Straightforward Synthesis of Mn3O4/ZnO/Eu2O3-Based Ternary Heterostructure Nano-Photocatalyst and Its Application for the Photodegradation of Methyl Orange and Methylene Blue Dyes

Zinc oxide-ternary heterostructure Mn₃O₄/ZnO/Eu₂O₃ nanocomposites were successfully prepared via waste curd as fuel by a facile one-pot combustion procedure. The fabricated heterostructures were characterized utilizing XRD, UV–Visible, FT-IR, FE-SEM, HRTEM and EDX analysis. The photocatalytic degradation efficacy of the synthesized ternary nanocomposite was evaluated utilizing model organic pollutants of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) in water as examples of cationic dyes and anionic dyes, respectively, under natural solar irradiation. The effect of various experimental factors, viz. the effect of a light source, catalyst dosage, irradiation time, pH of dye solution and dye concentration on the photodegradation activity, was systematically studied. The ternary Mn₃O₄/ZnO/Eu₂O₃ photocatalyst exhibited excellent MB and MO degradation activity of 98% and 96%, respectively, at 150 min under natural sunlight irradiation. Experiments further conclude that the fabricated nanocomposite exhibits pH-dependent photocatalytic efficacy, and for best results, concentrations of dye and catalysts have to be maintained in a specific range. The prepared photocatalysts are exemplary and could be employed for wastewater handling and several ecological applications.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of magnetic Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>–nitrogen-doped graphene hybrid composite and its application as photocatalyst in degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue dyes in presence of copper (II) ions

Nanocomposite of Fe₃O₄–nitrogen-doped graphene (Fe₃O₄–NG) was synthesized by single step hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized composite was characterised by various techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and thermal analysis (TGA). The catalytic role of synthesized nanocomposite in visible light induced photodegradation of methyl orange (MO; acidic dye) and methylene blue (MB; basic dye) was explored. The role of Cu(II) ions on the photodegradation of the organic dyes was also monitored. Cu(II) ions enhance the photocatalytic activity of nanocomposite by capturing photoelectron, thereby quenching the recombination process of electron–hole pair in photocatalyst.     

Photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2/poly[acrylamide-co-(acrylic acid)] composite for textile dye degradation

A novel photocatalytically degradable TiO₂/poly[acrylamide-co-(acrylic acid)] composite hydrogel (TiO₂/poly[AAm-co-AAc]) was synthesized by polymerization in an aqueous solution with N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide as the crosslinker and ammonium persulphate and TEMED as the initiator pair. The combined and separate effects of photodegradation and adsorption processes for dye removal were evaluated using methylene blue (MB) as the model dye for a photodegradation target, and compared with those of the neat poly[AAm-co-AAc], and a commercially available TiO₂ photocatalyst (Degussa P-25). Without photodegradation (i.e. in the dark), the TiO₂/poly[AAm-co-AAc] composite adsorbed up to 85% of the MB from a 5 mg L⁻¹ MB solution in 15 min compared to only 10% for the pristine TiO₂. The reproducibility in photodegradation of the reused poly[AAm-co-AAc] composite was also investigated, where poly[AAm-co-AAc] was found to be photocatalytically degraded under UV irradiation. Therefore, the TiO₂/poly[AAm-co-AAc] composite hydrogel is a good dye adsorber with self-photodegradability and it also can easily be separated from the reaction by simple filtration. With these properties, the TiO₂/poly[AAm-co-AAc] hydrogel can be called a green polymer for use in the photodegradation-adsorption process for the abatement of various pollutants.     

Green chemistry approach for the synthesis of PbSnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

We report synthesis of light-induced heterogeneous photocatalyst PbSnO₃ by green chemistry approach, using mechanochemical method. The synthesized catalyst was characterized physically by various analytical investigative techniques like UV-DRS, FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDAX, TEM, and TG. The product corresponded to average particle size of 100 nm by TEM images. Photocatalytic activity of PbSnO₃ was studied by photodegradation of Methyl blue, Indigo carmine, and Acid violet dyes under sunlight. The results indicate that the sunlight stimulates a photochemical reaction and successfully complete mineralization of Methyl blue, Indigo carmine, and Acid violet dyes. Antimicrobial activity shows that PbSnO₃ photocatalyst was found non-toxic to the environment.     

