Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of CeO2/alumina nanocomposite: Synthesized via facile mixing-calcination method for dye degradation

In this present study, an effort has been made to novel CeO₂/alumina nanocomposite photocatalyst was fabricated through mixing-calcination method. The XRD, IR, SEM, TEM, EDX and XPS results designated that these synthesized materials are formed effectively. The photocatalytic results for the degradation of dye solution indicate that the most dynamic ratio is CeO₂:Al₂O₃ (2.5:1) under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation was made under dark and in the presence of light to establish the photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized photocatalyst. The improved performance of CeO₂/alumina nanocomposite is attributed to the separation efficiency of photo-induced charge carriers and it inhibit charge recombination. The major active species are determined by radical scavengers trapping experiments were revealed that superoxide radical (O₂^?) and hydroxyl radical (OH) are playing a vital role in the degradation of dye solution. The stability of catalyst was confirmed by consecutive runs of CeO₂/alumina nanocomposite.     

Fabrication and high visible light photocatalytic properties of Cu/Cu2O nanocomposites by the one-pot solution-phase hydrothermal method

Cu/Cu2O nanocomposites were synthesized by the one-pot solution-phase hydrothermal method. The resulting products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Experimental results indicate that the content of Cu in the Cu/Cu2O CNs increasing with prolonged reaction time. The content of Cu in the Cu/Cu2O CNs plays an important role in the photocatalytic activity. The coexistence of Cu2O and Cu nanoparticles was propitious to the high photocatalytic activity owing to their hetero-junction effect. Compared with the Cu/Cu2O CNs with high Cu content (68-96 wt%) and pure Cu2O, the Cu/Cu2O CNs with low Cu content (2.1-9.2 wt%) exhibited improved photocatalytic activity on the degradation of MO solution under visible light irradiation, at the first 20 min of irradiation, the photodegradation efficiency of MO solution reach up to 99%, it is still as high as 95% even at the end of the fourth cycle. Little change is found in their phase compositions during the photocatalytic reaction process, except partial oxidation of particles surface. The HmechanismH for visible light driven photocatalytic activity enhancement over Cu/Cu2O CNs is discussed.     

Enhanced structural and optical properties of ZnO nanopowder with tailored visible luminescence as a function of sodium hydroxide to zinc sulfate mass ratio

ZnO nanopowders of tailored particle sizes were synthesized using a simple wet chemical method, by controlling the mass ratio of the precursors. The physical properties were investigated as a function of OH^?/Zn²⁺ mass ratio (x). The structural properties of the synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD patterns show pure wurtzite structure. Microstructural parameters dependence on x ratio was studied based on Williamson-Hall model. We notice an increase in crystallite size (17–24?nm) and a decrease in strain values when the x ratio increases (0.5–1.4). The best crystallinity corresponds to the higher mass ratio. Indeed, for x?=?1.4 we obtain the largest crystallite size, the lowest strain and stacking faults. The TEM images support the XRD results. Raman spectra confirm the purity of the synthesized ZnO powder. Furthermore, the optical properties were examined by UV–vis and Photoluminescence as a function of precursor’s ratio. Absorption data show a band gap red-shift of the ZnO-NPs with increase in particle’s size. Moreover, we found that the ZnO-NPs luminescence in the visible range can be engineered by changes of x ratio. This constitutes an advantage for the use of ZnO-NPs in different wavelength areas in optoelectronic applications covering UV-Blue-Green domain for the LED design, sensors…     

Effects of Mg-contents and substrate parameters on structure and optical properties of Mg-doped ZnO nanorods fabricated by hydrothermal method

Mg-doped ZnO nanorods with different contents have been fabricated on various substrates by hydrothermal method. The effects of Mg-contents and different substrates on structural and optical properties are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence (PL) spectra, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results reveal that the Mg-doped ZnO nanorods possess good crystalline quality and morphology when the molar ratio of Mg/Zn is 1. The PL spectra show that the UV emissions have an obvious blue shift with the increase of Mg-content. The results of investigation for the samples grown on different substrates show that the crystal quality and morphology of the samples grown on ZnO layer are perfect, and the UV emission also occurs blue shift owing to the effects of different substrates.     

