Low-temperature synthesis one-dimensional Ag2CO3/SnFe2O4 Z-scheme with excellent visible-light photoactivity

In this study, Ag₂CO₃/SnFe₂O₄ (Ag₂CO₃/SFO) photocatalyst was prepared by a simple hydrothermal-ultrasonic method for the efficient degradation of ciprofloxacin and phenol. The SFO nanoparticles were attached on the surface of Ag₂CO₃ rods synthesized by a low-temperature precipitation method, resulting a unique 1D/0D morphology, which increased the number of active sites. Due to introduction of magnetic SFO, Ag₂CO₃/SFO exhibited excellent magnetic recovery performance. When the mass fraction of SFO was 5%, the degradation efficiency of composite photocatalyst was the highest, the degradation rate for ciprofloxacin was 6.5 and 1.5 times higher than pure SFO and Ag₂CO₃, respectively. The improved photoactivity of Ag₂CO₃/SFO should be attributed to the construction of heterojunction with tight interface, which boosts the separation and transfer of photoinduced electron and hole pairs. On the basis of experimental results, a possible Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism was discussed. Additionally, the excellent photostability of Ag₂CO₃/SFO was proved by a cycle experiment.     

High photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance of a novel 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalyst constructed by ZnSe nanoparticles and MoSe2 nanoflowers

Metal oxide photocatalysts have the disadvantages of large band gap and high internal resistance, and their photoelectrochemical properties are restricted. Metal selenides are generally characterized by narrow bandgap width, low internal resistance, high utilization rate of sunlight and superior photoelectrochemical performance. The ZnSe/MoSe₂ heterostructure composite was successfully constructed by loading ZnSe nanoparticles onto MoSe₂ nanoplates with three-dimensional flower-like structure. In this heterostructure composite, ZnSe nanoparticles are uniformly encapsulated by MoSe₂ nanoplates, and the larger contact surface facilitates the transfer of carriers between heterojunction, while the three-dimensional flower structure of MoSe₂ can transport and collect photogenerated carriers. This heterojunction composite has a full-band absorption capability of UV and visible light. Photocatalytic tests showed that the photocatalytic activity of the heterojunction photocatalyst was more than twice of MoSe₂ and more than 4 times of ZnSe at the optimum ZnSe composite ratio, and photoelectric performance of that was 2.75 times of MoSe₂. The results show that the photoelectrochemical performance of ZnSe/MoSe₂ has been greatly improved, mainly because of the 0D/2D structure and band matching of ZnSe/MoSe₂, so that the photogenerated electrons excited on the ZnSe conduction band can be transported to the conduction band of MoSe₂, thereby improving the carriers’ separation efficiency and photoelectrochemical performance.     

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of high-efficiency Ag3PO4/CeO2 heterojunction photocatalyst

The Ag₃PO₄/CeO₂ heterojunction photocatalyst prepared by an ultrasound-assisted method exhibits an enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure Ag₃PO₄, CeO₂, and Ag₃PO₄/CeO₂ obtained without ultrasound action. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–vis), and the effects of ultrasound on the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity of Ag₃PO₄/CeO₂ are discussed. Results show that the ultrasound-assisted synthesis method significantly improves the photocatalytic ability. The mechanism about the improvement was discussed in details.     

Z-scheme AgSCN/Ag3PO4/C3N4 heterojunction with excellent photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen

To develop a novel photocatalyst with high catalytic performance under sunlight, AgSCN/Ag₃PO₄/C₃N₄ heterojunction photocatalyst with Z-mechanism has been prepared, which demonstrates excellent photocatalytic performance for ibuprofen degradation. The catalytic activity of AgSCN/Ag₃PO₄/C₃N₄ is 1.5 and 3.3 times that of AgSCN/Ag₃PO₄ and Ag₃PO₄, respectively. The cyclic degradation number of AgSCN/Ag₃PO₄/C₃N₄ increases to seven because of the protection of AgSCN and C₃N₄ to Ag₃PO₄. The excellent photocatalytic performance of the AgSCN/Ag₃PO₄/C₃N₄ is attributed from the Z-mechanism with efficient separation efficiency of electron hole pair.     

