Sequential Growth of Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)/BiVO_(4)Direct Z-Scheme Heterojunction for Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic CO_(2)Reduction

The high exciton binding energy and lack of a positive oxidation band potential restrict the photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction efficiency of lead-free Bi-based halide perovskites Cs_(3)Bi_(2)X_(9)(X=Br,I).In this study,a sequential growth method is presented to prepare a visible-light-driven(λ>420 nm)Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of BiVO_(4)nanocrystals decorated on a Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)nanosheet for photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction coupled with water oxidation.The Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)/BiVO_(4)Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst is stable in the gas-solid photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction system,demonstrating a high visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO_(2)-to-CO production rate of 17.5μmol/(g·h),which is approximately three times that of pristine Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9).The high efficiency of the Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)/BiVO_(4)heterojunction was attributed to the improved charge separation in Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9).Moreover,the Z-scheme charge-transfer pathway preserves the negative reduction potential of Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)and the positive oxidation potential of BiVO_()4.This study off ers solid evidence of constructing Z-scheme heterojunctions to improve the photocatalytic performance of lead-free halide perovskites and would inspire more ideas for developing leadfree halide perovskite photocatalysts.

Introducing Spin Polarization into Mixed-Dimensional Van der Waals Heterostructures for High-Efficiency Visible-Light Photocatalysis

The low separation efficiency of the photogenerated carrier and the poor activity of the surface redox reaction are the main barrier to further improvement of photocatalytic materials.To address these issues,introducing spin-polarized electrons in single-component photocatalytic materials emerged as a promising approach.However,the decreased redox ability of photocarriers in these materials becomes a new challenge.Herein,we mitigate this challenge with a carbon nitride sheet(CNs)/graphene nanoribbon(GNR)composite material that has a van der Waals heterostructures(vdWHs)and spin-polarized electron properties.Experimental results and theoretical calculations show that the heterostructure has a strong redox ability,high carrier-separation efficiency,and enhanced surface catalytic reaction.Consequently,the mixed-dimensional CNs/GNR vdWHs exhibit remarkable performance for H_(2)and O_(2)generation as well as CO_(2)production under visible-light irradiation without any cocatalyst.The spin-polarized vdWHs discovered in this study revealed a new type of photocatalytic materials and advanced the development of spintronics and photocatalysis.

Recent developments in visible-light photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics

With the significant discharge of antibiotic wastewater into the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, antibiotic pollution has become a serious problem and presents a hazardous risk to the environment. To address such issues, various investigations on the removal of antibiotics have been undertaken. Photocatalysis has received tremendous attention owing to its great potential in removing antibiotics from aqueous solutions via a green, economic, and effective process. However, such a technology employing traditional photocatalysts suffers from major drawbacks such as light absorption being restricted to the UV spectrum only and fast charge recombination. To overcome these issues, considerable effort has been directed towards the development of advanced visible light-driven photocatalysts. This mini review summarises recent research progress in the state-of-the-art design and fabrication of photocatalysts with visible-light response for photocatalytic degradation of antibiotic wastewater. Such design strategies involve the doping of metal and non-metal into ultraviolet light-driven photocatalysts, development of new semiconductor photocatalysts, construction of heterojunction photocatalysts, and fabrication of surface plasmon resonance-enhanced photocatalytic systems. Additionally, some perspectives on the challenges and future developments in the area of photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics are provided.

Visible-Light Activities of Erbium Doped BiVO4 Photocatalysts

Er-doped BiVO4 composite photocatalyst was hydrothermal synthesized and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra techniques. The activity of the catalyst was determined by oxidative decomposition of methyl orange in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy analysis revealed that the doped Er existed in the form of Er2O3. It also showed that the Er doping can enhance the visible-light absorption abilities of catalysts and their visible-light-driven photocatalytic activities in comparison with those of pure BiVO4.

