Novel hydrostable Z-scheme Ag/CsPbBr3/Bi2WO6 photocatalyst for effective degradation of Rhodamine B in aqueous solution

In this study, a hydrostable Z-scheme Ag/CsPbBr₃/Bi₂WO₆ photocatalyst was designed and fabricated for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The structural instability of CsPbX₃ perovskites in water is one of the main obstacles that restrict their practical application in photocatalytic wastewater treatment. The photocatalyst was prepared in three steps: passivation of CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals (NCs) with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), construction of a heterojunction between MPA-passivated CsPbBr₃ NCs and Bi₂WO₆ ultrathin nanosheets, and doping Ag nanoparticles as charge mediators in the heterojunction. The as-obtained 5%Ag/20%CsPbBr₃/Bi₂WO₆ exhibits good stability and excellent photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate is 93.9% in 120 min, which is 4.41 times than that of Bi₂WO₆.     

Overview on multicomponent ceramic composite materials used for efficient photocatalysis – An update

Water is an important item for the survival of humans, animals and plants in the planet earth. In the industrialized world, water pollution is raising every day, mainly in the textile, paper, medicine, and plastic production industries. Pollution from coloured compounds is primarily identified as being the major threat to wastewater. In the absence of any pre-treatment, substituted phenols, dyes and agricultural wastes seriously contaminate groundwater systems. For the removal of dyes from the industrial waste water, the following three traditional methods are used: chemical, physical and biological but, the cost of the methods little high. For alternation of these methods, now a days photocatalytic degradation method was used. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are excellent catalysts for reducing and degrading aqueous phase nitro compounds and aromatic dyes. Nanoparticles are commonly assembled into two types, i.e., organic (carbon nanoparticles) and inorganic (metal, semiconductor and magnetic nanoparticles) nanoparticles. In this review article we are mainly focused on the behaviour of different types of pure metal oxides and metal oxide@metal/metal oxide/carbon/polymer nanocomposites for the removal of various organic pollutants from water and their efficiency has been reported. As a result of their review the cerium-based metal oxides such as CdS/CeO₂, CeO₂/Y₂O₃, GQDs/CeO₂ and Ag/cellulose@CeO₂/QDs shows more degradation efficiency (above~95%) towards the organic pollutants when compared to other metal oxides.     

Cu-Bi纳米粉体的制备及其可见光光催化性能研究

以Cu（NO3）2、Bi（NO3）3、COfNH）2为原料,聚乙二醇（PEG）为分散剂,采用均匀共沉淀法制备了Cu-Bi催化剂,用X-射线粉末衍射法、能量色散法、透射电镜和紫外－可见漫反射光谱法对催化剂的组成、粒径大小、表面形貌和光学吸收性能进行了详细表征,并以酸性大红和亚甲基蓝为目标降解物,考察了所制备的Cu－Bi催化剂在可见光下的光催化性能。实验结果表明,该催化剂为类球形纳米粉体,粒度均匀,粒径约50nm。在可见光作用下,该催化剂对酸性大红和亚甲基蓝均表现出良好的光催化性能,且在240min前,对酸性大红的降解率要优于亚甲基蓝;240min后则两者的降解效果相近。     

B离子掺杂TiO2催化剂(TiO2－xBx)光催化活性的研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备出纳米TiO₂和TiO_2－xB_x催化剂. 光催化实验证明, TiO_2－xB_x催化剂的紫外、可见光催化活性均高于TiO₂. XRD, XPS和Raman结果表明, B离子是以取代式掺杂占据了TiO₂的O^2－的晶格位置. UV-Vis和PL谱的结果表明, B离子的2p轨道与O的2p轨道形成混合价带, 产生可见光响应, B离子的掺入有效地阻止了光生载流子的复合, 促进了其分离, 是TiO_2－xB_x催化剂紫外、可见光催化活性提高的主要原因.     

Modulated Binary–Ternary Dual Semiconductor Heterostructures

A generic modular synthetic strategy for the fabrication of a series of binary‐ternary group II‐VI and group I‐III‐VI coupled semiconductor nano‐heterostructures is reported. Using Ag₂Se nanocrystals first as a catalyst and then as sacrificial seeds, four dual semiconductor heterostructures were designed with similar shapes: CdSe‐AgInSe₂, CdSe‐AgGaSe₂, ZnSe‐AgInSe₂, and ZnSe‐AgGaSe₂. Among these, dispersive type‐II heterostructures are further explored for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water and these are observed to be superior catalysts than the binary or ternary semi‐conductors. Details of the chemistry of this modular synthesis have been studied and the photophysical processes involved in catalysis are investigated.     

