Engineering the Atomic Interface with Single Platinum Atoms for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

It is highly desirable but challenging to optimize the structure of photocatalysts at the atomic scale to facilitate the separation of electron–hole pairs for enhanced performance. Now, a highly efficient photocatalyst is formed by assembling single Pt atoms on a defective TiO₂ support (Pt₁/def‐TiO₂). Apart from being proton reduction sites, single Pt atoms promote the neighboring TiO₂ units to generate surface oxygen vacancies and form a Pt‐O‐Ti³⁺ atomic interface. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the Pt‐O‐Ti³⁺ atomic interface effectively facilitates photogenerated electrons to transfer from Ti³⁺ defective sites to single Pt atoms, thereby enhancing the separation of electron–hole pairs. This unique structure makes Pt₁/def‐TiO₂ exhibit a record‐level photocatalytic hydrogen production performance with an unexpectedly high turnover frequency of 51423 h^?1, exceeding the Pt nanoparticle supported TiO₂ catalyst by a factor of 591.     

A Hydrolytically Stable Vanadium(IV) Metal–Organic Framework with Photocatalytic Bacteriostatic Activity for Autonomous Indoor Humidity Control

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with long‐term stability and reversible high water uptake properties can be ideal candidates for water harvesting and indoor humidity control. Now, a mesoporous and highly stable MOF, BIT‐66 is presented that has indoor humidity control capability and a photocatalytic bacteriostatic effect. BIT‐66 (V₃(O)₃(H₂O)(BTB)₂), possesses prominent moisture tunability in the range of 45–60 % RH and a water uptake and working capacity of 71 and 55 wt %, respectively, showing good recyclability and excellent performance in water adsorption–desorption cycles. Importantly, this MOF demonstrates a unique photocatalytic bacteriostatic behavior under visible light, which can effectively ameliorate the bacteria and/or mold breeding problem in water adsorbing materials.     

Rare‐Earth Single Erbium Atoms for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

The solar‐driven photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ (CO₂RR) into chemical fuels is a promising route to enrich energy supplies and mitigate CO₂ emissions. However, low catalytic efficiency and poor selectivity, especially in a pure‐water system, hinder the development of photocatalytic CO₂RR owing to the lack of effective catalysts. Herein, we report a novel atom‐confinement and coordination (ACC) strategy to achieve the synthesis of rare‐earth single erbium (Er) atoms supported on carbon nitride nanotubes (Er₁/CN‐NT) with a tunable dispersion density of single atoms. Er₁/CN‐NT is a highly efficient and robust photocatalyst that exhibits outstanding CO₂RR performance in a pure‐water system. Experimental results and density functional theory calculations reveal the crucial role of single Er atoms in promoting photocatalytic CO₂RR.     

A Blinking Mesoporous TiO2−x Composed of Nanosized Anatase with Unusually Long‐Lived Trapped Charge Carriers

A mesoporous TiO_2?x material comprised of small, crystalline, vacancy‐rich anatase nanoparticles (NPs) shows unique optical, thermal, and electronic properties. It is synthesized using polymer‐derived mesoporous carbon (PDMC) as a template. The PDMC pores serve as physical barriers during the condensation and pyrolysis of a titania precursor, preventing the titania NPs from growing beyond 10 nm in size. Unlike most titania nanomaterials, during pyrolysis the NPs undergo no transition from the anatase to rutile phase and they become catalytically active reduced TiO_2?x. When exposed to a slow electron beam, the NPs exhibit a charge/discharge behavior, lighting up and fading away for an average period of 15 s for an extended period of time. The NPs also show a 50 nm red‐shift in their UV/Vis absorption and long‐lived charge carriers (electrons and holes) at room temperature in the dark, even long after UV irradiation. The NPs as photocatalysts show a good activity for CO₂ reduction.     