Ternary Ag/AgCl/BiOIO_3 composites for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalysis

Ternary Ag/AgC l/BiO IO3 composite photocatalysts are prepared by a facile method. Enhanced visible-light absorption and charge carrier separation are achieved after the introduction of Ag/AgC l particles into BiO IO3 systems,as revealed by ultraviolet-visible diffuse-reflectance spectrometry,photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The Ag/AgC l/BiO IO3 composites are applied to the visible-light photocatalytic oxidization of NO in air and exhibit an enhanced activity for NO removal in comparison with Ag/AgC l and pure BiO IO3. A possible photocatalytic mechanism for Ag/AgC l/BiO IO3 is proposed,which is related to the surface plasmon resonance effects of Ag metal and the effective carrier separation ability of BiO IO3. This work provides insight into the design and preparation of BiO IO3-based materials with enhanced visible-light photocatalysis ability.

CdS-modified one-dimensional g-C_3N_4 porous nanotubes for efficient visible-light photocatalytic conversion

A heterojunction photocatalyst based on porous tubular g-C3N4 decorated with CdS nanoparticles was fabricated by a facile hydrothermal co-deposition method.The one-dimensional porous structure of g-C3N4 provides a higher specific surface area,enhanced light absorption,and better separation and transport performance of charge carriers along the longitudinal direction,all of which synergistically contribute to the superior photocatalytic activity observed.The significantly enhanced catalytic efficiency is also a benefit originating from the fast transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes between g-C3N4 and CdS through a built-in electric field,which was confirmed by investigating the morphology,structure,optical properties,electrochemical properties,and photocatalytic activities.Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B(RhB)and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction were also carried out to investigate its photocatalytic performance.RhB can be degraded completely within 60 min,and the optimum H2 evolution rate of tubular g-C3N4/CdS composite is as high as 71.6μmol h^–1,which is about 16.3 times higher than that of pure bulk g-C3N4.The as-prepared nanostructure would be suitable for treating environmental pollutants as well as for water splitting.

Co-MOF as an electron donor for promoting visible-light photoactivities of g-C3N4 nanosheets for CO2 reduction

A possible mechanism for boosting the visible-light photoactivities of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C3N4)nanosheets for CO2 reduction via coupling with the electron donor Co-metal-organic framework(MOF)is proposed in this study.Specifically,Co-MOF as an electron donor is capable of transferring the photogenerated electrons in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO)to the conduction band of g-C3N4 to facilitate charge separation.As expected,the prepared Co-MOF/g-C3N4 nanocomposites display excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2 reduction activities.The CO production rate of 6.75μmol g–1 h–1 and CH4 evolution rate of 5.47μmol g–1 h–1 are obtained,which are approximately 2 times those obtained with the original g-C3N4 under the same conditions.Based on a series of analyses,it is shown that the introduction of Co-MOF not only broadens the range of visible-light absorption but also enhances the charge separation,which improves the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 to a higher level.In particular,the hydroxyl radical(·OH)experiment was operated under 590 nm(single-wavelength)irradiation,which further proved that the photogenerated electrons in the LUMO of Co-MOF can successfully migrate to g-C3N4.This work may provide an important strategy for the design of highly efficient g-C3N4-based photocatalysts for CO2 reduction.

Highly efficient visible-light photocatalytic H2 evolution over 2D–2D Cd S/Cu7S4 layered heterojunctions

