Facile preparation of porous carbon nitride for visible light photocatalytic reduction and oxidation applications

In this work, we have employed melamine, cyanuric acid and thymine to fabricate triazine-based carbon nitrides (CNs) by supramolecular approach. The resultant CNs possess large specific surface area, hierarchical porous structure, better light absorption capacity and high separation rate of photoinduced carriers. Then, the photocatalytic reduction and oxidation performance has been evaluated. The obtained CNs exhibit enhanced photocatalytic reduction performance on water splitting to H₂, the largest hydrogen evolution rate can reach 8466.3 μmol g^?1 h^?1, which is 81.9 times as high as that of bulk CN. Simultaneously, the porous CNs show excellent photocatalytic reduction ability on the conversion of CO₂ to H₂, CO and CH₄. Of particular interest is that they have high selectivity for CO. It’s worth noting that the porous CNs also possess outstanding photocatalytic oxidation ability on high concentration nitric oxide (NO), and the highest NO conversion rate can reach 79.3% under visible light. The enhanced photocatalytic performance for the multifunctional porous CN can be ascribed to the synergic effect of large specific surface area, strong light absorption capacity and fast separation of photoinduced electron–hole pairs. Finally, the photocatalytic reduction and oxidation mechanism of the porous CN is also proposed and discussed.     

Microwave hydrothermal synthesis of AgInS2 with visible light photocatalytic activity

AgInS₂ nanoparticles with superior visible light photocatalytic activity were successfully synthesized by a microwave hydrothermal method. This method is a highly efficient and rapid route that involves no organic solvents, catalysts, or surfactants. The photocatalytic activity of AgInS₂ nanoparticles was investigated through the degradation of dyes under visible light irradiation. Compared with TiO_2−xN_x, AgInS₂ has exhibited a superior activity for photocatalytic degradation MO under the same condition. The experiment results showed that superoxide radicals (O₂⁻), hydrogen peroxides (H₂O₂) and holes (h⁺) were the mainly active species for the degradation of organic pollutants over AgInS₂. Through the determination of flat band potential, the energy band structure of the sample was obtained. A possible mechanism for the degradation of organic pollutant over AgInS₂ was proposed.     

One-pot synthesis of oleic acid modified monodispersed mesoporous TiO2 nanospheres with enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

Herein, we report a facile one-pot solvothermal method to prepare unique oleic acid (OA) modified monodispersed mesoporous TiO₂ nanospheres with carboxylate ligands from the oleic acid in the bidentate chelating linkage mode. The mesoporous OA-TiO₂ nanospheres have a very large specific surface of nearly 510?m²/g. The oleic acid cannot only act as a binding ligand to control the shape of mesoporous TiO₂ nanospheres, but also be benefit to enhance the visible-light absorption. The mesoporous OA-TiO₂ nanospheres exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance in the degradation of Rhodamine B and phenol under the visible light irradiation and show almost no attenuation after four cycles.     

Facile synthesis of Cu--In--Zn--S alloy nanospheres for fast photoelectric detection across the visible spectrum

Fast and broadband photoelectric detection is a key process to many photoelectronic applications, during which the semiconductor light absorber plays a critical role. In this report, we prepared Cu–In–Zn–S (CIZS) nanospheres with different compositions via a facile hydrothermal method. These nanospheres were ~200 nm in size and comprised of many small nanocrystals. A photodetector responded to the visible spectrum was demonstrated by spraying the solution processed nanospheres onto gold interdigital electrodes. The photoelectric characterization of these devices revealed that CIZS nanospheres with low molar ratio of n(Cu)/n(In) exhibited improved photoelectric response compared to those with high n(Cu)/n(In), which was attributed to the reduced defects. The relatively large switching ratio (I_on/I_off), fast response and wide spectral coverage of the CIZS-based photodetector render it a promising potential candidate for photoelectronic applications.     

Preparation of Ti3+/N-co-doped TiO2 by one-step hydrothermal synthesis method with high photocatalytic degradation performance under visible light

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Ti3+/N-co-doped TiO2 was successfully synthesized in situ by one-step hydrothermal method using tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) as the titanium...     

Facile synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic activity of niobium carbide

Niobium carbide (NbC) powders were prepared via a novel route at 550 °C and 8 h, using metallic magnesium powders, niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅), and potassium acetate (CH₃COOK) as starting materials. The structure and morphology of the product were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that as-prepared product was crystallized in pure cubic NbC phase and the size of the sample was estimated to be around 120 nm. The Rietveld refinement of the XRD data gives the cell constant a = 4.4718 Å. According to the Scherrer formula, the real grain size was about 70 nm. The BET surface area of the sample was ca.29.3 m²/g. The grain size distribution of the sample was about 467 nm, which was characterized by N4 PLUS submicron Particle Size Analyzer. The cubic NbC powders exhibited photocatalytic activity in degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) under 300 W mercury lamp light irradiation.     

