs, which can be attributed to LSPR. Together, the PCE of Ag@HNP‐based DSSCs improved by a total of 27 %, from 7.1 to 9.0 %, due to these two effects. This comparative research will offer guidance in the design of multifunctional nanomaterials and the optimization of solar‐cell performance.     

具有可见光响应的C、N共掺杂TiO2纳米管光催化剂的制备

为了提高二氧化钛对可见光的利用效率,采用等离子体电解方法对二氧化钛实现了C、N共掺杂.掺杂通过等离子体电解HCONH2、NaNO2、(NH2)2CO产生活性N、C实现.XPS结果表明,C、N掺杂进入了氧化钛晶格.紫外漫反射光谱分析表明,氧化钛对可见光(＞400 nm)的响应增强,其光催化降解能力也大大增强.C、N共掺杂TiO2是一种利用太阳能的理想的光催化剂.     

Covalent Triazine‐Based Frameworks as Visible Light Photocatalysts for the Splitting of Water

Covalent triazine‐based frameworks (CTFs) with a graphene‐like layered morphology have been controllably synthesized by the trifluoromethanesulfonic acid‐catalyzed nitrile trimerization reactions at room temperature via selecting different monomers. Platinum nanoparticles are well dispersed in CTF‐T1, which is ascribed to the synergistic effects of the coordination of triazine moieties and the nanoscale confinement effect of CTFs. CTF‐T1 exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity and stability for H₂ evolution in the presence of platinum under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm). The activity and stability of CTF‐T1 are comparable to those of g‐C₃N₄. Importantly, as a result of the tailorable electronic and spatial structures of CTFs that can be achieved through the judicial selection of monomers, CTFs not only show great potential as organic semiconductor for photocatalysis but also may provide a molecular‐level understanding of the inherent heterogeneous photocatalysis.

     

Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity of Pt/N‐TiO2 towards Enhanced H2 Production from Water Splitting

Present work mainly focuses on experimental investigation to improvement of hydrogen production by water photoelectrolysis. An experimental facility was designed and constructed for visible light photocatalysis. A series of N‐TiO₂ photocatalysts impregnated with platinum on the surface of N‐TiO₂ were prepared. Hydrogen production upon irradiating aqueous Pt/N‐TiO₂ suspension with visible light was investigated. The shift in excitation wavelength of TiO₂ was 380 nm improved the yield of hydrogen production by N‐TiO₂ and Pt/N‐TiO₂. We used a 400 W mercury arc lamp combined with a 400 nm cutoff filter eliminating all the wavelengths under 400 nm. Pt/N‐TiO₂ material was characterized with TPR, reflective UV/Visible spectroscopy and TEM. The best hydrogen production rate obtained for this setup for N/Ti = 10, 0.05 wt% Pt/N‐TiO₂, through water splitting was about 772 μmolh^?1g^?1.     

TiO2/Cu2O Core/Ultrathin Shell Nanorods as Efficient and Stable Photocatalysts for Water Reduction

P‐type Cu₂O has been long considered as an attractive photocatalyst for photocatalytic water reduction, but few successful examples has been reported. Here, we report the synthesis of TiO₂ (core)/Cu₂O (ultrathin film shell) nanorods by a redox reaction between Cu²⁺ and in‐situ generated Ti³⁺ when Cu²⁺‐exchanged H‐titanate nanotubes are calcined in air. Owing to the strong TiO₂‐Cu₂O interfacial interaction, TiO₂ (core)/Cu₂O (ultrathin film shell) nanorods are highly active and stable in photocatalytic water reduction. The TiO₂ core and Cu₂O ultrathin film shell respectively act as the photosensitizer and cocatalyst, and both the photoexcited electrons in the conduction band and the holes in the valence band of TiO₂ respectively transfer to the conduction band and valence band of the Cu₂O ultrathin film shell. Our results unambiguously show that Cu₂O itself can act as the highly active and stable cocatalyst for photocatalytic water reduction.     