Flexible TiO2 nanograss array film decorated with BiOI nanoflakes and its greatly boosted photocatalytic activity

A flexible TiO₂ nanograss array film on Ti wire mesh was prepared by a mild chemical reaction. To overcome its shortcoming of almost no absorption of visible light, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) was executed to decorate the prepared TiO₂ film with BiOI. The results of XRD and SEM measurements showed that BiOI nanoflakes formed on the surface of TiO₂ film, and the loading amounts of BiOI nanoflakes increased with the increase in SILAR cycles. The XPS results confirmed the heterojunction formation of BiOI-TiO₂. The photocurrent measurement suggests that a moderate loading amount of BiOI nanoflakes is beneficial to improve the charge separation efficiency, which is ascribed to the heterojunction formation of BiOI-TiO₂. The BiOI-decorated TiO₂ film with SILAR cycles of seven showed the most excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity among all the samples. Compared with the bareTiO₂ nanograss array film, its visible-light photocatalytic activity increased by 11.7 times. The flexible BiOI-decorated TiO₂ nanograss array film with high photocatalytic activity shows great applications in air pollution and the pollution caused by offshore oil spills.     

Photocatalysis performance enhancement of Ag2O/Al-doped ZnO heterojunction by introducing ZnO nanorod array

Fabric-based nano semiconductor photocatalysts have attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, polyester fibers were modified by Ag₂O/ZnO nanorod (NR)/Al-ZnO p-type/high resistivity/n-type (P-HR-N) heterojunction arrays. Al-doped ZnO (Al-ZnO) seed layer was reactively sputtered on polyester fibers. Al doping was used to change the work function (WF) of the ZnO film. The ZnO NR arrays were hydrothermally grown on the Al-ZnO seed layer and modified with Ag₂O film. The work functions (WFs) of Ag₂O and Al-ZnO layers were measured, resulting in $5.53$ and $4.81\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$, respectively. The WF difference between the two layers was $0.72\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$. The electron-hole separation of the P-HR-N heterojunction array was characterized by surface photovoltage (SPV) spectra. The photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples were investigated by removing Rhodamine B (RB) under UV irradiation. The P-HR-N heterojunction sample displayed a better photocatalytic performance than the Ag₂O/Al-doped ZnO PN heterojunction sample and ZnO NR/Al-ZnO array-coated sample. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the P-HR-N heterojunction based sample was mainly attributed to the high and widened built-in electric field (BEF) in the multilayer film.     

In-situ deposition of Ag3PO4 on TiO2 nanosheets dominated by (001) facets for enhanced photocatalytic activities and recyclability

Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂ nanosheet (TNS) heterojunction photocatalysts with almost 100% exposed (001) facets were fabricated via a facile in situ growth process. The Ag₃PO₄/TNS exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and it was significantly more recyclable under sunlight compared with Ag₃PO₄. The RhB degradation efficiency was 99.11% after 50 min of sunlight irradiation, and was 85.8% after three cycles. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of RhB over the Ag₃PO₄/TNS heterojunctions is driven by both photogenerated holes (h⁺) and ·O₂⁻ radicals. This efficient and reusable Ag₃PO₄/TNS heterojunction photocatalyst is not only suitable for fundamental research but also has potential for practical applications in the energy and environmental fields. This study demonstrates that applying morphology engineering to heterojunctions is useful for developing composite photocatalysts with greatly improved properties.     

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.     

