Synthesis and highly efficient photocatalytic activity of mixed oxides derived from ZnNiAl layered double hydroxides

ZnO/NiO/ZnAl2O4 mixed-metal oxides were successfully synthesized through a hydrotalcite-like precursor route, in which appropriate amounts of metal salts solutions were mixed to obtain a new series of ZnNiAl layered double hydroxides（LDHs） as precursors, followed by calcination under different temperatures. The as-obtained samples were characterized by SEM, HRTEM, TEM, XRD, BET, TG-DTA, and UV-Vis spectra techniques. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by degradation of methyl orange（MO） under the simulated sunlight irradiation. The effects of Zn/Ni/Al mole ratio and calcination temperature on the composition, morphology and photocatalytic activity of the samples were investigated in detail. The results indicated that compared with ZnNiAl-LDHs, the mixed-metal oxide showed superior photocatalytic performance for the degradation of MO. A maximum of 97.3% photocatalytic decoloration rate within 60 min was achieved from the LDH with the Zn/Ni/Al mole ratio of 2：1：1 and the calcination temperature of 500 ℃, which much exceeded that of Degussa P25 under the same conditions. The possible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation over ZnO/NiO/ZnAl2O4 was discussed.

Effects of Fe content on photocatalytic activity of CaTiO_3-Fe_x

CaTiO 3-Fex was characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometry system, Fourier transform infrared spectra, and UV-visible spectra. Effects of Fe content on photocatalytic activity of CaTiO3-Fex were investigated through measuring photocatalytic degradation rate of methylene blue. The results show that chemical compositions of CaTiO3-Fex remained unchanged with increasing Fe content from 0 to 4.745%. However, the light absorption ability of CaTiO3-Fex exhibited a significant increase with increasing Fe content. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue over CaTiO3-Fex followed the first-order reaction kinetics. Based on changes of the concentration of methylene blue and its degradation kinetics, CaTiO3-Fe0.474% has shown to have optimal photocatalytic activity. The degradation rate of methylene blue over CaTiO3-Fe0.474% was almost 100% under UV-visible light irradiation for 3.0 h. The kobs of methylene blue over CaTiO 3-Fe0.474% was 1.33 h-1 and was 7 times that over CaTiO3-Fe0.

Preparation, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Fe, La Co-doped Nanometer Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysts

A series of photocatalysts of un-doped, single-doped and co-doped nanometer titanium diox- ide （TiO2） have been successfully prepared by template method using Fe（NO3）3.9H2O, La（NO3）3.6H2O, and tetrabutyl titanate as precursors and glucan as template. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurement were employed to characterize the morphology, crystal structure and surface structure of the samples. The photo-absorbance of the obtained catalysts was measured by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and the photocatalytic activities of the prepared samples under UV and visible light were estimated by measuring the degradation rate of methyl orange in an aqueous solution. The characterizations indicated that the prepared photocatalysts consisted of anatase phase and possessed high surface area of ca. 163-176 m2/g. It was shown that the Fe and La co-doped nano-TiO2 could be activated by visible light and could thus be used as an effective catalyst in photo-oxidation reactions. The synergistic effect of Fe and La co-doping played an important role in improving the photocatalytic activity. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of co-doped nano-TiO2 was also confirmed, the photocatalytic activity of codoped nano-TiO2 remained above 89.6% of the fresh sample after being used four times.

Photocatalytic activity of Fe-doped diopside

UV-visible light induced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) over Fe-doped diopside was investigated. The structure, composition, morphology and absorption property of UV-visible light of as-prepared samples were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR and UV-vis DRS. The experimental results show that doping Fe3+ induced the formation of some new species in diopside, and promoted light adsorption property of diopside in UV-visible region. Photochemical reactivity of Fe-doped diopside obviously depended on the content of doping Fe3+. The diopside with 1.848% Fe3+ exhibited the superior photocatalytic activity with 95% degradation of MB under UV-visible light for 3 h. The photocatalytic degradation kinetics of MB over all samples showed the first-order reaction nature.