The Properties and Activity of TiO2/beta‐SiC Nanocomposites in Organic Dyes Photodegradation

The TiO₂/beta‐SiC nanocomposites containing 0–25 wt. % of beta‐SiC were synthesized by the sol‐gel method and tested in the photodegradation of methylene blue and methyl orange water solutions. With the increase in SiC content, only a slight decrease in energy band gap was observed (3.19–3.12 eV), together with significant increase in the surface area of the catalysts (42.7–80.4 m² g^?1). In the synthesized material, the anatase phase of TiO₂ was present in the form of small agglomerates resulting from the mechanical mixing process. In the process conditions (catalyst concentration 0.5 g L^?1, initial dye concentration 100 ppm, light source 100 W UV‐Vis lamp), we have observed no signs of catalyst deactivation. The significantly higher photodegradation activity of methylene blue than methyl orange can be attributed to the preferable pH of the solution compared to pH_PZC and the cationic character of the first dye. In case of methyl orange, pH process conditions substantially limit the contact of the catalyst with the dye, as negatively charged surface of the catalysts repels the dissociated anionic dye molecules.     

漂浮型BiFeO3/膨胀珍珠岩的制备及其可见光催化性能

利用水热法制备了新颖的、漂浮型的膨胀珍珠岩(EP)负载BiFeO₃(BiFeO₃/EP)复合光催化材料。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)和紫外可见漫反射(UV-Vis-DRS)对制备的复合材料进行了表征与分析。SEM和TEM结果清楚地表明BiFeO₃纳米粒子已被负载到EP表面。与纯BiFeO₃相比,BiFeO₃/EP复合材料明显提高了对可见光的吸收能力,减小了带隙宽度,在可见光下对亚甲基蓝(MB)的降解表现出更强的光催化活性。其中,70%BiFeO₃/EP复合材料对MB染料废水的光催化活性最高,其光催化反应一级速率常数是纯BiFeO₃的2.2倍。由于质轻中空的特点,制备的BiFeO₃/EP颗粒漂浮在液面上,有利于相分离和反应后光催化剂的回收。材料的重复性试验表明,复合材料在MB光降解过程中是相当稳定的。     

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.     

Heterogeneous photocatalysis of methylene blue over titanate nanotubes: effect of adsorption

Titanate nanotubes were synthesized with hydrothermal reaction using TiO(2) and NaOH as the precursors and subsequent calcination at 400°C for 2h. The products were characterized with SEM and XRD. Adsorption and photocatalysis of methylene blue over titanate nanotubes and TiO(2) were investigated. The results indicated that titanate nanotubes exhibited a better photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in a simultaneous adsorption and photodegradation system than that in equilibrium adsorption followed by a photodegradation system, whereas TiO(2) showed no significant differences in photocatalytic activity in the two systems. The methylene blue overall removal efficiency over TNTs in the first system even exceeded that over TiO(2). The different catalytic performances of titanate nanotubes in the two systems were tentatively attributed to different effects of adsorption of methylene blue, i.e., the promoting effect in the former and the inhibition effect in the latter. Decantation experiments showed that the titanate nanotube photocatalyst could be easily separated from the reaction medium by sedimentation. Thus titanate nanotubes with high sedimentation rates and concurrent adsorption represent a new catalyst system with a strong potential for commercial applications.     

有机改性TiO2光催化剂的制备及可见光催化性能

以染料黄叱精(Chrysoidine G)和TiO₂ (Degussa P25)为原料, 利用甲苯二异氰酸酯为桥连体, 成功合成了一种有机改性的TiO₂光催化剂. 采用XRD, TEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis对所得催化剂进行了表征, 以亚甲基蓝降解为探针反应, 考察其可见光催化性能. 结果表明: 甲苯二异氰酸酯在黄叱精和TiO₂之间形成了稳定的化学键, 从而实现了对TiO₂的表面有机改性; 改性后的TiO₂在可见光区(400～550 nm)有明显的吸收; 与未改性TiO₂相比, 有机改性的TiO₂催化剂在可见光照射下表现出了很好的光催化性能.     