Green hydrothermal synthesis and optical absorption properties of ZnO2 nanocrystals and ZnO nanorods

A green hydrothermal method was proposed for the controllable synthesis of ZnO₂ nanocrystals and ZnO nanorods, using the common and cost-effective 2ZnCO₃·3Zn(OH)₂ powder and 30 mass% H₂O₂ aqueous solution as the raw materials. The characterization results from X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that the products synthesized at 100-120 °C for 6 h or at 170 °C for 0 h were cubic phase ZnO₂ nanocrystals; while those synthesized at 170 °C for 3-6 h were hexagonal phase ZnO nanorods. The UV-vis absorption spectra showed that the as-synthesized ZnO₂ nanocrystals and ZnO nanorods had optical band gaps of about 4.1 and 3.3 eV, respectively.     

Influence of surface modification by 2-aminothiophenol on optoelectronics properties of ZnO nanoparticles

In this study, a precipitation method was used to synthesise ZnO nanoparticles using suitable precursors. An efficient surface modification method was proposed in order to reduce the agglomeration among synthesised small sized ZnO nanoparticles using 2-aminothiophenol as a capping agent. This article briefly investigated the effects of capping agent like 2-aminothiophenol on the optoelectronic properties of ZnO nanoparticles. The modified effectivity of 2-aminothiophenol has been examined on the nanosized ZnO nanoparticle for fluorescence and UV–visible (UV–vis) studies. The mechanism was studied for ZnO nanoparticles light emitting capability under different conditions. By facilitating the capping of ZnO with 2-aminothiophenol, fluorescence emission of the surface defects vanishes and ultraviolet (UV) emission increases. Surface capping by 2-aminothiophenol effectively covers most of the surface defects of ZnO and results in quenching of the visible region. The UV–vis absorption spectra of modified ZnO nanoparticles has been influenced by modified ZnO nanoparticles as a result of surface modification; where marked blue shift in absorption edge results. By surface modification of ZnO nanoparticles, change in optoelectronics properties has opened the new scope and possibilities to explore and fine tune the optical character of the modified ZnO for various optoelectronics applications such as UV laser.     

Analysis of optical properties of TiO2 nanoparticles and PAN/TiO2 composite nanofibers

The aim of the study was the production of thin composite nanofibrous mats PAN/TiO₂ nanoparticles using the electrospinning method from solution of PAN/TiO2/DMF. TiO₂ nanoparticles were obtained using sol-gel method. To prepare sol mixture, organic alkoxides precursor of titanium isopropoxide and water solution were used. Calcination of TiO-gel and following milling were carried out to obtain nanoparticles of TiO₂ rutile phase. In order to analyze the structure of the obtained particles, we used X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Analysis of the morphology and chemical composition of the resulting composite nanofibers were carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with EDS. The analysis of the optical properties and the energy band structure prepared nanoparticles and thin composite nanofibrous mats were determined by spectral analysis of the absorbance as a function of the energy of radiation obtained using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer.     

Phase selection and visible light photo-catalytic activity of Fe-doped TiO2 prepared by the hydrothermal method

It is necessary to extend the absorption range of TiO₂ based materials from the ultraviolet to the visible light region for most photo-catalytic applications of TiO₂ under solar irradiance or indoor lighting. Also, the ability to control the structural evolution, particularly the competition and transformation between different phases (anatase or rutile), is extremely important for the preparation of high efficiency TiO₂ based photo-catalysts. In this work, we have systematically studied the effects of various processing factors on the phase selection process/outcome of nanocrystalline Fe-doped TiO₂, which includes the level of doping ions, annealing temperature, solution pH and the addition of acidic anions, using a low temperature hydrothermal method. Both Fe-doped rutile and anatase TiO₂ phases were obtained via varying the processing conditions. The visible-light photo-catalytic activity of doped materials was significantly improved over that of the pure TiO₂ nanopowders, which was demonstrated by effective degradation of methylene blue under visible light.     

