A unique Cu2O/TiO2 nanocomposite with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation

A unique Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanocomposite with high photocatalytic activity was synthesized via a two-step chemical solution method and used for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dye. The structure, morphology, composition, optical and photocatalytic properties of the as-prepared samples were investigated in detail. The results suggested that the Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanocomposite is composed of hierarchical TiO₂ hollow microstructure coated by a great many Cu₂O nanoparticles. The photocatalytic performance of Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanocomposite was evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light, and compared with those of the pure TiO₂ and Cu₂O photocatalysts synthesized by the identical synthetic route. Within 120 min of reaction time, nearly 100% decolorization efficiency of MB was achieved by Cu₂O/TiO₂ photocatalyst, which is much higher than that of pure TiO₂ (26%) or Cu₂O (32%). The outstanding photocatalytic efficiency was mainly ascribed to the unique architecture, the extended photoresponse range and efficient separation of the electron-hole pairs in the Cu₂O/TiO₂ heterojunction. In addition, the Cu₂O/TiO₂ nanocomposite also retains good cycling stability in the photodegradation of MB.     

Preparation of hollow porous Cu2O microspheres and photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

Cu₂O p-type semiconductor hollow porous microspheres have been prepared by using a simple soft-template method at room temperature. The morphology of as-synthesized samples is hollow spherical structures with the diameter ranging from 200 to 500 nm, and the surfaces of the spheres are rough, porous and with lots of channels and folds. The photocatalytic activity of degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation was investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy. The results show that the hollow porous Cu₂O particles were uniform in diameters and have an excellent ability in visible light-induced degradation of MO. Meanwhile, the growth mechanism of the prepared Cu₂O was also analyzed. We find that sodium dodecyl sulfate acted the role of soft templates in the synthesis process. The hollow porous structure was not only sensitive to the soft template but also to the amount of reagents.     

Sulfur-free exfoliated graphite with large exfoliated volume: Preparation,characterization and its adsorption performance

Sulfur-free exfoliated graphite (EG) with large exfoliated volume (760 mL g⁻¹) was prepared through chemical oxidation, followed by microwave exfoliation. SEM results indicated that well-developed network pores in the worm-like structure of EG could be clearly observed. XPS results displayed that some functional groups were yielded on the surface of the as-prepared EG. Moreover, the capacity of EG was evaluated by the adsorption of rodamine B and 4-chlorophenol aqueous solution. Results showed that EG exhibited high adsorption capacity for RhB and 4-CP, which could be attributed to the functional groups and well-developed network pores in the worm-like EG.     

Sorption and recovery of heavy oils using exfoliated graphite Part IV: Discussion of high oil sorption of exfoliated graphite

The correlation between sorption capacity for heavy oil with a viscosity of 0.004 kg/m s and pore volume measured by a mercury porosimeter was studied on exfoliated graphite samples with different bulk densities. Pore volume measured by using the conventional dilatometer (N-type cell), which gives information on the pore size from 0.004 to 4 μm, was too low to explain the sorption capacity measured. However, pore volume measured by a special dilatometer (U-type cell) for large pore sizes up to 600 μm was very closed to sorption capacity. Pore volume measured by this U-type cell showed a linear relation to sorption capacity of exfoliated graphite samples, of which the slope was the same value as the density of heavy oil used (860 kg/m³). Therefore, large pores, which are reasonably assumed to be inter-particle pores among entangled worm-like particles of exfoliated graphite, were responsible for the large sorption capacity of heavy oils. Intra-particle pores inside and cleavage-like pores on the surface of worm-like particles were assumed to assist the capillary pumping of heavy oil.     

Highly visible light active Ag@ZnO nanocomposites synthesized by gel-combustion route

Highly visible light active 1% and 3% Ag@ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized via a gel combustion route using citric acid as a fuel. The formation of the nanocomposites with enhanced properties was confirmed using a range of characterization techniques, photocatalysis and photoelectrochemical studies. Compared to the pristine ZnO nanoparticles, the Ag@ZnO nanocomposites exhibited enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue and photoelectrochemical response. A mechanism was proposed to account for the photocatalytic activities of the Ag@ZnO nanocomposite that showed the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag is an effective way of enhancing the visible light photocatalytic activities.     