Ultrathin g‐C3N4 Nanosheets Coupled with AgIO3 as Highly Efficient Heterostructured Photocatalysts for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

The photocatalytic activity of graphite‐like carbon nitride (g‐C₃N₄) could be enhanced by heterojunction strategies through increasing the charge‐separation efficiency. As a surface‐based process, the heterogeneous photocatalytic process would become more efficient if a larger contact region existed in the heterojunction interface. In this work, ultrathin g‐C₃N₄ nanosheets (g‐C₃N₄‐NS) with much larger specific surface areas are employed instead of bulk g‐C₃N₄ (g‐C₃N₄‐B) to prepare AgIO₃/g‐C₃N₄‐NS nanocomposite photocatalysts. By taking advantage of this feature, the as‐prepared composites exhibit remarkable performances for photocatalytic wastewater treatment under visible‐light irradiation. Notably, the optimum photocatalytic activity of AgIO₃/g‐C₃N₄‐NS composites is almost 80.59 and 55.09 times higher than that of pure g‐C₃N₄‐B towards the degradation of rhodamine B and methyl orange pollutants, respectively. Finally, the stability and possible photocatalytic mechanism of the AgIO₃/g‐C₃N₄‐NS system are also investigated.     

Copper Nanoparticles on Graphene Support: An Efficient Photocatalyst for Coupling of Nitroaromatics in Visible Light

Copper is a low‐cost plasmonic metal. Efficient photocatalysts of copper nanoparticles on graphene support are successfully developed for controllably catalyzing the coupling reactions of aromatic nitro compounds to the corresponding azoxy or azo compounds under visible‐light irradiation. The coupling of nitrobenzene produces azoxybenzene with a yield of 90 % at 60 °C, but azobenzene with a yield of 96 % at 90 °C. When irradiated with natural sunlight (mean light intensity of 0.044 W cm⁻²) at about 35 °C, 70 % of the nitrobenzene is converted and 57 % of the product is azobenzene. The electrons of the copper nanoparticles gain the energy of the incident light through a localized surface plasmon resonance effect and photoexcitation of the bound electrons. The excited energetic electrons at the surface of the copper nanoparticles facilitate the cleavage of the N O bonds in the aromatic nitro compounds. Hence, the catalyzed coupling reaction can proceed under light irradiation and moderate conditions. This study provides a green photocatalytic route for the production of azo compounds and highlights a potential application for graphene.     

TiO2 Nanotube Arrays Modified with Cr‐Doped SrTiO3 Nanocubes for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution under Visible Light

In recent decades, solar‐driven hydrogen production over semiconductors has attracted tremendous interest owing to the global energy and environmental crisis. Among various semiconductor materials, TiO₂ exhibits outstanding photocatalytic properties and has been extensively applied in diverse photocatalytic and photoelectric systems. However, two major drawbacks limit practical applications, namely, high charge‐recombination rate and poor visible‐light utilization. In this work, heterostructured TiO₂ nanotube arrays grafted with Cr‐doped SrTiO₃ nanocubes were fabricated by simply controlling the kinetics of hydrothermal reactions. It was found that coupling TiO₂ nanotube arrays with regular SrTiO₃ nanocubes can significantly improve the charge separation. Meanwhile, doping Cr cations into SrTiO₃ nanocubes proved to be an effective and feasible approach to enhance remarkably the visible‐light response, which was also confirmed by theoretical calculations. As a result, the rate of photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution of these novel heteronanostructures is an order of magnitude larger than those of TiO₂ nanotube arrays and other previously reported SrTiO₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites under visible‐light irradiation. Furthermore, the as‐prepared Cr‐doped SrTiO₃/TiO₂ heterostructures exhibit excellent durability and stability, which are favorable for practical hydrogen production and photoelectric nanodevices.     