Rapid synthesis, characterization and optical properties of TiO2 coated ZnO nanocomposite particles by a novel microwave irradiation method

A novel and rapid microwave method was used to prepare TiO₂ coated ZnO nanocomposite particles. The resulted particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results show that ZnO nanoparticles were coated with 6-10 nm amorphous TiO₂ layers. In addition, zeta potential analysis demonstrated the presence of TiO₂ layer on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy were used to investigate the optical properties of the nanoparticles. Compared to uncoated ZnO nanoparticles, the TiO₂ coated ZnO nanoparticles showed enhanced UV emission. The UV-visible diffuse reflectance study revealed the significant UV shielding characteristics of the nanocomposite particles. Moreover, amorphous TiO₂ coating effectively reduced the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles as evidenced by the photodegradation of Orange G with uncoated and TiO₂ coated ZnO nanoparticles under UV radiation.     

铁镍合金/聚乳酸复合材料的熔融沉积成形制备及其电磁吸收性能和力学性能

在制备铁镍合金(FeNi50)/聚乳酸(PLA)复合线材的基础上,利用熔融沉积成形(FDM)制备出FeNi50/PLA复合材料.采用SEM、振动样品磁强计、矢量网络分析仪和万能试验机研究了FeNi50对复合材料微观形貌、磁性、电磁性能和力学性能的影响,并讨论了其反射损耗.研究发现,复合材料的饱和磁化强度和电磁性能随着F...     

Mossbauer spectra and magnetic properties study of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal method

用水热法在不同温度下制备结晶性较好、颗粒均一的CoFe2O4纳米颗粒,无需进一步煅烧。利用X射线衍射仪（XRD）、场发射扫描电镜（SEM）、穆斯堡尔谱仪和综合物性测量系统（PPMS）对不同温度下合成的样品进行表征。结果表明,随着合成温度的升高,CoFe2O4纳米颗粒的结晶性增强,粒径逐渐增大,样品的饱和磁化强度逐渐增强。当合成温度为500℃时,CoFe2O4纳米颗粒的饱和磁化强度达到64.1A.m2/kg,与块体的CoFe2O4（72A.m2/kg）接近。穆斯堡尔谱分析表明,当晶粒粒径超过了超顺磁性的临界尺寸,样品的超顺磁性消失,随着合成温度的升高,B位上Fe3＋离子的比例增高,磁性能增强。     

溶胶凝胶法制备TiO2薄膜的微观结构和光学性能研究

以乙二醇甲醚为溶剂,羟基纤维素（HPC）为添加剂,用溶胶-凝胶法制备了多孔TiO2薄膜。扫描电镜（SEM）观察发现多孔TiO2薄膜孔径随HPC含量增加而变大。X射线衍射（XRD）表明得到的TiO2薄膜均为锐钛矿相,对XRD点阵参量进行计算,发现随HPC含量的增大,薄膜晶粒尺寸先减小后增大。表面轮廓仪膜厚测试表明随HPC含量的增大,薄膜厚度逐渐减小。UV—vis光谱分析表明随HPC含量增大,薄膜透射性能有所下降。     

The influence of different alkaline earth oxides on the structural and optical properties of undoped,Ce-doped,Sm-doped,and Sm/Ce co-doped lithium alumino-phosphate glasses