KCl–LiCl molten salt synthesis of LaOCl/CeO2-g-C3N4 with excellent photocatalytic-adsorbed removal performance for organic dye pollutant

A ternary photocatalyst of LaOCl/CeO₂-g-C₃N₄ was designed and firstly synthesized by a facile KCl–LiCl molten salt method. The 60 %LaOCl/40 %CeO₂-g-C₃N₄ with a 6: 4 weight ratio of LaOCl to CeO₂ has an optimal degradation ratio (nearly 100%) for methylene blue (MB) with an impressive cyclic stability. Both of adsorption and photodegradation contribute to the high MB removal ratio, and kinetic study results show that the rate constant of photocatalytic degradation route is 0.0174 min^?1, which is less than that of adsorption process (2.4406 min^?1). The excellent adsorption performance of 60 %LaOCl/40 %CeO₂-g-C₃N₄ is attributed to its negative zeta potential (?35.40 mV) and larger average pore size. The photochemical characterizations suggest that the 60 %LaOCl/40 %CeO₂-g-C₃N₄ form a dual Z-scheme heterojunction, which enhances its separation efficiency of photogenerated e^-/h⁺ with an outstanding redox ability, and further promotes the photocatalytic activity.     

Generation of mesoporous n-p-n (ZnO–CuO–CeO2) heterojunction for highly efficient photodegradation of micro-organic pollutants

In this research, a mesoporous rod-shaped ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ n-p-n heterojunction has been designed via a two-step co-precipitation technique for photocatalytic applications. Characterization by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques confirmed the formation of mesoporous rod-shaped ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ n-p-n heterojunction having preferred interface developing between the ZnO, CuO, and CeO₂ phases, thus extended the light-absorption window up to 800 nm. Under sunlight, the ability of a mesoporous ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ n-p-n heterojunction to act as a photocatalyst was tested with methyl orange (MO) and crystal violet (CV) as target molecules. We found the degradation efficiencies of CV and MO dyes on mesoporous ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ to be 96% and 88%, respectively, after 90 min of sunlight irradiation. The estimated rate constants (k, min^?1) for deterioration of CV and MO under sunlight over ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ composite were 0.039 and 0.022 min^?1, respectively. We endorsed the greater photo-response, the well-aligned band-structure, and practical usage of the photo-induced carriers of the mesoporous photocatalyst to be the leading causes for the outstanding photocatalytic properties of ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ n-p-n heterojunction. The ultimate oxidizing species that destroyed dyes were O₂￣ and ·OH over ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ photocatalyst under sunlight illumination. Besides, the recycling tests confirmed the high photostability of the ZnO/CuO/CeO₂ photocatalyst. Hopefully, the mesoporous rod-shaped architecture of the n-p-n heterojunction with anticipated interface manufacturing will assist the photocatalyst strategy with better photocatalytic action under sunlight irradiation.     

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.     

In-situ prepared WSe2/Si 2D-3D vertical heterojunction for high performance self-driven photodetector

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal chalcogenides (TMDs) have shown tremendous feasibility as building blocks for the development of high-performance optoelectronic devices owing to their distinct electrical and optical properties. However, the relatively narrow sensing range as well as the complex fabrication technique impede their technological applications. Here, we demonstrate the mixed-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) WSe₂/Si 2D-3D vertical heterojunction by in-situ fabrication of WSe₂ multilayer on pre-patterned Si, for broadband and fast-speed photodetection. Thanks to the novel high-quality vertical p-n heterojunction, the as-fabricated WSe₂/Si photodetector shows an excellent rectifying characteristic and a prominent photovoltaic effect, making the device capable of light detection in self-driven mode. Additionally, the device reveals remarkable performance in terms of a high specific detectivity of ～8.79 × 10¹³ Jones, a large responsivity of ～294 mA/W, and a fast response time of 4.1 μs. Significantly, the device shows high sensitivity to a wide spectra (200–1550 nm) owing to the production of a type-II band structure of the WSe₂/Si vertical heterojunction. The mechanism of photo-generated carriers separation and transfer in the heterojunction is analyzed by KPFM. Our work offers a potential route to the development of unique 2D-3D heterojunction for optoelectronic devices and system applications.     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalysis of AgAlO2/TiO2 heterojunction with sunlight irradiation