Bi‐, Y‐Codoped TiO2 for Carbon Dioxide Photocatalytic Reduction to Formic Acid under Visible Light Irradiation

Bi‐ and Y‐codoped TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized through a sol‐gel method, and they were applied in the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to formic acid under visible light irradiation. The results revealed that, after doping Bi and Y, the surface area of TiO₂ was increased from 5.4 to 93.1 m²/g when the mole fractions of doping Bi and Y were 1.0% and 0.5%, respectively, and the lattice structures of the photocatalysts changed and the oxygen vacancies on the surface of the photocatalysts formed, which would act as the electron capture centers and slow down the recombination of photo‐induced electron and hole. The photocurrent spectra also proved that the photocatalysts had better electronic transmission capacities. The HCOOH yield in CO₂ photocatalytic reduction was 747.82 μmol/g_cat by using 1% Bi‐0.5% Y‐TiO₂ as a photocatalyst. The HCOOH yield was 1.17 times higher than that by using 1% Bi‐TiO₂, and 2.23 times higher than that by using pure TiO₂. Furthermore, the 1% Bi‐0.5% Y‐TiO₂ showed the highest apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 4.45%.     

HIPE Polymerization Materials Functionalized with Iodic‐BODIPY on the Surface as Porous Heterogeneous Visible‐Light Photocatalysts

A high internal phase emulsion polymerization (PolyHIPE) material, with iodine‐functionalized boron‐dipyrromethene (iodic‐BODIPY) immobilized on its surface, composes a porous heterogeneous organic photocatalyst (iodic‐BODIPY‐PolyHIPE). It shows high catalytic efficiency on the selective oxidation reaction of aromatic sulfides under visible light. The substrates were almost fully converted to their corresponding sulfoxides and no sulfones were observed. Most importantly, iodic‐BODIPY‐PolyHIPE shows >1.6‐fold reaction rate compared to the previous non‐inorganic heterogeneous photocatalysts.     

表面具丰富羟基的介孔TiO2稳定Pt-OH-Fe(III)催化界面

在负载型金属催化剂中,载体不仅可以提高金属分散度,同时还创造了独特的金属-载体界面.在特定的反应中,这些界面位点被认为是主要活性位点.对于这些体系,其催化性能的关键在于能否构建丰富且稳定的界面活性位点.本研究中,以乙二醇-钛前驱体水解得到的超高比表面积介孔TiO₂作为载体（m-TiO₂,490 m²/g）,通过紫外光照沉积得到m-TiO₂负载的高度分散的Pt纳米颗粒（1.9 wt% Pt,2.7 nm）.相较而言,在商业P25 TiO₂上负载量仅有0.2 wt%,而Pt的尺寸却达6.7 nm.通过简单的沉积沉淀法可以在Pt/m-TiO₂和Pt/P25进一步构筑超高活性和稳定性的Pt-OH-Fe（Ⅲ）界面,所得到的Fe（OH）_x-Pt/m-TiO₂在催化低温CO氧化反应中表现出超高活性和稳定性,而Fe（OH）_x-Pt/P25却会在测试过程中发生不可逆的失活.研究发现,相较于P25表面密度较小且对湿气不敏感的羟基物种,m-TiO₂的高比表面积、介孔结构以及表面具有丰富（且对湿气敏感）的羟基（10.6 mmol/g,12.5 nm^-2）,可以确保Pt-OH-Fe（Ⅲ）界面在CO氧化的放热反应中不会因为脱水发生不可逆的失活.     

Enhanced Self‐Cleaning Properties on Polyester Fabric Under Visible Light Through Single‐Step Synthesis of Cuprous Oxide Doped Nano‐TiO2

Nowadays, introducing self‐cleaning properties on various fabrics under daylight irradiation for automotive and upholstery application is in a central point of research. This can be achieved by application of metal‐doped TiO₂ nano particles on the textile fabrics. Here, alkali hydrolysis of polyester fabric has been carried out along with synthesis of Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanoparticles in a single‐step process by using sonochemical technique. CuSO₄.5H₂O was used as a source of copper in the presence of glucose as reducing and stabilizing agent. Moreover, central composite design based on response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the role of variables (CuSO₄.5H₂O, glucose and pH) and their effects on the self‐cleaning properties and weight of the fabric. The self‐cleaning property was investigated by degradation of Methylene blue on the surface of the treated fabrics under daylight. Further, the tensile properties, colorimetric measurement, and washing fastness of the treated fabric produced in the optimum conditions were investigated. The morphology of Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanoparticles was examined using X‐ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The new polyester fabric obtained through in situ synthesis of Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanoparticles can be used as a desirable stable fabric with high tensile strength and visible‐light self‐cleaning properties.     