A twofold interpenetrating two‐dimensional zinc(II) coordination polymer: synthesis,crystal structure and physical properties

A novel twofold interpenetrating two‐dimensional (2D) Zn^II coordination framework, poly[[(μ‐1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene‐κ²N³:N³)(μ‐naphthalene‐2,6‐dicarboxylato‐κ²O²:O⁶)zinc(II)] dimethylformamide monosolvate], {[Zn(C₁₂H₆O₄)(C₁₄H₁₄N₄)]·C₃H₇NO}_n or {[Zn(1,3‐BMIB)(NDC)]·DMF}_n (I), where H₂NDC is naphthalene‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid, 1,3‐BMIB is 1,3‐bis(2‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene and DMF is dimethylformamide, was prepared and characterized through IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermal analysis and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed that (I) exhibits an unusual twofold interpenetrating 2D network. In addition, it displays strong fluorescence emissions and a high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV‐light irradiation.     

Stability and Removal of Benzophenone-Type UV Filters from Water Matrices by Advanced Oxidation Processes

Benzophenone (BP) type UV filters are common environmental contaminants that are posing a growing health concern due to their increasing presence in water. Different studies have evidenced the presence of benzophenones (BP, BP-1, BP-2, BP-3, BP-4, BP-9, HPB) in several environmental matrices, indicating that conventional technologies of water treatment are not able to remove them. It has also been reported that these compounds could be associated with endocrine-disrupting activities, genotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. This review focuses on the degradation kinetics and mechanisms of benzophenone-type UV filters and their degradation products (DPs) under UV and solar irradiation and in UV-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as UV/H₂O₂, UV/persulfate, and the Fenton process. The effects of various operating parameters, such as UV irradiation including initial concentrations of H₂O₂, persulfate, and Fe²⁺, on the degradation of tested benzophenones from aqueous matrices, and conditions that allow higher degradation rates to be achieved are presented. Application of nanoparticles such as TiO₂, PbO/TiO₂, and Sb₂O₃/TiO₂ for the photocatalytic degradation of benzophenone-type UV filters was included in this review.     

Stable Zinc-Based Metal-Organic Framework Photocatalyst for Effective Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Production

Herein, a new Zn-MOF material, [Zn(L1)(L2)], 1, was built successfully through a one-pot solvothermal method. The 3D MOF structure was determined by Single X-ray diffraction analysis, IR, and elemental analysis. A series of PXRD tests of 1 after being immersed in different solvents and pH solutions demonstrated the good stability of 1. Interestingly, this material displayed high catalytic activity for the visible-light-driven hydrogen generation under the illumination of white LED in pure water or a mixture of DMF and H₂O without additional photosensitizers and cocatalysts. Besides, the studies also showed that the catalytic activity changed constantly as well as the solvent ratio adjustment of DMF and H₂O from 4:6 to 2:8. Additionally, the catalytic activity reached the best value (743 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) when the solvent ratio was 4:6. The heterogeneous nature and recyclability of the MOF catalyst, as well as several factors that affect the catalytic activity, were investigated and described in detail. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism for the hydrogen generation of 1 was also proposed based on the fluorescence spectra and UV-vis absorption.     

TiO2/斜发沸石光催化降解罗丹明B的研究

制备了一系列TiO₂/斜发沸石催化剂(不同焙烧温度、不同粒度和不同负载量),它们在紫外光照射下可降解有机染料罗丹明B(RhB).发现焙烧温度为500℃、粒度为180—200目、TiO₂实际质量分数为6.18%的催化剂样品活性较好.将其与P25对比,发现其降解速率虽低于P25(紫外光照84 min,P25COD变化率为100%,而焙烧温度为500℃的TiO₂/斜发沸石催化剂经紫外光照5.5 h,COD变化率为71.8%),但是TiO₂/沸石催化剂易于回收再利用,而纯P25因为颗粒细小,沉降速率慢,而不能快速分离.用XRD、TEM、BET、TG-DTA和紫外可见漫反射等方法表征了这些催化剂,结果表明催化剂比表面积增大有利于催化活性的提高.     

H2O2络合凝胶法制备纳米TiO2/SiO2复合催化剂及其光催化性能

采用H2O2络合凝胶法获得钛的络合物[TiO(H2O2)]2 水溶胶,并与SiO2水溶胶包覆复合,制备了纳米TiO2/SiO2复合半导体催化剂,其结构经XRD和BET表征。以含阳离子艳红染料模拟废水降解为模型反应,考察了复合催化剂的光催化性能。实验结果表明:经650℃焙烧后的复合催化剂中TiO2粒径为9.8 nm,光催化活性最好,SiO2的最佳掺杂量为25%。