Preparation, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Lanthanum Doped Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide

Lanthanum doped mesoporous titanium dioxide photocatalysts with different La content were synthesized by template method using tetrabutyltitanate （Ti（OC4H9）4） as precursor and Pluronic P123 as template. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric dif ferential thermal analysis, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis adsorption spectroscopy. The effect of La3＋ doping concentration from 0.1% to 1% on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2 was investigated. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of about 10 nm with high surface area of 165 m2/g. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements in- dicated the presence of C in the doped samples in addition to La. Compared with pure mesoporous TiO2, the La-doped samples extended the photoabsorption edge into the visible light region. The results of phenol photodecomposition showed that La-doped mesoporous TiO2 exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than pure mesoporous TiO2 under UV and visible light irradiation.

Preparation of ZnO Nanoparticles and Photocatalytic H2 Production Activity from Different Sacrificial Reagent Solutions

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via a direct precipitation method followed by a hetero- geneous azeotropic distillation and calcination processes, and then characterized by X-ray power diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and ni- trogen adsorption-desorption measurement. The effects of Pt-loading amount, calcination temperature, and sacrificial reagents on the present ZnO suspension were investigated, photocatalytic H2 evolution efficiency from the The experimental results indicate that ZnO rianoparticles calcined at 400℃ exhibit the best photoactivity for the H2 production in comparison with the samples calcined at 300 and 500℃, and the photoeatalytie H2 production efficiency from a methanol solution is much higher than that from a triethanolamine solution. It can be ascribed to the oxidization of methanol also contributes to the H2 production during the photochemical reaction process. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism for the H2 production from the present ZnO suspension system containing methanol solution is also discussed in detail.

Facile synthesis of tin oxide nanocrystals and their photocatalytic activity

Tin oxide nanociystals with diameters smaller than 10 nm were synthesized using Na2SnO3 and CO2 as reactants and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide（CTAB） as stabilizer under mild conditions.As a mild acidic gas,CO2 is favorable for the accurate adjustment of pH value of Na2SnO3 solution.Stannate salt is stable,cheap and easy in operation.The effects of Na2SnO3concentration,CTAB concentration,aging temperature,and aging time on the nanociystals were studied.It was found that,with the increasing Na2SnO3 concentration,aging temperature and aging time,SnO2 nanociystals size decreases.The formation of SnO2nanociystals can be interpreted by electrostatic-interaction mechanism.SnO2 nanociystals show high photocatalytic activities in the degradation of Rhodamine B solution.The catalytic activity of small nanocrystals is higher than that of large ones.

Preparation, Characterization, Photocatalytic Activity of S and Ag co-Doped Mesoporous Titania Photocatalysts

In order to improve the photocatalytic performance of mesoporous titania under visible light, a series of photocatalysts of S and Ag co-doped mesoporous titania have been successfully prepared by template method using thiourea, AgNO3 and tetrabutyl titanate as precursors and Pluronic P123 （EO20PO70EO20） as template. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements, and UV-visible spectroscopy （UV-Vis） were employed to characterize the morphology, crystal structure, surface structure, and optical absorption properties of the samples. The microcrystal of the photocatalysts consisted of anatase phase and was approximately present in the form of spherical particle. The photocatalytic performance was studied by photodegradation methyl orange （MO） in water under UV and visible light irradiation. The calcination temperature and the doping content influenced the photoactivity. In addition, the possibility of cyclic usage of co-doped mesoporous titania was also confirmed, the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous titania remained above 89% of that of the fresh sample after being used four times. It was shown that the co-doped mesoporous titania could be activated by visible light and could thus be potentially applied for the treatment of water contaminated by organic pollutants. The synergistic effect of sulfur and silver co-doping played an important role in improving the photocatalytic activity.