Undoped, singly Sm doped, Ce doped, and Sm/Ce co-doped lithium alumino-phosphate glasses with different alkaline earth modifiers were prepared by melt quenching. The structure of the prepared glasses was investigated by FT-IR and Raman, as well as by optical spectroscopy. The effect of the optical basicity of the host glass matrix on the added active dopants was studied, as was the effect doping had on the phosphate structural units. The optical edge shifts toward higher wavelengths with an increase in the optical basicity due to the increased polarizability of the glass matrix, but also with increasing CeO₂ concentration as a result of Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ inter valence charge transfer (IV-CT) absorption. The optical band gap for direct and indirect allowed transitions was calculated for the undoped glasses. The glass sample containing Mg²⁺ modifier ions is found to have the highest value (4.16 eV) for the optical band gap while Ba²⁺ has the lowest value (3.61 eV). The change in the optical band gap arises from the structural changes and the overall polarizability (optical basicity). Refractive index, molar refractivity R_m and molar polarizability α_m values increase with increasing optical basicity of the glasses. The characteristic absorption peaks of Sm³⁺ were also investigated. For Sm/Ce co-doped glasses, especially at high concentration of CeO₂, the absorption of Ce³⁺ hinders the high energy absorption of Sm³⁺ and this effect becomes more obvious with increasing optical basicity.     

CuBi2O4 single crystal nanorods prepared by hydrothermal method: Growth mechanism and optical properties

The synthesis of copper bismuth oxide (CuBi₂O₄) nanorods with single crystal structure by hydrothermal method is first reported here. The prepared CuBi₂O₄ nanorods are characterized by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM. It is found that the concentration of reagent cupric acetate has strong effect on the purity and microstructure of the prepared samples. The growth process is investigated in detail. It is proposed that the nanorods are evolved from spherical particles with oriented attachment mechanism followed by dissolution-splitting process. The optical properties of the samples are detected by UV-vis spectrometer and photoluminescence spectrometer and exhibit strong dependence on surface defect states and microstructure feature, which is mainly determined by preparation conditions.     

Preparation and characterization of fullerene (C60)-modified BiVO4/Fe3O4 nanocomposite by hydrothermal method and study of its visible light photocatalytic and catalytic activity

In this study, BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite has been synthesized for the first time using a facile and feasible hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis were utilized to analyze the structure, morphology, size, and the magnetic property of the synthesized nanocomposite. The photocatalytic activity of the magnetic BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite was investigated for the degradation of methylene blue. The results showed that 84% degradation of methylene blue (MB) (25 mg/L) solution within 5 h with a rate constant equal to 0.0049 min^?1 in the presence of BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite and H₂O₂ (1 mL, 30%) under visible light irradiation. The effects of BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ dosage, H₂O₂ amount dye initial concentration and C₆₀ amount on the efficiency of degradation process were investigated. Furthermore, the catalytic activity of the magnetic BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite was investigated for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) using sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) in the aqueous solution and at room temperature. The results showed that BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite exhibited an excellent performance for the reduction of 4-NP with 97% conversion into its corresponding amino derivative within 38 min with a constant rate equal to 0.0775 min^?1. As indicated by the results, the magnetic BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite exhibited much higher photocatalytic and catalytic activity than BiVO₄/ C_60, BiVO₄/Fe₃O_4, and pure BiVO₄. Moreover, the BiVO₄/Fe₃O₄/C₆₀ nanocomposite could be magnetically separated from the reaction mixture due to the presence of the Fe₃O₄ and reused without any change in structure.     

Structural,optical and morphological properties of La,Cu co-doped SnO2 nanocrystals by co-precipitation method