非共价修饰碳纳米管/二氧化钛复合材料的合成及性能

采用溶胶-凝胶法在聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)非共价修饰的碳纳米管表面均匀沉积二氧化钛粒子制得纳米复合材料。用TEM、XRD、FTIR、N2吸脱附等对复合材料进行了表征。结果表明:纳米二氧化钛纳米粒子均匀沉积在被修饰碳纳米管表面,且二氧化钛为纯锐钛矿晶体结构,没有金红石和板钛矿相。非共价修饰碳纳米管/二氧化钛复合材料具有良好的介孔结构,其孔径分布主要集中在6～10 nm,且比表面积与纯的二氧化钛相比明显增大,在紫外光照射下降解亚甲基蓝,相比纯的二氧化钛和碳纳米管/二氧化钛,具有较高的催化活性。     

Cation Incorporation and Synergistic Effects on the Characteristics of Sulfur-Doped Manganese Ferrites S@Mn(Fe2O4) Nanoparticles for Boosted Sunlight-Driven Photocatalysis

In the present work, sulfur-doped manganese ferrites S@Mn(Fe₂O₄) nanoparticles were prepared by using the sol-gel and citrate method. The concentration of sulfur varied from 1 to 7% by adding Na₂S. The samples were characterized by performing Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Ultraviolet–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Visible). The synthesized sulfur-doped manganese ferrites were applied to evaluate the photocatalytic degradation of the dyes. Further, the degradation studies revealed that the nanoparticles successfully degraded the methylene blue dye by adding a 0.006 g dose under the sunlight. The sulfur-doped manganese ferrite nanoparticles containing 3% sulfur completely degraded the dye in 2 h and 15 min in aqueous medium. Thus, the ferrite nanoparticles were found to be promising photocatalyst materials and could be employed for the degradation of other dyes in the future.     

Applying facilely synthesized CuO/CeO2 photocatalyst to accelerate methylene blue degradation in hypersaline wastewater

Textile and dye effluents have strong color, unstable pH and COD, a lot of inorganic salt, and high biotoxicity. It is difficult and inefficient to remove dyes from high-saline wastewater by traditional methods. In this study, a simple synthetic CuO/CeO₂ photocatalyst is used to achieve high efficiency photodegradation of methylene blue in high salt wastewater. The p-type CuO/n-type CeO₂ heterojunction photocatalyst is synthesized by a modified hydrothermal-calcination method. The XRD and XPS reveal the successful synthesis of CuO/CeO₂ composite. The SEM and TEM images show that the sample consists of large amounts of well-dispersed CuO nanosphere loading on the CeO₂ layers. DRS exhibits the absorption band (about 510 nm) and the band gap energy (2.43 eV) of the CuO/CeO₂ composite. Compared with pure CuO, CeO₂, and TiO₂ (P25), the prepared CuO/CeO₂ can increase the mineralization rate of MB by 18.19%~33.74%. More than 80% of MB can be effectively removed in the wastewater containing 5~80 g/L NaCl with a wide pH value range of 2.11~9.02, and the degradation processes follow the pseudofirst-order reaction kinetics. Active species trapping experiments confirm that the degradation of methylene blue is mainly attributed to hydroxyl radical; besides, O₂^▪− and hole (h⁺) also play important roles. Chlorine ions have dual effects in photocatalytic reactions. This work could provide a new approach to construct new heterojunction photocatalysts and a deeper insight for the treatment of hypersaline dye wastewater.     

Effect of operational parameters on photodegradation of methylene blue on ZnS nanoparticles prepared in presence of an ionic liquid as a highly efficient photocatalyst

In the present study, photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) on ZnS nanoparticles, prepared in aqueous solution of a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), was studied and the results were compared with commercial ZnS. Influence of various operational parameters such as calcination temperature, catalyst weight, pH of solution, and initial concentration of MB on the photodegradation reaction was investigated to achieve maximum degradation efficiency. The optimum value of pH and catalyst dose was found to be 9.5 and 0.6 g l^-1. It was demonstrated that the photodegradation of MB follows a pseudo first-order kinetic. At optimized conditions, the rate constant of the reaction on ZnS nanoparticles prepared in aqueous solution of the RTIL is about five and four times greater than the prepared sample in water and commercial ZnS, respectively.     