Preparation and Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity of FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 Microspheres

Tetraphenyl-porphyrin iron (FeTPP) was chosen to sensitize Cr doped TiO₂ (Cr-TiO₂) nanoparticles, a novel multimodified photocatalyst FeTPP-Cr-TiO₂ with excellent visiblelight photocatalytic activity was successfully synthesized. The FeTPP-Cr-TiO₂ microspheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic activity of FeTPP-Cr-TiO₂ was evaluated by degradations of methylene blue in aqueous solution under irradiation with Xe lamp (150 W). The results showed that the FeTPP-Cr-TiO₂ multimodified photocatalyst was anatase phase with high specific surface area (74.7 m²/g), and exhibited higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency than Cr-TiO₂ and FeTPP-TiO₂. The photocatalytic degradations of three quinolone antibiotics (lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin) were further estimated for the feasibility of practical application of catalyst in wastewater treatment. It is desirable that photodegradation of antibiotics with FeTPP-Cr-TiO₂ achieved pretty high degradation rates and all followed the pseudo first-order reaction model, and the rate constants k of 3.02×10^-2, 2.81×10^-2, and 3.86×10^-2 min^-1 and the half-lifes t_1/2 of 22.9, 24.6, and 17.9 min were achieved respectively.     

A High‐Energy Charge‐Separated State of 1.70 eV from a High‐Potential Donor–Acceptor Dyad: A Catalyst for Energy‐Demanding Photochemical Reactions

A high potential donor–acceptor dyad composed of zinc porphyrin bearing three meso‐pentafluorophenyl substituents covalently linked to C₆₀, as a novel dyad capable of generating charge‐separated states of high energy (potential) has been developed. The calculated energy of the charge‐separated state was found to be 1.70 eV, the highest reported for a covalently linked porphyrin–fullerene dyad. Intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer leading to charge‐separated states of appreciable lifetimes in polar and nonpolar solvents has been established from studies involving femto‐ to nanosecond transient absorption techniques. The high energy stored in the form of charge‐separated states along with its persistence of about 50–60 ns makes this dyad a potential electron‐transporting catalyst to carry out energy‐demanding photochemical reactions. This type of high‐energy harvesting dyad is expected to open new research in the areas of artificial photosynthesis especially producing energy (potential) demanding light‐to‐fuel products.     

TiO2膜光催化剂的改进及表征

提出用粉末一溶胶法制备TiO2薄膜型光催化剂,介绍了粉溶法的制备工艺及改变pH值对催化活性的影响。研究结果表明,利用粉溶法或添加浓HNO3后制备的TiO2薄膜光催化剂表现出了较高的光催化活性,结合结构表征详细分析了其中的原因,认为粉溶法制备的催化剂表面更粗糙,比表面积增大,膜厚度减小,这些都可能是其催化活性提高的原因,而加酸后膜催化活性提高主要是因为酸性条件下表面几乎没有Ti^3+表面态,利于光生电子与光生穴穴的分离。     

金属-有机框架衍生的多功能光催化剂

在光催化过程中,光催化剂被太阳能激发产生光生电子和空穴,来实现环境净化或能量转换,是应对全球变暖和能源短缺的有效途径之一.然而,光催化技术面临的主要瓶颈问题是光生载流子的低分离效率和高反应能垒.而催化剂本身的特性对这一点起到了决定性的作用.因此,催化剂的合理设计和改性是提高光催化效率的关键.金属有机框架(MOFs)是一...     

Directed Electron Delivery from a Pb-Free Halide Perovskite to a Co(II) Molecular Catalyst Boosts CO2 Photoreduction Coupled with Water Oxidation

The development of high-performance photocatalytic systems for CO₂ reduction is appealing to address energy and environmental issues, while it is challenging to avoid using toxic metals and organic sacrificial reagents. We here immobilize a family of cobalt phthalocyanine catalysts on Pb-free halide perovskite Cs₂AgBiBr₆ nanosheets with delicate control on the anchors of the cobalt catalysts. Among them, the molecular hybrid photocatalyst assembled by carboxyl anchors achieves the optimal performance with an electron consumption rate of 300±13 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for visible-light-driven CO₂-to-CO conversion coupled with water oxidation to O₂, over 8 times of the unmodified Cs₂AgBiBr₆ (36±8 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), also far surpassing the documented systems (<150 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). Besides the improved intrinsic activity, electrochemical, computational, ex-/in situ X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopic results indicate that the electrons photogenerated at the Bi atoms of Cs₂AgBiBr₆ can be directionally transferred to the cobalt catalyst via the carboxyl anchors which strongly bind to the Bi atoms, substantially facilitating the interfacial electron transfer kinetics and thereby the photocatalysis.