Ti-modified Mesoporous Molecular Sieves Containing both Selective Oxidation and Photocatalysis Centers

Mesoporous molecular sieves possessing high mesopore volumes and large specific surface areas were prepared and characterized by means of XRD, low temperature N_2 adsorption-desorption measurements, FT IR, Raman, UV-visible diffuse reflectance and XPS spectroscopy. The materials contain both framework and extra-framework Ti centers which exhibit selective oxidation catalytic activity and photocatalytic activity respectively. The catalysis of selective oxidation was studied with the hydroxylation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide and photochemical activity was studied by the yields of ·OH and H_2O_2, respectively.

Efficient degradation of dye pollutants in wastewater via photocatalysis using a magnetic zinc oxide/graphene/iron oxide-based catalyst

In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept study of the enhancement of photocatalytic activity via a combined strategy of fabricating a visible-light responsive ternary heterostructure and improving overall photostability by incorporating magnetic zinc oxide/graphene/iron oxide (ZGF). A solvothermal approach was used to synthesize the catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic, energy dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopic, vibrating sample magnetometric, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize the synthesized samples. The obtained optimal Zn(NO_(3))_(2) concentration, temperature, and heating duration were 0.10 mol/L, 600℃, and 1 h, respectively. The XRD pattern revealed the presence of peaks corresponding to zinc oxide, graphene, and iron oxide, indicating that the ZGF catalyst was effectively synthesized. Furthermore, when the developed ZGF was used for methylene blue dye degradation, the optimum irradiation time, dye concentration, catalyst dosage, irradiation intensity, and solution pH were 90 min, 10 mg/L, 0.03 g/L, 100 W, and 8.0, respectively. Therefore, the synthesized ZGF system could be used as a catalyst to degrade dyes in wastewater samples. This hybrid nanocomposite consisting of zinc oxide, graphene, and iron oxide could also be used as an effective photocatalytic degrader for various dye pollutants.

Interactive Oxidation of Photocatalysis and Electrocatalysis for Degradation of Phenol in a Photoreactor

TiO2/C particles as photocatalyst were prepared by dipping TiO2 suspension solution with activated carbon and were applied in the photocatalytic-electrocatalytic degradation of phenol, the Ti/SnO2+Sb2O3/PbO2 electrode and oxygen diffusion electrode were used as anode and cathode respectively, and a 250 W ultraviolet lamp (365 nm) as side light source. The SEM results of TiO2/C and Ti/SnO2+Sb2O3/PbO2 anode indicated that the TiO2 on carbon particles was uniform and PbO2 film on the surface of anode was in cauliflower form, the XRD result of oxygen diffusion electrode showed that only crystalline graphite was found. The influential parameters of degradation process such as applied cell voltage (E), initial concentration of phenol (C0), amount of TiO2 catalyst and air flow rate (v) were discussed. Under the following experimental conditions of C0=50 mg/L, pH=6, E=2 V, TiO2 0.98 mg/mL, v=382.2 mL/min, and light intensity I=10.5 mW/cm2, phenol could be entirely degraded, and about 89% of total organic carbon (TOC) was removed after 3 h degradation.

Partial oxidation of methane by photocatalysis

Methane chemistry is one of the“Holy Grails of catalysis”.It is highly desirable but challenge to transform methane into value-added chemicals,because of its high C-H bonding energy(435 kJ/mol),lack ofπbonding or unpaired electrons.Currently,commercial methane conversion is usually carried out in harsh conditions with enormous energy input.Photocatalytic partial oxidation of methane to liquid oxygenates(PPOMO)is a future-oriented technology towards realizing high efficiency and high selectivity under mild conditions.The selection of oxidant is crucial to the PPOMO performance.Hence,attentions are paid to the research progress of PPOMO with various oxidants(O_(2),H_(2)O,H_(2)O_(2)and other oxidants).Moreover,the activation of the selected oxidants is also highly emphasized.Meanwhile,we summarized the methane activation mechanisms focusing on the C-H bond that was broken mainly by·OH radical,O-specie or photogenerated hole(h+).Finally,the challenges and prospects in this subject are briefly discussed.