Converting solar energy into clean and sustainable chemical fuels is a promising strategy for exploiting renewable energy.The application of photocatalytic water splitting technology in hydrogen production is important for sustainable energy development and environmental protection.In this study,for the first time,2D Cu7S4 co-catalysts were coupled on the surface of a CdS nanosheet photocatalyst by a one-step ultrasonic-assisted electrostatic self-assembly method at room temperature.The as-fabricated 2D^-2D CdS/Cu7S4 layered heterojunctions were demonstrated to be advanced composite photocatalysts that enhance the water splitting efficiency toward hydrogen production.The highest hydrogen evolution rate of the 2D^-2D CdS/2%Cu7S4 binary heterojunction photocatalyst was up to 27.8 mmol g^-1 h^-1 under visible light irradiation,with an apparent quantum efficiency of 14.7%at 420 nm,which was almost 10.69 times and 2.65 times higher than those of pure CdS nanosheets(2.6 mmol g^-1 h^-1)and CdS-2%CuS(10.5 mmol g^-1 h^-1),respectively.The establishment of the CdS/Cu7S4 binary-layered heterojunction could not only enhance the separation of photogenerated electron-hole(e--h+)pairs,improve the transfer of photo-excited electrons,and prolong the life-span of photo-generated electrons,but also enhance the light absorption and hydrogen-evolution kinetics.All these factors are important for the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity.Expectedly,the 2D^-2D interface coupling strategy based on CdS NSs can be extensively exploited to improve the hydrogen-evolution activity over various kinds of conventional semiconductor NSs.

BiOCl-Bi12O17Cl2 nanocomposite with high visible-light photocatalytic activity prepared by an ultrasonic hydrothermal method for removing dye and pharmaceutical

A BiOCl-Bi12O17Cl2 nanocomposite with a high visible-light response and a low photoinduced electron-hole pair recombination rate was successfully synthesized using an ultrasonic-hydrothermal method.The texture,structure,optical,and photocatalytic properties of the composite were characterized.The results showed that the composite had a sheet flower-like structure with a large specific surface area.Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectra and photoluminescence spectra showed that the composite had an excellent visible-light response and a low recombination rate of photoinduced electron hole pairs.The photocatalytic property of the composite was evaluated by the removal efficiency of rhodamine B and ciprofloxacin under visible-light illumination.The composite’s reaction rate constant of removing rhodamine B(/ciprofloxacin)was approximately 8.14(/4.94),42.63(/11.91)and 64.66(/36.07)times that of Bi12O17Cl2,P25,and BiOCl,respectively.Furthermore,the composite showed a wide applicable pH range and excellent reusability.Mechanism analysis showed that photogenerated holes played a dominant role and·O2–also contributed to photocatalytic degradation.In summary,this study presents a high-efficiency photocatalyst for wastewater treatment.

Preparation and characterization of the TiO_2-V_2O_5 photocatalyst with visible-light activity

Visible-light responsive TiO2-V2O5 catalyst was prepared using a binary sol-gel and in-situ intercalation method. The TiO2 sol and V2O5 sol were mixed to disperse the V2O5 species in the TiO2 phase at molecular level. The binary sol was then intercalated into interspaces of polyaniline （PANI） by means of in-situ polymerization of aniline. Conglomeration of the TiO2-V2O5 dusters during the calcination process was avoided because of the wrap of polyaniline. The surface mor- phology, the crystal phases, the structure, and the absorption spectra of （PANI）,/TiO2-V2O5 and the composite catalyst were studied using SEM, XRD, FT-IR, and UV-Vis. The photoactivity of the prepared catalyst under UV and visible light irradiation were evaluated by decolorization of methylene blue （MB） solution. The results showed that the composite catalyst displayed a homogeneous anatase phase, and the vanadium pentoxide species was highly dispersed in the TiO2 phase. The composite catalyst responded to visible light because of the narrowed band gap. In this study, the catalyst with the sol volume ratio of TiO2： V2O5 = 10：1 presented the best photocatalytic activity.

Photocatalytic Dye Methyl Orange Decomposition on Ternary Sulfide (CdIn2S4) under Visible-light

A novel and efficient photocatalyst, CdIn2S4, was simply prepared by a programmed temperature hydrothermal method. The product had a nanometer size （10-15 nm） and strong absorption in the range of 200 to 580 nm, and it exhibited visible-light photocatalytic activity to decompose dye methyl orange in aqueous system.