Achieving high-efficient photocatalytic persulfate-activated degradation of tetracycline via carbon dots modified MIL-101(Fe)octahedrons

The synergistic reaction of photocatalysis and advanced oxidation is a valid strategy for the degradation of harmful antibiotic wastewater.Herein,carbon dots(CDs)modified MIL-101(Fe)octahedrons to form CDs/MIL-101(Fe)composite photocatalyst was synthesized for visible light-driven photocatalytic/persulfate(PS)-activated tetracycline(TC)degradation.The electron spin resonance(ESR)spectra,scavenging experiment and electrochemical analysis were carried out to reveal that the high visible light-driven photocatalytic degradation activity of TC over CDs/MIL-101(Fe)photocatalysts is not only ascribed to the production of free active radicals in the CDs/MIL-101(Fe)/PS system(·OH,·SO_(4-),^(1)O_(2),h^(+)and·O_(2)^(-))but also attributed to the consumption of electrons caused by the PS,which can suppress the recombination of photo-generated carriers as well as strong light scattering and electron trapping effects of CDs.Finally,the possible degradation pathways were proposed by analyzing intermediates via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technique.This research presents a rational design conception to construct a CDs/PS-based photocatalysis/advanced oxidation technology with high-efficient degradation activity for the remediation of organic antibiotic pollutant wastewater and for the improvement of carrier transport kinetics of photocatalysts.

Superwetting Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) anchored mesh with enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities for efficient water purification

Superwetting materials have drawn unprecedented attention in the treatment of oily wastewater due to their preferable anti-fouling property and selective oil/water separation.However,it is still a challenge to fabricate multifunctional and environmentally friendly materials,which can be stably applied to purify the actual complicated wastewater.Here,a Ag/Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterostructure anchored copper mesh was intentionally synthesized using a facile two-step hydrothermal method.The resultant mesh with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity was capable of separating various oil/water mixtures with superior separation efficiency and high permeationflux driven by gravity.Benefiting from the joint effects of the smaller band gap of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterojunction,inherent antibacterial capacity of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) and Ag nanoparticles,favorable conductive substrate,as well as the hierarchical structure with superwettability,such mesh presented remarkably enhanced degradation capability toward organic dyes under visible light irradiation and antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli(E.coli)and Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)compared with the pure Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) coated mesh.Impressively,the mesh exhibited bifunctional water purification performance,in which organic dyes were eliminated simultaneously from water during oil/water separation in onefiltration process.More importantly,this mesh behaved exceptional chemical resistance,mechanical stability and long-term reusability.Therefore,this material with multifunctional integration may hold promising potential for steady water purification in practice.

Utilizing a defective MgO layer for engineering multifunctional Co-MOF hybrid materials with tailored leaf-like and polyhedral structures for optimal electrochemical and photocatalytic activities

The hybridization of metal-organic framework(MOF)with inorganic layers would lead to the discovery of novel hybrid materials that can provide a compelling strategy for enhancing its photocatalytic and electrochemical response.In the present study,a highly efficient multifunctional hybrid material was developed by exploiting the defective layer formed on AZ31 Mg alloy through plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)as a nucleation and growth site for Co-MOF.The concentrations of the organic linker 2-Methylimidazole(2,MIm)and cobalt nitrate as a source of Co^(2+) ions were varied to control the growth of the obtained Co-MOF.Lower concentrations of the 2,MIm ligand favored the formation of leaf-like MOF structures through an anisotropic,two-dimensional growth,while higher concentrations led to rapid,isotropic nucleation and the creation of polyhedral Co-MOF structures.The sample characterized by polyhedral Co-MOF structures exhibited superior electrochemical stability,with the lowest corrosion current density(3.11×10^(-9) A/cm^(2))and the highest top layer resistance(2.34×10^(6)Ωcm^(2)),and demonstrated outstanding photocatalytic efficiency,achieving a remarkable 99.98%degradation of methylene blue,an organic pollutant,in model wastewater.To assess the active adsorption sites of the Co-MOF,density functional theory(DFT)was utilized.This study explores the changes in morphologies of the coatings of Co-MOF with the change of solution concentration to form coatings with enhanced properties on the metallic substrate,which could establish the groundwork for the development of next-generation multifunctional frameworks with diverse applications.