The Z-scheme heterojunction between TiO2 nanotubes and Cu2O nanoparticles mediated by Ag nanoparticles for enhanced photocatalytic stability and activity under visible light

The photocatalytic reduction method was used to introduce Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) into the Cu₂O-TiO₂ nanotubes (Cu₂O-TNT) prepared by electrodeposition. The Z-scheme heterojunction Cu₂O-Ag-TNT (CAT-4–60) catalysts were prepared. The mechanism of the transition from the traditional P-N heterojunction enhanced by noble metal to the Z-scheme heterojunction was studied. In addition, the Z-scheme heterojunction CAT-4–60 showed the highest light absorption and the highest photoelectrochemical activity under visible light, and the photoluminescence intensity was significantly reduced. Compared with the traditional P-N heterojunction CAT-2–60, not only the photocatalytic activity of the dual Z-scheme CAT-4–60 catalyst was improved, and the removal rate of MB was 98.58% higher than TNT (45.81%), CT-60 (69.49%), AT-2 (75.1%) and CAT-2–60 (91.2%),but also the stability of Cu₂O in CAT-4–60 was significantly enhanced. This work reveals the potential application of noble metal nanoparticles to enhance the Z-scheme heterojunction under visible light-driven photocatalysis, and provides new insights to the transition from traditional P-N heterojunctions to Z-scheme heterojunctions.     

The role of graphene and europium on TiO2 performance for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Highly efficient Eu-TiO₂/graphene composites were synthesized by a two-step method such as sol-gel and hydrothermal process. The synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The results confirmed that anatase Eu-TiO₂ nanoparticles with average 10 nm sizes were successfully deposited on two-dimensional graphene sheets. The UV–visible spectroscopy showed a red shift in the absorption edge of TiO₂ due to Eu doping and graphene incorporation. Moreover, effective charge separation in Eu-TiO₂/graphene composites was confirmed by PL emission spectroscopy compared to TiO₂/graphene, Eu-TiO₂ and pure TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity for H₂ evolution over prepared composites was studied under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 400 nm). The results demonstrate that photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts for hydrogen production increases with increasing doping concentration of Eu upto 2 at%. However, further increase in doping content above this optimum level has decreased the performance of photocatalyst. The enhanced photocatalytic performance for H₂ evolution is attributed to extended visible light absorption, suppressed recombination of electron-hole pairs due to synergistic effects of Eu and graphene.     

Preparation of novel Cu/TiO2 mischcrystal composites and antibacterial activities for Escherichia coli under visible light

In this paper, novel copper/titanium dioxide (Cu/TiO₂) composites were facilely prepared by simple sol-gel hydrothermal method. The crystalline phases, surface morphology and antibacterial activity of Cu/TiO₂ were investigated systematically. Interestingly, the as-prepared Cu/TiO₂ materials were made up with three different crystalline phases, including cuprite Cu₂Cl(OH)₃, Cu₂₊₁O, and anatase TiO₂. Next, the ‘zone of inhibition’ experiment was performed against E. coli using Cu/TiO₂ catalysts with different Cu doping concentration as the antibacterial agents. Our results show that the Cu/TiO₂-3.00 catalyst possesses optimal antibacterial ability against E. coli, which may be connected with the strong oxidizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) destroying the bacteria and photogenerated charge separation and recombination.     

Highly visible light responsive metal loaded N/TiO2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into methane

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into valuable hydrocarbon such as methane (CH₄) using water as reducing agent is a good strategy for environment and energy applications. In this study, a facile and simple sol-gel method was employed for the synthesis of metal (Cu and Ag) loaded nanosized N/TiO₂ photocatalyst. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, BET Surface area analyzer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–vis diffuses reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into methane was carried out under visible light irradiation (λ≥420 nm) by prepared photocatalysts in order to evaluate the photocatalytic efficiency. The results demonstrate that Ag loaded N/TiO₂ showed enhanced photocatalytic performance for methane production from CO₂ compared to other Cu–N/TiO₂, N/TiO₂ and TiO₂ photocatalysts. The improvement in the photocatalytic activity could be attributed to high specific surface area, extended visible light absorption and suppressed recombination of electron – hole pair due to synergistic effects of silver and nitrogen in the Ag–N/TiO₂ photocatalyst. This study demonstrates that Ag–N/TiO₂ is a promising photocatalytic material for photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ into hydrocarbons under visible light irradiation.     