Dangling Ligand Enables an Iron Hexa-Coordinated Molecular Catalyst for Water Oxidation by Photocatalysis

Photocatalytic water oxidation reaction by transition metal complexes remains a challenge because of their poor stability under irradiation,especially for earth-abundant metal catalysts.In this regard,ironbased water oxidation catalysts are prone to hydrolysis and/or dissociate the ligands to form nanoparticles under a real catalytic condition.Herein,we describe a unique hexa-coordinated catalyst 1[Fe^(II)(Py_(3)tacn)Cl_(2)]and its reference 2[Fe^(II)(PhPy_(2)tacn)Cl_(2)]with a dangling pyridyl ligand and a phenyl group,respectively.We anticipated that the dynamically open and close coordination behaviors of the pyridyl ligand enabled balance of the reactivity and stability of catalyst 1.To our delight,the“open form”of catalyst 1 provided a free coordination site,and the“close form”guaranteed its molecular integrity,resulting in a water oxidation reaction with high efficiency and robustness.The turnover number and turnover frequency values of 2332 and 60 s^(−1)are the highest known to date among iron-based homogeneous water oxidation systems under visible light irradiation.

Role of transition metal oxides in g-C_(3)N_(4)-based heterojunctions for photocatalysis and supercapacitors

g-C_(3)N_(4) emerges as a star 2D photocatalyst due to its unique layered structure,suitable band structure and low cost.However,its photocatalytic application is limited by the fast charge recombination and low photoabsorption.Rationally designing g-C_(3)N_(4)-based heterojunction is promising for improving photocatalytic activity.Besides,g-C_(3)N_(4) exhibits great potentials in electrochemical energy storage.In view of the excellent performance of typical transition metal oxides(TMOs)in photocatalysis and energy storage,this review summarized the advances of TMOs/g-C_(3)N_(4) heterojunctions in the above two areas.Firstly,we introduce several typical TMOs based on their crystal structures and band structures.Then,we summarize different kinds of TMOs/g-C_(3)N_(4) heterojunctions,including type Ⅰ/Ⅱ heterojunction,Z-scheme,p-n junction and Schottky junction,with diverse photocatalytic applications(pollutant degradation,water splitting,CO_(2) reduction and N_(2) fixation)and supercapacitive energy storage.Finally,some promising strategies for improving the performance of TMOs/g-C_(3)N_(4) were proposed.Particularly,the exploration of photocatalysis-assisted supercapacitors was discussed.

A Study on the Degradation of Carbamazepine and Ibuprofen by TiO₂&ZnO Photocatalysis upon UV/Visible-Light Irradiation

The degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) and ibuprofen (IBP) in aqueous matrices was investigated by TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysis initiated by UV-A and visible-light irradiation. Emphasis was given on the effect of operating parameters on the degradation effectiveness, such as catalyst type and loading (50 - 500 mg/L), initial drug concentration (10, 40, 80 mg/L) and wavelength of irradiation (200 - 600 nm). In an effort to understand the photocatalytic pathway for CBZ and IBP removal in terms of primary oxidants, the contribution of HO· was evaluated. With this scope, the radical-mediated process was suppressed by addition of an alcohol scavenger, isopropanol, (i-PrOH), described as the best free hydroxyl radical quencher. The photodegradation rate of the pharmaceuticals was monitored by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). According to the results, visible-light exposure, at λexc > 390 nm, takes place as a pure photocatalytic degradation reaction for both compounds. IBP was found to have overall high conversion rates, compared to CBZ. IBP oxidized fast under photocatalytic conditions, regardless the adverse effect of the increase of initial drug concentration, or low catalyst load, irradiation upon visible-light, by either titania or zinc oxide. Finally, addition of isopropanol showed a significant inhibition effect on the CBZ degradation, taken as an evidence of a solution-phase mechanism. In the case though of IBP degradation, the hole mechanism may be prevailing, suggested by the negligible effect upon addition of isopropanol indicating a direct electron transfer between holes (h+) and surface-bound IBP molecules. A plausible mechanism of IBP and CBZ photocatalysis was proposed and described.