Sn_0.96−xLa_0.04Cu_xO₂ (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.03) nanocrystals have been successfully synthesized by employing a simple co-precipitation method. The crystal structure of the synthesized nanocrystals was found to be tetragonal rutile of tin oxide by using X-ray diffraction technique and was not affected by doping. The change in lattice parameters was discussed based on the secondary phase formation and presence of Cu²⁺/Cu³⁺ in LaSnO₂ lattice. The variation in size and shape of the nanocrystals by Cu-doping was discussed using scanning electron microscope. The chemical stoichiometry of Sn, Cu, La and O was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectra. The best optical transparency and lower absorption observed at Sn_0.97La_0.02Cu_0.01O₂ nanocrystals seems to be optimal for industrial applications especially as transparent electrode. The initial blue shift of energy gap from 3.65 eV (Cu = 0%) to 3.78 eV (Cu = 1%) (ΔE_g ≈ 0.13 eV) is due to the distortion in the crystal structure of the host compound and generation of defects. The red shift of energy gap after Cu = 1% is due to the charge-transfer transitions between the metal ions d-electrons and the SnO₂ conduction or valence band. Lattice mode of SnO₂ at 686 cm⁻¹ in Sn_0.98La_0.02O₂ nanocrystals and anti-symmetric SnOSn stretching mode of the surface bridging oxide around 634–642 cm⁻¹ in Cu doped Sn_0.98La_0.02O₂ nanocrystals was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectra.     

Effects of the O2 flow rate and post-deposition thermal annealing on the optical absorption spectra of Ga-doped ZnO films

The optical absorption spectra of polycrystalline Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) thin films deposited by ion plating with direct current arc discharge have been studied. The GZO films that were deficient in oxygen showed absorption in the visible wavelength range. The intensity of the absorption band decreased with increasing O₂ flow rate during the deposition. Post-deposition thermal annealing in air and in a N₂ gas atmosphere also decreased the intensity of the absorption band. The intensity of the absorption band showed a slight correlation with carrier concentrations in the GZO films. The absorption intensity decreased with the decrease of the carrier concentration and diminished at a carrier concentration of around 7 × 10²⁰ cm^− 3. The contribution of carriers from native donors to transport in GZO films is discussed.     

Magnetic properties and microstructure of FePt–SiO2 nanocomposite films fabricated by nanocluster beam technology

Nanocluster beam technology combined with conventional sputtering was used to fabricate FePt–SiO₂ nanocomposite films in this present work. The post-deposition annealing affected the final particle size and size distribution of FePt nanoclusters. The effects of both volume fraction of SiO₂ matrix and annealing temperature on magnetic and microstructural properties were studied. Partial ordering, grain growth and agglomeration of FePt particles in FePt–SiO₂ nanocomposite films occurred during annealing. A higher volume fraction of SiO₂ matrix was effective in suppressing diffusion of atoms and magnetic exchange coupling of FePt grains. Excessive SiO₂ however resulted in a lower degree of FePt ordering and thus lower coercivity.     

电泳沉积法制备ZnO/SnO_2复合薄膜及其光催化性能研究

在导电玻璃FTO基底上,利用电泳沉积技术成功制备了ZnO/SnO2复合薄膜,并对样品进行了SEM和XRD表征,并以降解罗丹明B为模型反应,考察不同条件下制备的复合薄膜的光催化活性。结果表明电泳沉积时间为20min时,可得到表面致密均匀的ZnO薄膜,膜厚为0.5μm,且随着电泳沉积时间的延长,薄膜的光催化速率不断增加,沉积时间为20min时,光催化速率达到最大（0.016min-1）,如此优异的光催化性能可能是由于异质结构光催化剂ZnO/SnO2减小光生电子-空穴的复合几率,提高了复合催化剂的光催化效率。此外,还研究了热处理温度对ZnO/SnO2复合薄膜光催化效率的影响,结果发现在300℃热处理的光催化薄膜对罗丹明B的降解率最好,活性最高。     

Optical properties of alkali-earth atoms and Na2 calculated by GW and Bethe–Salpeter equations

Starting from the GW approximation (GWA) beyond density functional theory and solving the eigenvalue problem associated with the Bethe–Salpeter equation which accounts for the excitonic effect, I have determined optical properties of isolated Be, Mg and Ca atoms and Na₂. In the representation of single electron wave functions, I have used the all-electron mixed basis approach in which both plane waves and atomic orbitals are used as a basis set. The resulting quasiparticle energies and optical absorption spectra are compared with available experimental data.