A novel photocatalyst AgAlO₂/TiO₂ with a p–n heterojunction structure was synthesized through the method that combined sol–gel and ion exchange. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM and UV–vis. The photocatalytic activity of as-synthesized sample was evaluated and the possible mechanism was discussed. As-synthesized AgAlO₂/TiO₂ (in mass ratio of 90/10) exhibited remarkably high photocatalytic activity of 97.8% in decomposing formaldehyde under sunlight irradiation for 90 min. Our work provided a basic experimental process for AgAlO₂/TiO₂ heterojunction and explored the connection between p–n heterojunction and photocatalysis, which will possess a broad prospect in terms of the applications in improving indoor air quality.     

Photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4 and some of its composites under non-filtered and UV-filtered solar-like radiation

Silver phosphate is a promising photocatalyst since its energy band gap is situated in the visible range (E_g≈2.4 eV), thus this material is a potential candidate for replacing titania which is photoactive only under UV. However, Ag₃PO₄ suffers of photocorrosion and therefore composites should be prepared to limit this detrimental effect. In this work, pure Ag₃PO₄ and its composites with AgI, TiO₂, and hydroxyapatite were prepared by using various methods. The photoactivity of the materials was evaluated by their ability to decolorize methylene blue and to mineralize phenol under non-filtered and UV-filtered artificial solar-like radiation. The use of UV cut-off filter enhanced the photocatalytic activity of pure silver phosphate by limiting the photocorrosion of silver(I) into Ag°. For composites with AgI and TiO₂, despite their lower photoactivity compared to pure Ag₃PO₄, the efficiency in mineralization of phenol after repeated run is stabilized by using UV cut-off filter. On the other hand, the photocatalytic efficiency of Ag₃PO₄ composites containing hydroxyapatite remained low mainly due to high absorption properties of hydroxyapatite. The photoactive samples showed excellent photoinduced antimicrobial properties where Gram-negative E. coli was more susceptible to photocatalytic deactivation than Gram-positive S. aureus (MRSA).     

A novel approach for the synthesis of highly active ZnO/TiO2/Ag2O nanocomposite and its photocatalytic applications

The present work is focused on the preparation of hybrid ZnO/TiO₂/Ag₂O nanocomposite for enhanced photocatalytic activity. The resultant samples are characterized by using XRD, SEM, EDX, HR-TEM, UV-DRS, BET and XPS techniques. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the co-existence of wurtzite, anatase and cubic phases in ZnO/TiO₂/Ag₂O nanocomposite. The band gap energy value of the photocatalyst is 3.39 eV, which has been evidenced from UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye has been investigated by using UV–visible spectrophotometer. From the result, it has been concluded that ZnO/TiO₂/Ag₂O nanocomposite has proven to be an efficient photocatalyst under UV irradiation when compared to that of mono and binary oxide systems. Further, the possible photodegradation mechanism is proposed to support the enhancement of photocatalytic activity towards degradation of dyes.     

CoFe2O4/NiFe2O4 S-scheme composite for photocatalytic decomposition of antibiotic contaminants

Keeping in view of the hazardous application of tetracycline hydrochloride antibiotic, an efficient CoFe₂O₄/NiFe₂O₄ heterojunction photocatalyst has been prepared hydrothermally by combining CoFe₂O₄ and NiFe₂O₄ nanoplates. The CoFe₂O₄/NiFe₂O₄ composite with the improved photocatalytic activity can be employed for removal of tetracycline hydrochloride antibiotic, comparing to the bare CoFe₂O₄ and NiFe₂O₄. The optimized sample 5%-CoFe₂O₄/NiFe₂O₄ shows the high photocatalytic degrading tetracycline with 76.1% removal efficiency in 60 min. These improved photocatalytic activities are attributed to the extended visible light absorption and enhanced charge separation following S-scheme route as confirmed from photoluminescence and electrochemical studies. From the charge trapping experiments, it is confirmed that superoxide radical and holes in the valence band of NiFe₂O₄ with high thermodynamic energies are responsible for the photodegradation of the target pollutant. This work provides sufficient attention towards the preparation of low cost materials for the removal of highly hazardous pollutants being present in water.     