Fabrication and characterization of CdS/BiVO4 nanocomposites with efficient visible light driven photocatalytic activities

Novel CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposites were synthesized by simple solvothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and photoluminescence (PL). In the nanocomposites, CdS particles were deposited on the surface of the BiVO₄. The photocatalytic tests showed that the CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposites possessed a higher rate for degradation of malachite green (MG) than the pure BiVO₄ under visible light irradiation. The 1.5-CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposite photocatalyst was found to degrade 98.3% of MG under visible light irradiation. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism of CdS/BiVO₄ nanocomposites was also discussed. The results showed that the nanocomposite construction between CdS and BiVO₄ played a very important role in their photocatalytic properties, which has the potential application in solving environmental pollution issues utilizing solar energy effectively.     

Fullerene modification CdSe/TiO2 and modification of photocatalytic activity under visible light

CdSe, CdSe-TiO₂, and CdSe-C₆₀/TiO₂ composites were prepared using sol–gel method, and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated by measuring the degradation of rhodamine B solutions under visible light. The surface area, surface structure, crystal phase, and elemental identification of these composites were characterized by nitrogen adsorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and UV-visible (vis) absorption spectrophotometry. XRD showed that the CdSe-C₆₀/TiO₂ composite contained a typical single and clear anatase phase. SEM of the CdSe-C₆₀/TiO₂ composites revealed a homogenous composition in the particles. EDX revealed the presence of C and Ti with strong Cd and Se peaks in the CdSe-C₆₀/TiO₂ composite. The degradation of dye was determined by UV–vis spectrophotometry. An increase in photocatalytic activity was observed and attributed to an increase in the photoabsorption effect by fullerene and the cooperative effect of the CdSe. The repeatability of photocatalytic activity was also tested in order to investigate the stability of C₆₀ and CdS-C₆₀/TiO₂ composites.     

Solvent-induced controllable synthesis of recyclable Ag2CO3 catalysts with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

The quest for cost-effective environmental remediation has motivated the research for highly efficient and stable photocatalysts capable of degrading pollutants under visible-light illumination. Ag-based visible-light-responsive photocatalysts demonstrate alluring properties and applications in the elimination of organic pollutants in wastewater, however they often suffer from inherent photo-corrosion under illumination. Herein, we report the facile solution-phase synthesis of silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃) microcrystals with varied morphological features in different solvents. The size and morphology of Ag₂CO₃ materials can be tuned on the basis of varying types and ratios of solvents. The specific synthetic method allows the orientation controllable growth of Ag₂CO₃ microcrystals with variable length-to-diameter ratios, with the surface harvesting more solar energy, and the photocatalyst suppressing the electron-hole recombination. The enhancement in both the photocatalytic activity and photostability of Ag₂CO₃ catalysts is evident when AgNO₃ and NaHCO₃ are employed as stabilizers. Operating in the presence of 0.02 M stabilizer, the photocatalyst demonstrates highly efficient and robust degradation performance of higher than 95% in 5 successive times towards typical organic dye rhodamine B (RhB). Active holes and reactive oxygen-containing superhydroxyl radicals (·O²⁻) are determined by trapping experiments to be the main species responsible for improved photocatalytic performance. This work provides new insights into the development of high-performance, recyclable Ag-based photocatalytic materials for energy and environmental applications.     

Fabrication of CdS and CuWO4 modified TiO2 nanoparticles and its photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

CdS and CuWO₄ modified TiO₂ nanoparticles (CdS–CuWO₄-TiO₂) were prepared by the chemical impregnation method. The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized using UV–visible-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis-DRS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and B.E.T. surface area analysis techniques. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated based on the degradation of a dye (eosin-Y) and inactivation of a bacterium (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The results revealed that CdS–CuWO₄-TiO₂ showed high photocatalytic activity over CdS-TiO₂, CuWO₄-TiO₂ and TiO₂. Moreover the reusability and stability of the photocatalyst for the degradation of eosin-Y was also studied.     