一步水热法制备N,S（F）共掺杂TiO2纳米管及其可见光催化性能

以尿素、硫脲和氟化铵为掺杂物,采用一步水热法制备可见光响应的不同非金属共掺杂TiO2纳米管(TiO2NT)。通过SEM、TEM、XRD、BET、FT-IR、UV-Vis DRS等对样品进行了表征,考察其吸附性能及在模拟太阳光下对甲基橙的降解活性。结果表明,在碱性条件下一步水热法制备的不同非金属共掺杂TiO2NT具有较大的比表面积(193.93 m2/g)和较小的带隙能(2.76eV),非金属共掺杂明显提高了可见光利用率。在可见光辐照下,硫脲掺杂TiO2纳米管(N,S-TiO2NT)复合材料的光催化性能最好,反应100min后甲基橙降解率可达87.4%,降解过程符合一级动力学方程。     

Facile synthesis of hollow carbon nanospheres from hollow chitosan nanospheres

Hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNS) with large surface area were synthesized from hollow chitosan nanospheres by one-step pyrolysis with a relatively low temperature (550 degrees C). The resulted HCNS is fully carbonized and partially graphitized under the experiment conditions. It is an important and facile method to prepare the uniform, shape- and size-controlled carbon nanomaterials by carbonization of the natural polysaccharide compounds and their derivatives. The as-prepared HCNS has a narrow size distribution in hollow carbon nanospheres (about 53 nm). The structure and size of HCNS are reproducible and could be tunable by changing the preparation conditions. The characterizations to estimate the composition, decompose properties, crystalline form, structure and surface property of the HCNS were investigated using FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction measurement (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, and the N2 adsorption-desorption isothermal process. The present preparation method makes it feasible to synthesize carbon nanospheres in abundance in the lab, and the synthesized HCNS could be a promising support for metal catalysts, an ideal matrix connecting with DNA or other bioactive substances.     

Coprecipitation-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of PLZT hollow nanospheres

Lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate Pb_1−xLa_x(Zr_1−yTi_y)O₃ (PLZT) hollow nanospheres have been successfully prepared via a template-free hydrothermal method using the well-mixed coprecipitated precursors and the KOH mineralizer. The structure, composition, and morphology of the PLZT hollow nanospheres were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), ICP (inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectra), TG/DTA (thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis), TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and SEAD (selected area diffraction). The results show that the composition and the morphology control of the PLZT products are determined by the KOH concentration. The PLZT hollow nanospheres with uniform size of about 4 nm were synthesized in the presence of 5 M KOH. The crystalline nanoparticles can be prepared at dilute KOH, in contrast to the amorphous powders prepared at concentrated KOH. Formation mechanisms of the PLZT hollow nanospheres are also discussed.     

Facile synthesis and characterization of CdTe quantum dots–polystyrene fluorescent composite nanospheres

A novel method for the synthesis of CdTe quantum dots–polystyrene (CdTe/PS) composite nanospheres was developed by a two-step route. The as-prepared composite nanospheres were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fluorescent microscope imaging and fluorescence spectrometer. The results showed that the composite nanospheres were spherical and relatively uniform with a diameter of 120 nm. Compared with previous methods, the proposed method was simple, efficient and inexpensive, moreover the composite nanospheres exhibited favorable water-dispersible, stable, size-tunable and fluorescent properties.     

二氧化钛纳米粒子的低温合成及可见光催化性能

介绍一种低温合成二氧化钛纳米粒子的新方法.将非晶型二氧化钛加入强酸性溶液中室温搅拌数小时后得到无色透明的溶液.继续在室温搅拌数48h后,可以得到高比表面的金红石相二氧化钛纳米粒子.改变处理过程温度及酸的种类,可以得到不同组成的纤维状二氧化钛纳米粒子.对盐酸体系进行详细讨论结果表明,在低于60℃时得到的是热力学稳定的金红石单一相,而在高于120℃时得到的是热力学亚稳态的锐钛矿单一相,高于170℃时得到的是锐钛矿及金红石的混合相,显示出与众不同的结晶行为.通过此低温法制备的金红石相二氧化钛在具有较小的吸收禁带的同时,还拥有100n2·g-1以上的比表面积.与锐钛矿相相比,显示了良好的可见光催化活性.     

Facile microwave synthesis of Sn-doped WO3 for pseudocapacitor applications

In the present work, we have successfully synthesized pure tungsten oxide (WO₃) and Sn (3 and 5 wt%)-doped WO₃ nanoparticles using facile microwave irradiation method and studied about the electrochemical performances for supercapacitor electrode material. Structural and morphological studies of the prepared nanomaterials were investigated systematically. The powder XRD analysis reveals that pure WO₃ and Sn-doped WO₃ have monoclinic crystal structure and also crystallite size of the material decreases from 38 to 30 nm with increasing dopant concentration. Micro-Raman analysis confirms the formation of monoclinic phase with υ(O–W–O) stretching and δ(O–W–O) bending mode of vibration. SEM and micrographs show the elongation of the plate-like nanostructure of WO₃ for the doping of Sn. High-resolution transmission electron microscope images depict the morphological change and increased porosity in doped samples. The supercapacitive performance and the electrochemical conductivity of the samples were analysed using cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The results demonstrate that the 5 wt% Sn-doped WO₃ electrode has the enhanced electrochemical performance in 1 M KOH with a maximum specific capacitance of 418 F g^?1 at low current density of 1 A g^?1. Also, it shows the increase in energy density from 4.88 to 11.77 Wh kg^?1 with respect to the Sn concentration at the power density of 225 W kg^?1_.