Removal of Herbicides from Water Using Heterogeneous Photocatalysis Case Study: MCPA Sodium Monohydrate

In this study, the herbicide MCPA sodium salt monohydrate (sodium (4-chloro-2 methylphenoxy) acetate has been studied as are presentative compound used in the agricultural field. Accordingly, direct photolysis and photocatalytic experiments under artificial irradiation simulating solar light in laboratorial conditions were performed. Photocatalytic experiments were performed using TiO2 dispersed powder and as an immobilized thin layer on the surface of blue glasses. The obtained results of photolysis showed a poor efficacy toward degradation of MCPA sodium monohydrate, with half-life (t1/2) 6931.5 min. While, the addition of TiO2 dispersed powder to the photocatalytic process enhances the process dramatically with (t1/2) equal to 36.5 min;furthermore, complete mineralization had been reached after approximately 4 hours, whereas the addition of TiO2 through immobilized system led to enhance the degradation rate with 2236 min. as t1/2. In spite of this, using TiO2 supported on glass substrates with more improvements could be a promising alternative to conventional TiO2 suspension, and provides a clean treatment method.

High-throughput computational screening of oxide double perovskites for optoelectronic and photocatalysis applications

Oxide double perovskites A2 B’B"O6 are a class of emerging materials in the fields of optoelectronics and catalysis.Due to the chemical flexibilities of perovskite structures,there are multiple elemental combinations of cations A,B’,and B",which leading to tremendous candidates.In this study,we comprehensively screened stable oxide double perovskite A2 B’B"O6 from a pool of 2,018 perovskite candidates using a high-throughput computational approach.By considering a tolerance factor(t)-octahedral factor(μ) phase diagram,138 candidates with Fm 3 m, P21/c,and R3 c phases were selected and systematically studied via first-principles calculations based on density functional theory.The screening procedure finally predicted the existence of 21 stable perovskites,and 14 among them have never been reported.Verification with existing experimental results demonstrates that the prediction accuracy for perovskite formability is approximately 90%.The predicted oxide double perovskites exhibit quasi-direct bandgaps ranging from 0 to 4.4 eV with a significantly small direct-indirect bandgap difference,balanced electron and hole effective masses,and strong optical absorptions.The newly predicted oxide double perovskites may enlarge the pool of material candidates for applications in optoelectronics and photocatalysis.This study provides a route for computational screening of novel perovskites for functional applications.

Roles of manganese oxides in degradation of phenol under UV-Vis irradiation:Adsorption,oxidation,and photocatalysis

Manganese oxides are known as one type of semiconductors,but their photocatalysis characteristics have not been deeply explored.In this study,photocatalytic degradation of phenol using several synthesized manganese oxides,i.e,acidic birnessite （BIR-H）,alkaline birnessite （BIR-OH）,cryptomelane （CRY） and todorokite （TOD）,were comparatively investigated.To elucidate phenol degradation mechanisms,X-ray diffraction （XRD）,ICP-AES （inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy）,TEM （transmission electronic microscope）,N 2 physisorption at 77 K and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy （UV-Vis DRS） were employed to characterize the structural,compositional,morphological,specific surface area and optical absorption properties of the manganese oxides.After 12 hr of UV-Vis irradiation,the total organic carbon （TOC） removal rate reached 62.1%,43.1%,25.4%,and 22.5% for cryptomelane,acidic birnessite,todorokite and alkaline birnessite,respectively.Compared to the reactions in the dark condition,UV- Vis exposure improved the TOC removal rates by 55.8%,31.9%,23.4% and 17.9%.This suggests a weak ability of manganese oxides to degrade phenol in the dark condition,while UV-Vis light irradiation could significantly enhance phenol degradation.The manganese minerals exhibited photocatalytic activities in the order of：CRY BIR-H TOD BIR-OH.There may be three possible mechanisms for photochemical degradation：（1） direct photolysis of phenol;（2） direct oxidation of phenol by manganese oxides;（3） photocatalytic oxidation of phenol by manganese oxides.Photocatalytic oxidation of phenol appeared to be the dominant mechanism.