Effect of carrier and axial ligand on the photocatalytic activity of cobalt thioporphyrazine

The photocatalytic activity of cobalt octakis（butylthio） porphyrazine（CoPz（BuS）8） was assessed through photodegradation of the dye rhodamine B（RhB） in water under irradiation with a Xe lamp and aerated conditions.The photocatalytic activity of CoPz（BuS）8 loaded on Al2O3 or SiO2@Fe3O4nanoparticles or coordinated with an axial azide ligand was also investigated.The results demonstrated that the photocatalytic activity of CoPz（BuS）8 loaded on Al2O3 was higher than that loaded on SiO2@Fe3O4.The kinetic curves of RhB degradation in aqueous solutions at different pH indicated the pseudo first-order kinetics of the reaction.The highest degradation rate for CoPz（BuS）8 loaded Al2O3 at pH = 4 after 160 min was 84.6%.However,the advantages of easier separation and recycling as well as the ability to terminate the reaction at any time for the CoPz（BuS）8 loaded SiO2@Fe3O4 cannot be ignored.When electron-rich NaN3 was coordinated with CoPz（BuS）8 as an axial ligand and loaded on Al2O3,the resulting catalyst produced more active oxygen species such as O2^- and HO· to promote the quicker degradation of RhB than that by the other catalysts.For the N3-coordinated CoPz（BuS）8 loaded on Al2O3,the reactions at pH = 4 and 7 distinctly deviated from first-order kinetics,and the degradation rate reached 77.6%after 80 min at pH = 4.

Preparation of Nano-TiO_2 Doped with Cerium and Its Photocatalytic Activity

Cerium-doped titanium dioxide nano-powders were prepared through the sol-gel method and the compound sampies were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectra （DRS）. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of phenol in water. The results of XRD, TEM, and DRS show that pure TiO2 and Ce-doped TiO2 powder crystallines are a mixture of anatase and rutile ; the doping can retard the development of the grain size of TiO2 and decrease the diameter of TiO2 from more than 20 nm of pure TiO2 to about 10 nm; the doped TiO2 can improve the light absorption of TiO2 and suitable doping content tends to move the DRS spectrum of TiO2 towards visible light, but too much doping is not good for the light absorption ability. The results of the photocatalytic experiments show that doping with Ce content of 0.08% -0.4% can increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO2; however, doping with Ce content of 0.5% -2.5% can significantly decrease the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The favorite doping content is 0.4% in the range of our experiments.

Synthesis of iron(Ⅲ)-doped nanostructure TiO_2/SiO_2 and their photocatalytic activity

Iron（Ⅲ）-doped nanostructure TiO2-coated SiO2 （TiO2/SiO2） particles were prepared using the layer-by-layer assembly technique and their photocatalytic property was studied. TiO2 colloids were synthesized employing the sol-gel method with TiChas a precursor. The samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, SEM, EDS, XPS, and XRD. The experimental results show that TiO2 nanopowders on the surface of SiO2 particles are well distributed, the amount of TiO2 is increased with the adding of coating layers, the pure anatase-TiO2 coating layers are synthesized at 500℃, and the photocatalytic activity of Fe^3＋-doped TiO2/SiO2 is higher than that of undoped TiO2/SiO2.

Grain Size and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanometer TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by the Sol-gel Method

Transparent anatase TiO2 nanometer thin films with photocatalytic activity were prepared via the sol-gel method on soda-lime glass. The thickness , crystalline phase, grain size, surface hydroxyl amount and so on were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) , X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-visible spectrophotometer ( UV-VIS). The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 thin films was evaluated for the photocatalytic decolorization of aqueous methyl orange . The effects of film thickness on the crystalline phase, grain size, transmittance and photocatalytic activity of nanometer Ti02 thin films were discussed.