Structural characterization and photocatalytic properties of novel Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>FeVO<Subscript>7</Subscript>

Bi₂FeVO₇ was prepared by a solid-state reaction technique for the first time and the structural and photocatalytic properties of Bi₂FeVO₇ were studied. The results shows that this compound crystallized in the tetragonal crystal system with space group I4/mmm. Moreover, the band gap of Bi₂FeVO₇ was estimated to be about 2.22(6) eV. For the photocatalytic water splitting reaction, H₂ or O₂ evolution was observed from pure water with Bi₂FeVO₇ as the photocatalyst by ultraviolet light irradiation. Degradation of aqueous methylene blue (MB) dye by photocatalytic way over this compound was further studied under visible light irradiation. Bi₂FeVO₇ shows higher catalytic activity compared to TiO₂ (P-25) for MB photocatalytic degradation under visible light irradiation. Complete removal of aqueous MB was realized after visible light irradiation for 170 min with Bi₂FeVO₇ as the photocatalyst. The reduction of the total organic carbon (TOC) and the formation of inorganic products, SO ₄ ²⁻ and NO ₃ ⁻ revealed the continuous mineralization of aqueous MB during the photocatalytic course.     

Study of catalytic reduction and photodegradation of methylene blue by heterogeneous catalyst

The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue is investigated in aqueous solution containing CoS/nanoAl-MCM-41 photocatalyst under visible light. The catalyst is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffused reflectance spectra (UV-vis DRS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The effect of CoS, nanoAl-MCM-41 support and different wt% of CoS over the support on the photocatalytic degradation and influence of parameters such as CoS loading, catalyst amount, pH and initial concentration of methylene blue on degradation are evaluated. Hypsochromic effects (i.e. blue shifts of spectral bands) resulting from N-demethylation of the dimethylamino group in methylene blue occurs in presence of CoS/nanoAl-MCM-41 under ambient condition. Meanwhile, the bleaching of methylene blue MB, by sulfide ion, in an aqueous solution is studied in the presence nanoAl-MCM-41 catalyst. In the presence of sulfide ions, MB is bleached to its colorless leuco (LMB) and MBH(2)(+) forms. In an acidified solution (pH<2) the bleaching process generates LMB and by changing pH between 2.0 and 7.0 bleaching of MB dye to MBH(2)(+) form is observed. Using nanoAl-MCM-41 with encapsulated CoS nanoparticles only causes demethylation of MB in aqueous solution.     

Converting red mud wastes into mesoporous ZSM-5 decorated with TiO2 as an eco-friendly and efficient adsorbent-photocatalyst for dyes removal

Red mud wastes have been converted into mesoporous zeolite socony mobile-5 (ZSM-5) followed by deposited titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles to generate synergy adsorption-photodegradation for removal of dye removal in waste water. The amount of TiO₂ loading was varied to achieve optimum photocatalytic activity while maintaining the mesoporosity and high surface area of ZSM-5. Sol-gel method facilitated the formation of anatase TiO₂ on the ZSM-5. The fourier transform infrared spectra clarified the formation of Si–O–Ti at 957 cm^?1 by the exchanging the hydrogen ion with titanium ion, which proved by decreasing the absorption band of Si–OH and Si–O interaction at 964 and 944 cm^?1, respectively. Sol-gel method also preserved the mesopore diameter of ZSM-5 at 3.5 nm which allow the diffusion of methylene blue (MB) molecules into the pores. However, the surface area and the pore volume were slightly reduced with increasing the TiO₂ loading. The adsorption performance of samples showed that the increasing in the TiO₂ loading led to the decreasing in the adsorption capacity. All samples showed the suitability towards the pseudo second order kinetic. The Langmuir isotherm was suitable to describe the adsorption mechanism by monolayer adsorption. Mesoporosity of ZSM-5 accelerated the adsorption of dye via the increase of mass transfer in the pore channel which confirmed by the low intercept of intraparticle diffusion model at the first stage. The photocatalytic test showed that 10% TiO₂ loading on the ZSM-5 exhibited the highest methylene blue removal followed by 5% and 20% TiO₂ loading. Optimization on the amount of photocatalyst and the pH of solution indicated the reaction favoured 1 g L^?1 of catalysts and at alkaline pH. 10% TiO₂/ZSM-5 also exhibited high stability and reusability up to four reaction cycles. Photocatalytic performance of 10% TiO₂/ZSM-5 was further investigated on photodegradation of malachite green and rhodamine B organic dyes, which showed the photocatalytic efficiency of 73 and 88%, respectively. Superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, and photogenerated electron were identified as the main active species for MB photodegradation based on the reduction of degradation rate following the addition scavenger molecules.     