A review on photo-, electro- and photoelectro- catalytic strategies for selective oxidation of alcohols

Traditional conversion of alcohols into carbonyl compounds exists a few drawbacks such as harsh reaction conditions,production of large amounts of hazardous wastes,and poor selectivity.The newly emerging conversion approaches via photo-,electro-,and photoelectro-catalysis to oxidize alcohols into high value-added corresponding carbonyl compounds as well as the possible simultaneous production of clean fuel hydrogen(H_(2))under mild conditions are promising to substitute the traditional approach to form greener and sustainable reaction systems and thus have aroused tremendous investigations.In this review,the state-of-the-art photocatalytic,electrocatalytic,and photoelectrocatalytic strategies for selective oxidation of different types of alcohols(aromatic and aliphatic alcohols,single alcohol,and polyols,etc.)as well as the simultaneous production of H_(2) in certain systems are discussed.The design of photocatalysts,electrocatalysts,and photoelectrocatalysts as well as reaction mechanism is summarized and discussed in detail.In the end,current challenges and future research directions are proposed.It is expected that this review will not only deepen the understanding of environmentally friendly catalytic systems for alcohol conversion as well as H_(2) production,but also enlighten significance and inspirations for the follow-up study of selective oxidation of various types of organic molecules to value-added chemicals.

2,5-Diformylfuran production by photocatalytic selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in water using MoS_(2)/CdIn_(2)S_(4) flower-like heterojunctions

The selective oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF) into 2,5-diformylfuran(DFF) is an important reaction for renewable biomass building blocks. Compared with thermal catalytic processes, photocatalytic production of DFF from HMF has attracted tremendous attention. Herein, the MoS_(2)/CdIn_(2)S_(4)(MC)flower-like heterojunctions were prepared and considered as photocatalysts for selective oxidation of HMF into DFF under visible-light irradiation in aqueous solution. Results demonstrated MoS_(2) in MC heterojunction could promote the separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs, while the amount of MoS_(2) dropping was proved influenced on the photocatalytic performance. 80.93% of DFF selectivity was realized when using 12.5% MC as photocatalyst. In addition, the MC catalyst also showed great potential in transformation of other biomass derived benzyl-and furyl-alcohols. The catalytic mechanism suggested that ·O_(2)^(-) was the decisive active radical for HMF oxidation. Therefore, the MC heterojunction could be applied in photocatalytic conversion of biomass to valuable chemicals under ambient condition.

Extending aromatic acids on TiO_(2)for cooperative photocatalysis with triethylamine:Violet light-induced selective aerobic oxidation of sulfides

Designing visible light photocatalysts with a metal oxide semiconductor as the starting material could expand a new horizon for the conversion and storage of solar energy.Here,the benchmark photocatalyst TiO_(2) was used to pursue this goal by anchoring aromatic acids.Extending the aromatic acid was strategically deployed to design TiO_(2) complexes with violet light-induced selective aerobic oxidation of sulfide as the probe reaction.With benzoic acid(BA)as the initial molecule,horizontally extending one or two benzene rings furnishes 2-naphthoic acid(2-NA)and 2-anthracene acid(2-AA).Moreover,triethylamine(TEA),an electron transfer mediator,was introduced to maintain the integrity of the anchored aromatic acids.Notably,there was a direct correlation between theπ-conjugation of aromatic acid ligand and the selective aerobic oxidation of sulfides.Among the three aromatic acids,2-AA delivered the best result over TiO_(2) due to the most extensiveπ-conjugated system.Ultimately,violet light-induced selective aerobic oxidation of sulfides into corresponding sulfoxides was conveniently realized by cooperative photocatalysis of 2-AA-TiO_(2) with 10 mol%of TEA.This work affords an extending strategy for designing the next-generation ligands for semiconductors to expand visible light-induced selective reactions.