Efect of light response on the photocatalytic activity of BiOClxBr1-x in the removal of Rhodamine B from water

BiOClxBr1-x catalysts were synthesized through an alcoholysis method and characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy （DRS）. The as-prepared photocatalysts were found to be tetragonal crystal structure and lamellar plate morphology. Their band gaps were between 3.44 and 2.83 eV. The effect of light response on the photocatalytic activity of BiOClxBrl-x was investigated by degradation of Rhodamine B （RhB）. Complete removal of RhB from water was realized under simulated sunlight irradiation for 50 min with BiOC10.5Br0.5. Mechanism studies showed that photo- generated holes and superoxide anion radicals played important roles in RhB photodegradation. The results of chemical oxygen demand （COD） confirmed RhB mineralization. The effect of light response on the activity of BiOClxBr1-x was further investigated under monochromatic light irradiation, and BiOCl0.5Br0.5 catalyst exhibited the highest activity. Furthermore, BiOC10.5Br0.5 exhibited high stability, suggesting its practical application for the removal of RhB pollutant from water.

Rapid communication Preparation of TiO_2 nanometer thin films with high photocatalytic activity by reverse micellar method

Two kinds of TiO_2 nanometer thin films were prepared on stainless steel bythe reverse micellar and sol-gel methods, respectively. The calcined TiO_ 2 thin films werecharacterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), BET surface area and X-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalyticdecoloration of methyl orange aqueous solution. The results showed that the TiO_2 thin filmsprepared by reverse micellar method (designated as RM-TiO_2 films) showed higher photocatalyticactivity than those by sol-gel method (designated as SG-TiO_2 films). This is attributed to the factthat the former is composed of smaller monodispersed spherical particles with a size of about 15 nmand possesses higher surface areas.

AgCl/Ag/g-C_3N_4 Hybrid Composites: Preparation,Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity and Mechanism

The ternary plasmonic Ag Cl/Ag/g-C_3N_4 photocatalysts were successfully fabricated by a modified deposition–precipitation method, through which Ag/Ag Cl nanoparticles(5–15 nm in size) were evenly dispersed on the surface of g-C_3N_4. The Ag Cl/Ag/g-C_3N_4 composites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than Ag/Ag Cl and g-C_3N_4. The enhanced photocatalytic performance could be attributed to an efficient separation of electron–hole pairs through a Z-scheme mechanism, in which Ag nanoparticles acted as charge separation centers.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of (La, N) co-doped TiO_2 by TiCl_4 sol-gel autoigniting synthesis

（La, N） co-doped TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using TiC14 sol-gel autoignidng synthesis （SAS） starting from a complex compound system of TiCl4-La（NO3）3-citric acid-NH4NO3-NHyH2O, in which the （La, N） co-doped process was accompushed in the formation of TiO2 nanocrystals. The prepared samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy （XPS） and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The results indicated that nitrogen and lanthanum were incorporated into the lattice and interstices of titania nanocrystals, which resulted in narrowing the band gap and promoting the separation of photoexcited hole-electron pairs, respectively, and showing expected red-shifts and enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light. The mechanism on nitrogen doping and enhancement in photocatalyfic activity of （La, N） co-doped titania by SAS was discussed in detail.

Surface ζ potential and photocatalytic activity of rare earths doped TiO_2

The iso-electric point of different rare earths （La, Ce, Y） doped anatase TiO2 was set out, and three organisms with different sur- face electrical properties （methylene blue trihydrate-positive electricity, methyl orange-negative electricity, methyl red-neutral electricity） were selected as photodegradable models. The result showed that the photocatalytic activity of 0.5wt.%Y ions doped anatase TiO2 was better than those of the others. The relationship between Zeta （ξ） potential and the photocatalytic activity of different RE doped anatase TiO2 were also investigated. The Y-doped anatase TiO2 was found with the special two iso-electric points and three ξ potential values.