     

Monodisperse hematite porous nanospheres: synthesis, characterization, and applications for gas sensors

Monodisperse α-Fe(2)O(3) porous nanospheres with uniform shape and size have been synthesized via a facile template-free route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the product, showing the high quality of the as-prepared α-Fe(2)O(3) porous nanospheres. Furthermore, the α-Fe(2)O(3) porous nanospheres can selectively detect ethanol, formaldehyde and acetic acid, with a rapid response and high sensitivity, from a series of flammable and toxic/corrosive gases, indicating their potential applications for high sensitivity gas sensors.     

Micro-emulsion-assisted synthesis of ZnS nanospheres and their photocatalytic activity

ZnS nanospheres with rough surface were synthesized by using a micro-emulsion-assisted solvothemal process. The molar ratio of [water]/[surfactant] played an important role in controlling the size of the ZnS nanospheres. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) were used for the characterization of the resulting ZnS nanospheres. A possible formation mechanism was proposed. These ZnS nanospheres exhibited a good photocatalytic activity for degradation of an aqueous p-nitrophenol solution and the total organic carbon (TOC) of the degradation product has also been investigated.     

Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic evaluation of visible light activated C-doped TiO2 nanoparticles

We have demonstrated heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) by visible light activated carbon doped TiO(2) (C-TiO(2)) nanoparticles, synthesized by a modified sol-gel route based on the self-assembly technique exploiting oleic acid as a pore directing agent and carbon source. The C-TiO(2) nanoparticles crystallize in anatase phase despite the low calcination temperature of 350 °C and exhibit a highly porous structure that can be optimized by tuning the concentration of the oleic acid surfactant. The carbon modified nanomaterials exhibited enhanced absorption in the broad visible light region together with an apparent red shift in the optical absorption edge by 0.5 eV (2.69 eV), compared to the 3.18 eV of reference anatase TiO(2). Carbon species were identified by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis through the formation of both Ti-C and C-O bonds, indicative of substitution of carbon for oxygen atoms and the formation of carbonates, respectively. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed the formation of two carbon related paramagnetic centers in C-TiO(2), whose intensity was markedly enhanced under visible light illumination, pointing to the formation of localized states within the anatase band gap, following carbon doping. The photocatalytic activity of C-TiO(2) nanomaterials was evaluated for the degradation of MC-LR at pH 3.0 under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. The doped materials showed a higher MC-LR degradation rate than reference TiO(2), behavior that is attributed to the incorporation of carbon into the titania lattice.     

铜修饰钒酸铋/膨润土复合材料的制备及可见光催化脱硫性能研究

采用水热法制备了铜修饰钒酸铋/膨润土(Cu-BiVO_4/BTT)复合材料,借助X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和紫外-可见漫反射吸收光谱(DRS)对其进行表征。XRD分析显示,所制备的催化剂中BiVO_4均保持单斜结构,SEM结果证实了钒酸铋负载到了膨润土上,XPS结果显示Cu元素以CuO形式存在于催化剂表面,DRS结果显示复合材料在可见光区域的吸收增强。研究表明,当Cu与Bi的摩尔比为1.2时,复合材料光催化活性最高,经可见光照射3h,对模型汽油脱硫率达91%。     

氮钒共掺TiO_2的表征及其对甲醛的可见光催化性能

以钛酸丁酯为Ti源,六次甲基四胺为N源,偏钒酸铵为V源,利用溶胶-凝胶法制备氮钒共掺杂二氧化钛(N-V-TiO2)纳米材料。采用XRD、UVVis、BET、XPS等检测手段对N-V-TiO2的晶型比例、元素组成等进行分析,研究其在可见光下催化氧化甲醛气体的性能。结果表明,煅烧温度500℃、掺氮28%、掺钒1%的N-V-TiO2具有混晶型结构、比表面积大、对可见光吸收强,催化降解甲醛的效率最高可达到91.6%,分别比纯TiO2、掺氮TiO2、掺钒TiO2的效率显著提高。N-V-TiO2光氧化效率随甲醛初始浓度增大而减小,光催化反应服从一级反应动力学特征,而且包括吸附和光催化氧化反应两部分,其中光催化氧化为速控步骤;重复5次使用的效率仍然高于单独掺杂TiO2。     

Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and photocatalytic activity of ZnO

The effect of synthesis temperature on the morphology of fine zinc oxide powders prepared by microwave-assisted hydrothermal processing of Zn(OH)₂ suspensions has been studied using x-ray diffraction and low-temperature nitrogen BET measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the powders for Methyl Orange photodegradation has been assessed as a function of synthesis temperature. The results indicate that the specific surface of ZnO powders plays a key role in determining their photocatalytic activity.