Regulation of excitation energy transfer in Sb-alloyed Cs_(4)MnBi_(2)Cl_(12) perovskites for efficient CO_(2) photoreduction to CO and water oxidation toward H_(2)O_(2)

Lead(Pb)-free halide perovskites have recently attracted increasing attention as potential catalysts for CO_(2) photoreduction to CO due to their potential to capture solar energy and drive catalytic reaction.However,issues of the poor charge transfer still remain one of the main obstacles limiting their performance due to the overwhelming radiative and nonradiative charge-carrier recombination losses.Herein,Pb-free Sb-alloyed all-inorganic quadruple perovskite Cs_(4)Mn(Bi_(1-x)Sb_(x))_(2)Cl_(12)(0≤x≤1)is synthesized as efficient photocatalyst.By Sb alloying,the undesired relaxation of photogenerated electrons from conduction band to emission centers of[MnCl6]^(4-)is greatly suppressed,resulting in a weakened PL emission and enhanced charge transfer for photocatalyst.The ensuing Cs_(4)Mn(Bi_(1-x)Sb_(x))_(2)Cl_(12) photocatalyst accomplishes efficient conversion of CO_(2)into CO,accompanied by a surprising production of H_(2)O_(2),a high valueadded product associated with water oxidation.By optimizing Sb^(3+) concentration,a high CO evolution rate of 35.1μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)is achieved,superior to most other Pb and Pb-free halide perovskites.Our findings provide new insights into the mixed-cation alloying strategies for improved photocatalytic performance of Pb-free perovskites and shed light on the rational design of robust band structure toward efficient energy transfer.

One-pot Synthesis of MoO_(3)/PI Composite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance for Oxidative Coupling of Amines to Imines

Organic-inorganic MoO_(3)/PI(MoPI)composites were prepared using a simple one-pot thermal copolymerization method.The resulting composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the selective oxidation of benzylamine to N-benzylidene benzylamine(N-BDBA)in ambient air under simulated solar light irradiation compared to pristine MoO_(3) or polyimide(PI).In particular,the MoPI composite with a 0.3:1 molar ratio of Mo to melamine,referred to as MoPI-0.3,demonstrated the best performance in the photo-oxidation of benzylamine,achieving a benzylamine conversion of 95%with a N-BDBA selectivity exceeding 99%after 3 h irradiation.The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MoPI-0.3 catalyst was attributed to the formation of a direct Z-scheme heterojunction between MoO_(3) and PI,facilitating more efficient separation of the photoinduced electrons and holes.Additionally,the MoPI-0.3 composite maintained considerably high activity over four consecutive cycles,highlighting its good stability and recyclability.Furthermore,the MoPI-0.3 composite could photo-oxidize benzylamine derivatives and heterocyclic amines to their corresponding imines,demonstrating the universal applicability of this composite catalyst.

Cu/TiO_(2) Photocatalysts for CO_(2) Reduction: Structure and Evolution of the Cocatalyst Active Form

Extensive work on a Cu-modified TiO_(2) photocatalyst for CO_(2) reduction under visible light irradiation was conducted. The structure of the copper cocatalyst was established using UV-vis diff use refl ectance spectroscopy, high-resolution transmis- sion electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that copper exists in different states (Cu 0 , Cu^(+) , and Cu^(2+) ), the content of which depends on the TiO_(2) calcination temperature and copper loading. The optimum composition of the cocatalyst has a photocatalyst based on TiO_(2) calcined at 700℃ and modified with 5 wt% copper, the activity of which is 22 μmol/(h·g cat ) (409 nm). Analysis of the photocatalysts after the photocatalytic reaction disclosed that the copper metal on the surface of the calcined TiO_(2) was gradually converted into Cu_(2) O during the photocatalytic reaction. Meanwhile, the metallic copper on the surface of the noncalcined TiO_(2) did not undergo any trans- formation during the reaction.