Constructing Ordered Three‐Dimensional TiO2 Channels for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Performance in CO2 Conversion Induced by Au Nanoparticles

As a typical photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction, practical applications of TiO₂ still suffer from low photocatalytic efficiency and limited visible‐light absorption. Herein, a novel Au‐nanoparticle (NP)‐decorated ordered mesoporous TiO₂ (OMT) composite (OMT‐Au) was successfully fabricated, in which Au NPs were uniformly dispersed on the OMT. Due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect derived from the excited Au NPs, the TiO₂ shows high photocatalytic performance for CO₂ reduction under visible light. The ordered mesoporous TiO₂ exhibits superior material and structure, with a high surface area that offers more catalytically active sites. More importantly, the three‐dimensional transport channels ensure the smooth flow of gas molecules, highly efficient CO₂ adsorption, and the fast and steady transmission of hot electrons excited from the Au NPs, which lead to a further improvement in the photocatalytic performance. These results highlight the possibility of improving the photocatalysis for CO₂ reduction under visible light by constructing OMT‐based Au‐SPR‐induced photocatalysts.     

Ag/N-TiO2/SBA-15光催化剂的制备及其可见光催化还原CO2

以钛酸四正丁酯(TB),羧基改性的SBA-15 (COOH/SBA-15),尿素和AgNO3为原料,利用溶剂热及焙烧处理制得Ag/N-TiO₂/SBA-15催化剂. 采用X 射线衍射(XRD),低温N2吸脱附,X 射线光电子能谱(XPS),紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-vis DRS),荧光(PL)光谱,电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICP)和元素分析(EA)等表征. 结果显示：Ag/N-TiO₂/SBA-15样品具有介孔结构,TiO₂以单一的锐钛矿晶型均匀的分散在载体表面,Ag以单质形态沉积在TiO₂表面,N则掺入到TiO₂晶格中,并以取代N(O-Ti-N)和间隙N(Ti-O-N)两种方式共存. Ag/N-TiO₂/SBA-15催化剂中单质Ag既可以捕获光生电子提高量子效率,又促进了TiO₂对可见光的吸收. N掺杂拓宽了TiO₂吸收光谱的吸收范围,并且适量的N掺杂有助于光生电荷的分离,提高了光催化效率. 以光催化还原CO₂为探针反应,考察了催化剂在可见光下的催化活性. 结果表明：Ag/N-TiO₂/SBA-15系列催化剂均表现出了可见光催化还原CO₂性能,发现当Ag的质量分数为2%,N与Ti的物质的量比为3时,催化剂光催化活性最佳,产物甲醇产量高达45.7 μmol·g^-1·h^-1.     

Nd2O3/TiO2光催化剂的光生羟基自由基和光活性

以硝酸钕和钛酸四正丁酯作为前驱体,采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了Nd₂O₃/TiO₂纳米光催化剂,并通过XRD和BET等手段进行了表征.以对苯二甲酸作为探针分子,结合化学荧光技术研究了光催化剂表面羟基自由基的生成;并以甲基橙为光催化降解反应模型化合物,考察了光催化剂的活性.测定了甲基橙在TiO₂和Nd₂O₃/TiO₂(1.0%)光催化剂上的吸附常数.结果表明:Nd₂O₃掺杂使TiO₂的粒径减小,比表面积增大;羟基自由基的生成速率越大,催化剂的催化活性越高.Nd₂O₃掺杂有利于反应底物在催化剂表面的吸附,Nd₂O₃的最佳掺入量为Nd/Ti(摩尔比)=1.0%.     