Fe3O4@SiO2@TiO2-Co/rGO磁性光催化剂的合成及其光催化活性研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法和水热法（HTM）合成了Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@TiO₂-Co/rGO复合纳米粒子（磁性光催化剂）,通过X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜及其能量分散光谱和UV-vis漫反射光谱对产物进行了表征分析.研究了Co掺杂量、溶液pH值、亚甲基蓝（MB）溶液初始浓度以及干扰离子（例如Cl^-、SO₄^2-、CO₃^2-）等因素对MB降解的影响,并对磁性光催化剂的可重复使用性进行了分析.正常实验条件下（pH=7,[MB]=10 mg/L,磁性光催化剂用量=0.1 g/50 mL）,150 min内MB最大去除率达到98.24%.干扰离子影响MB降解次序为CO₃^2- < Cl^- < SO₄^2-,磁性光催化剂重复使用7次MB光降解率仅下降7.07%,新型磁性光催化剂具有良好的MB降解性能和较高的重复使用性能.     

The physical and surface chemical characteristics of activated carbons and the adsorption of methylene blue from wastewater

Adsorption of a basic dye, methylene blue, from aqueous solutions onto as-received activated carbons and acid-treated carbons was investigated. The physical and surface chemical properties of the activated carbons were characterized using BET-N(2) adsorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and mass titration. It was found that acid treatment had little effect on carbon textural characteristics but significantly changed the surface chemical properties, resulting in an adverse effect on dye adsorption. The physical properties of activated carbon, such as surface area and pore volume, have little effect on dye adsorption, while the pore size distribution and the surface chemical characteristics play important roles in dye adsorption. The pH value of the solution also influences the adsorption capacity significantly. For methylene blue, a higher pH of solution favors the adsorption capacity. The kinetic adsorption of methylene blue on all carbons follows a pseudo-second-order equation.     

Improved visible light photocatalytic activity of titania loaded with silver on discoloration of a heterocyclic aromatic chemical dye solution

The photocatalytic activity of silver deposited Degussa P25 titanium dioxide (Ag-DP25) in the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) was investigated. The as-prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), infrared spectra and surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) techniques. The obtained results show that the silver dopant could effectively inhibit the recombination of the photoinduced electron and holes, improving the absorption capability for visible light of photocatalyst and leading to increased surface OH group density. The degradation experiment reveals that the catalytic property of Ag-DP25 in the degradation of MB dye is more efficient than that of commercially available Degussa P25 TiO₂ (DP25) samples under visible-light irradiation. Besides, degradation kinetics of MB dye can, be well described by Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation and shows pseudo-first order law.     

A novel sensitized chemiluminescence: Infrared emissions from thiazine dyes sensitized by singlet oxygen

An unusual infrared chemiluminescence emission (8130Å) of methylene blue, and other thiazine dyes, sensitized by singlet molecular oxygen is reported. This chemiluminescence does not correspond to the ordinary fluorescence of the dye and cannot be explained by previously proposed mechanisms for singlet oxygen sensitized emissions of dyes. From energetic considerations singlet molecular oxygen in its ¹Σ_g⁺ state is postulated as the sensitizing agent for the thiazine dye chemiluminescences. Schemes in which ¹Σ_g⁺ oxygen transfers electronic excitation energy (a) to the lowest triplet state of the dye, (b) to a combined multiplicity state of the lowest triplet state of the dye, and triplet molecular oxygen, or (c) to a charge-transfer state between the dye and oxygen, are compared. The chemiluminescence of methylene blue in aqueous solution may be used as a luminescent probe for ¹Σ_g⁺ oxygen.