Composite soft template-assisted construction of a flower-like β-Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3 heterojunction photocatalyst for the enhanced simulated sunlight photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

A three-dimensional (3D) flower-like β-Bi₂O₃/Bi₂O₂CO₃ heterojunction photocatalyst was synthesized via decomposition of the precursor fabricated using a composite soft template, which was constructed from dl-aspartic acid and nonionic amphiphilic triblock copolymer (Pluronic F127). The morphology, phase structure, composition, effect of reactant concentration, and possible formation mechanism were systematically studied. The results showed that dl-aspartic acid was chosen as the coordination- and structure-directing agent, while F127 was used as the capping agent during preparation of the precursor. The as-prepared flower-like β-Bi₂O₃/Bi₂O₂CO₃ heterojunction obtained after calcination of the self-sacrificing precursor at 290 °C showed excellent photocatalytic performance in the degradation of the refractory colorless antibiotic agent tetracycline (TC) under simulated sunlight irradiation, with 98.79% TC degradation being achieved within 60 min of irradiation. This excellent photocatalytic performance was attributed to the narrow band gap, heterojunction structure, and 3D hierarchical structure. The results further revealed that photogenerated holes (h⁺) and hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) dominated the photocatalytic process. Furthermore, the β-Bi₂O₃/Bi₂O₂CO₃ heterojunction catalyst was not photocorroded after six consecutive cycles, suggesting an excellent photostability.     

A g-C3N4 supported graphene oxide/Ag3PO4 composite with remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

In this work, a ternary composite photocatalyst of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), graphene oxide (GO), and Ag₃PO₄ was prepared through a simple precipitation route, in which Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles covered or wrapped with GO sheets are supported on g-C₃N₄ sheets. The composite photocatalyst displays enhanced absorption in the visible region, and exhibited superior photocatalytic activity compared with single-component or binary composite photocatalysts in the photocatalytic decomposition of Rhodamine B. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the synergistic effect among them. The ternary composite also exhibited enhanced stability, but further efforts should be made to make it more stable.     

Synthesis of novel Ag/Ag2O heterostructures with solar full spectrum (UV,visible and near-infrared) light-driven photocatalytic activity and enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

Here we report the facile synthesis of Ag/Ag₂O heterostructures, which exhibit excellent solar full spectrum (UV, visible and near-infrared) photocatalytic activity and an enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance under irradiation of near-infrared light. The improved photocatalytic property and PEC performance originated from the synergistic effect on the narrow band gap of Ag₂O, plasmon enhancement of metallic Ag in-situ reduced from Ag₂O, and metal-semiconductor (Ag-Ag₂O) Mott-Schottky heterojunction.     

Photocatalytic Activity of Novel Ag4V2O7 Photocatalyst Under Visible Light Irradiation

In this study, pure Ag₄V₂O₇ was synthesized via hydrothermal method without surfactant at different temperatures (100°C, 120°C, and 140°C) and pH values (4 and 5) for the first time. Moreover, Ag₄V₂O₇ nanoparticles with homogeneous size distribution about 200–300 nm can be obtained by adding polyvinylpyrrolidone to the synthesis system. Effects of hydrothermal synthesis conditions on photophysical properties and photocatalytic activity of Ag₄V₂O₇ were investigated systematically. Ag₄V₂O₇ sample prepared at 120°C and pH = 4 had the optimal photocatalytic activity among these samples, which almost completely degraded 10 ppm Rhodamine B within 3 h under visible light irradiation (420 nm < λ < 800 nm). The degradation products were measured by liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy. The active species involved in the degradation process were analyzed by means of adding active species scavengers, electron spin resonance techniques, and photoelectrochemical experiments. A possible mechanism for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants on Ag₄V₂O₇ photocatalyst was proposed and discussed preliminarily.