Highly Efficient Low‐Temperature Plasma‐Assisted Modification of TiO2 Nanosheets with Exposed {001} Facets for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

Anatase TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have been controllably modified under non‐thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with various working gas, including Ar, H₂, and NH₃. The obtained TiO₂ nanosheets possess a unique crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (TiO₂@TiO_2?x), which exhibit the improved visible and near‐infrared light absorption. The types of dopants (oxygen vacancy/surface Ti³⁺/substituted N) in oxygen‐deficient TiO₂ can be tuned by controlling the working gases during plasma discharge. Both surface Ti³⁺ and substituted N were doped into the lattice of TiO₂ through NH₃ plasma discharge, whereas the oxygen vacancy or Ti³⁺ (along with the oxygen vacancy) was obtained after Ar or H₂ plasma treatment. The TiO₂@TiO_2?x from NH₃ plasma with a green color shows the highest photocatalytic activity under visible‐light irradiation compared with the products from Ar plasma or H₂ plasma due to the synergistic effect of reduction and simultaneous nitridation in the NH₃ plasma.     

Nanosilver‐Decorated TiO2 Nanofibers Coated with a SiO2 Layer for Enhanced Light Scattering and Localized Surface Plasmons in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Enhanced harvesting of visible light is vital to the development of highly efficient dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Nanosilver‐decorated TiO₂ nanofibers (Ag@TiO₂ NFs) were synthesized by depositing chemically reduced Ag ions onto the surface of electrospun TiO₂ nanofibers (TiO₂ NFs). The prepared Ag@TiO₂ NFs were coated with SiO₂ (SiO₂@Ag@TiO₂ NFs) by using PVP as coupling agent for protecting corrosion of Ag nanoparticle by I^?/${{\rm I}{{- \hfill \atop 3\hfill}}}$ solution. The fabricated SiO₂@Ag@TiO₂ NFs demonstrated a synergistic effect of light scattering and surface plasmons, leading to an enhanced light absorption. Moreover, an anode consisting of SiO₂@Ag@TiO₂ NFs incorporating TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) increased light harvesting without substantially sacrificing dye attachment. The power conversion efficiency increased from 6.8 to 8.7 % for a thick film (10 μm), that is, 28 %. These results suggest that SiO₂@Ag@TiO₂ NFs are promising materials for enhanced light absorption in dye‐sensitized solar cells.     

Sequential Chemistry Toward Core–Shell Structured Metal Sulfides as Stable and Highly Efficient Visible‐Light Photocatalysts

A universal sequential synthesis strategy in aqueous solution is presented for highly uniform core–shell structured photocatalysts, which consist of a metal sulfide light absorber core and a metal sulfide co‐catalyst shell. We show that the sequential chemistry can drive the formation of unique core–shell structures controlled by the constant of solubility product of metal sulfides. A variety of metal sulfide core–shell structures have been demonstrated, including CdS@CoS_x, CdS@MnS_x, CdS@NiS_x, CdS@ZnS_x, CuS@CdS, and more complexed CdS@ZnS_x@CoS_x. The obtained strawberry‐like CdS@CoS_x core–shell structures exhibit a high photocatalytic H₂ production activity of 3.92 mmol h^?1 and an impressive apparent quantum efficiency of 67.3 % at 420 nm, which is much better than that of pure CdS nanoballs (0.28 mmol h^?1), CdS/CoS_x composites (0.57 mmol h^?1), and 5 %wt Pt‐loaded CdS photocatalysts (1.84 mmol h^?1).     

Si掺杂TiO2催化剂的结构与可见光催化活性研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备出Si⁴⁺离子掺杂的TiO₂可见光催化剂 (TiO₂-xSi),该催化剂的可见光催化活性高于纯TiO₂和N掺杂的TiO₂(TiO₂-N).利用XRD、XPS、FT-IR和UV-Vis DRS等表征技术,研究了TiO₂-xSi催化剂的晶体结构、能带结构和表面性质.研究发现:掺入Si⁴⁺离子在TiO₂粒子表面主要形成Ti-O-Si结构,并在导带下0.2-0.6 eV区域形成表面态能级,该表面态能级的存在是催化剂产生可见光响应、实现可见光催化的根本原因.另外,讨论了Si⁴⁺离子的掺杂对金红石相和晶粒的生长抑制作用,以及催化剂的比表面积和表面羟基物种增加对可见光催化活性的影响.