ZnO/V_(2)C/Fe_(2)O_(3)三元复合材料的制备及其对MB的光降解性能

采用高效催化剂技术可以处理工业废水中的污染物,而单相催化剂存在可见光响应范围窄的问题。通过静电自组装的方法制备ZnO/V_(2)C/Fe_(2)O_(3)三元光催化复合材料,利用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等分析技术对复合材料进行表征,并以亚甲基蓝(MB)染料为目标污染物,研究三元复合物的光催化性能。在紫外光和可见光分别照射120 min后,ZnO/V_(2)C/Fe_(2)O_(3)三元复合材料对MB染料的降解速率分别是纯ZnO的19.68倍和21.76倍。在复合Fe_(2)O_(3)和V_(2)C后,缩短了ZnO禁带宽度,激发响应范围到可见光区域,有更大的比表面积和更多的反应活性位点,从而使ZnO的光催化性能增强。

光催化苯羟基化制备苯酚反应的研究进展

苯酚是一种重要的有机中间体,在材料、农药、有机合成和药物领域应用广泛。工业上,采用多步异丙苯法制备苯酚,能源消耗高,环境污染严重且苯酚的选择性较低。近年来,随着光催化氧化技术的复苏,光催化苯羟基化制备苯酚迅速成为有机合成领域的研究热点。本文聚焦苯羟基化制备苯酚的光催化剂,综述了近年来在不同氧化剂条件下,光催化苯羟基化制备苯酚反应的研究进展,并对部分反应机理进行了讨论。

高级氧化和可见光照射协同作用下Bi_(2)WO_(6)对有机污染物降解的催化活性增强

随着工业化社会的不断发展,环境问题日益严重。尤其是工业废水问题一直是催化降解领域的研究热点。光催化与高级氧化工艺(AOPs)耦合技术因为具有高效、无选择性、处理条件温和等特点,被认为是一种高效的有机污染物降解技术。本文以十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)表面活性剂作为模板,采用简单的水热法制备了钨酸铋(Bi_(2)WO_(6))纳米花。通过X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(DRS)技术对其微观形貌、晶相、表面化学元素状态和光学性质进行了表征。为了研究钨酸铋(Bi_(2)WO_(6))纳米花的催化性能,在不同催化体系下降解有机污染物罗丹明B(Rh B),实验发现,于vis/过硫酸盐(PMS)/Bi_(2)WO_(6)体系下,40 min内对Rh B的去除率高达96.39%,明显优于PMS/Bi_(2)WO_(6)(40 min内去除率为38.77%)和vis/Bi_(2)WO_(6)(40 min内去除率为31.82%)体系,表明可见光照射和PMS的协同作用加速了Bi_(2)WO_(6)对Rh B降解的催化活性。此外,还研究了催化剂剂量、PMS浓度、pH值和离子浓度等环境参数对催化体系催化性能的影响。结果表明,环境参数对vis/PMS/Bi_(2)WO_(6)系统中Rh B的去除率影响不大,Rh B的去除率也高达90%。相反,环境参数对vis/PMS/Bi_(2)WO_(6)体系下催化降解率(K)有明显影响,K值会随着催化剂剂量和PMS浓度的增加而增大。在pH不同环境下,K值会随着催化体系中pH值的升高,先增大后减小。当催化体系中的pH=7时,催化降解率达到最大值(0.1502 min^(-1))。有趣的是,体系中Cl^(-)的存在有利于提高催化降解效率。相反,体系中CO_(3)^(2-)的存在会明显抑制催化降解效率。循环实验的结果也验证了催化剂在降解有机染料方面具有良好的稳定性。此外,淬灭实验和EPR测试结果表明,超氧自由基(·O_(2)^(-))和单线态氧(^(1)O_(2))对有机污染物的降解起着重要作用。Bi_(2)WO_(6)在vis/PMS协同催化体系中的优异催化活性得益于其显著的可见光响应下光催化活性和铋离子对PMS的超强活化能力。