Tb掺杂介孔TiO_2/聚噻吩复合材料的制备及其可见光光催化性能研究

采用原位聚合法制备了一系列不同质量比m(Th)/m(Tb掺杂介孔TiO2)的复合光催化剂(其中Th为噻吩),采用XRD、FTIR、荧光光谱(PL)、场发射透射电镜(FETEM)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)对复合光催化剂进行了表征。结果表明,复合粒子上的聚噻吩骨架中S原子与TiO2粒子间存在相互作用。以罗丹明B为模型降解物,研究了不同比例复合光催化剂在可见光下的光催化性能,其中m(Th)/m(Tb掺杂介孔TiO2)=1/10复合光催化剂光催化性能最好。在可见光照射下4 h,脱色率达到82.4%。这是由于Tb掺杂介孔TiO2与PTh(聚噻吩)之间的协同作用,拓宽了TiO2纳米粒子的光响应范围,提高了光生电子和空穴的分离效率,从而有效提高了其光催化性能。     

Preparation and photocatalytic properties of RuO2/TiO2 composite nanotube arrays

RuO₂/TiO₂ composite nanotube arrays were prepared using an anodic oxidation method combined with dipping. The photocatalytic properties of RuO₂/TiO₂ nanotube arrays in methylene blue solution were investigated under visible light irradiation. The results showed that Ru existing in the form of RuO₂ was dispersed uniformly on the surface of TiO₂ nanotubes, and the RuO₂ did not change the crystal structure of TiO₂ nanotubes. The load of RuO₂ on TiO₂ had a little influence on the band-gap energy and the absorption band edge, but could increase the amount of Ti-OH functional groups on the surface of TiO₂ nanotubes. The RuO₂/TiO₂ nanotube arrays with the optimal photocatalytic activity were formed in the ruthenium chloride solution with a concentration of 0.0030 mol/L. The 2 h photocatalytic degradation rate of methylene blue increased from 38% for pure TiO₂ nanotubes to 69% for RuO₂/TiO₂ nanotube arrays. This work demonstrated that RuO₂/TiO₂ nanotube arrays showed an improved photocatalytic property over pure TiO₂ nanotubes due to the fact that RuO₂ could capture the photo-generated holes, which greatly decreased the recombination of the photo-generated electrons and holes, and hence lengthen the lifetime of photo-induced electrons and increased the amount of hydroxyl groups absorbed on the TiO₂ nanotubes surface.     

Onion-like carbon modified porous graphitic carbon nitride with excellent photocatalytic activities under visible light

A series of onion-like carbon modified porous g-C₃N₄ (OLC/pg-C₃N₄) composites have been fabricated by a simple ultrasonic adsorption approach. The resultant OLC/pg-C₃N₄ composites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity and stability towards the degradation of the dyes and phenol in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation. The composite with 2.0 wt% OLC content shows the optimal photocatalytic activity for degrading rhodamine B (RhB), its rate constant is about three times that of pure pg-C₃N₄. The improved photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the synergetic effect of pg-C₃N₄ and OLC, including larger surface area, stronger visible light adsorption and efficient separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Moreover, a possible mechanism of photocatalytic reaction over OLC/pg-C₃N₄ composite is proposed.     

Preparation and characterization of Ag3PO4/BiOI composites with enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic performance

Ag₃PO₄/BiOI composites were successfully prepared by a facial room temperature liquid phase method. Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on the surface of BiOI nanosheets. The photodegradation tests show that the photocatalytic efficiency was increased at first and then decreased when further increasing Ag₃PO₄ content in the composites. The best photocatalytic performance was obtained for the sample with Ag/Bi ratio of 0.3 and the photodegradation efficiency of Ag₃PO₄/BiOI was nearly 10 times that of BiOI. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the composites was due to the improved photogenerated carrier separation capacity, being induced by the coupling effects of the two semiconductors.