Facile fabrication of ZnIn2S4/SnS2 3D heterostructure for efficient visible-light photocatalytic reduction of Cr（Ⅵ）

Photocatalytic method has been intensively explored for Cr(VI)reduction owing to its efficient and environmentally friendly natures.In order to obtain a high efficiency in practical application,efficient photocatalysts need to be developed.Here,ZnIn2S4/SnS2 with a three-dimensional(3D)heterostructure was prepared by a hydrothermal method and its photocatalytic performance in Cr(VI)reduction was investigated.When the mass ratio of SnS2 to ZnIn2S4 is 1:10,the ZnIn2S4/SnS2 composite exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity with 100%efficiency for Cr(VI)(50 mg/L)reduction within 70 min under visible-light irradiation,which is much higher than those of pure ZnIn2S4 and SnS2.The enhanced charge separation and the light absorption have been confirmed from the photoluminescence and UV-vis absorption spectra to be the two reasons for the increased activity towards photocatalytic Cr(VI)reduction.In addition,after three cycles of testing,no obvious degradation is observed with the 3D heterostructured ZnIn2S4/SnS2,which maintains a good photocatalytic stability.

Performance improvement of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well visible-light photodiodes by optimizing TEGa flow

The performance of an InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well（MQW） based visible-light Schottky photodiode（PD）is improved by optimizing the source flow of TEGa during In Ga N QW growth. The samples with five-pair InGaN/GaN MQWs are grown on sapphire substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. From the fabricated Schottky-barrier PDs, it is found that the smaller the TEGa flow, the lower the reverse-bias leakage is. The photocurrent can also be enhanced by depositing the In GaN QWs with using lower TEGa flow. A high responsivity of 1.94 A/W is obtained at 470 nm and -3-V bias in the PD grown with optimized TEGa flow. Analysis results show that the lower TEGa flow used for depositing In Ga N may lead to superior crystalline quality with improved InGaN/GaN interface, and less structural defects related non-radiative recombination centers formed in the MQWs.

A novel iron-chelating polyimide network as a visible-light-driven catalyst for photoinduced radical polymerization

With the aim of developing a low-cost and efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst for radical polymerization,iron-chelating polyimide networks(Fe@MPI)was fabricated by firstly synthesizing photoactive melamine-containing polyimide(MPI)networks and then incorporating Fe(III)cations into the polymer networks.Fe@MPI exhibits a wide absorption spectrum ranging from 220 to 1250 nm and 3.5 times higher photocurrent intensity as compared with the pristine MPI.Based on its excellent photo-electric properties,Fe@MPI was employed as a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst,providing sufficient activity for the visible-light driven radical polymerization to synthesize poly(methyl methacrylate)with molecular weight up to 31.×10^4 g mol.Taking advantage of the heterogeneous nature of the catalyst,Fe@MPI could be facilely regenerated from the polymerization solution by filtration without an obvious loss of its activity.This research provides a novel recyclable catalyst for visible-light driven radical polymerization.

ZnO-chitosan/Rectorite Nanocomposite Exhibiting High Photocatalytic Activities under Visible-light Irradiation

Chitosan(CS),hydrated zinc acetate,and rectorite(REC) were used as raw materials to prepare CS-embedded zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticle by a chemical precipitation process.Hydrogen-bonded REC-loaded ZnO-CS nanoparticle was to form ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite photocatalyst,its morphology and structure were analyzed by means of FTIR,XRD,TGA,SEM,and TEM.The effects of the catalyst dosage,methyl orange(MO) initial concentration and solution pH on photocatalytic performance were also discussed.The experimental results show that the ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite has a particle size of 100 nm with good dispersion and uniformity.Under irradiation of visible light,0.6 g/L photocatalyst was used to degrade MO in solution for 90 min at pH 6,then the MO solution(10 mg/L) was decolored by more than 99%,indicating that the ZnO-CS/REC nanocomposite exhibited highly photocatalytic degradation activity.Therefore,the photodegradation kinetic mechanism of MO in aqueous solution is presumed.

In-situ hydrothermal synthesized γ-Al_2O_3/O-g-C_3N_4 heterojunctions with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity in water splitting for hydrogen

In this work, γ-Al2O3and hydrogen peroxide treated g-C3N4(O-g-C3N4) were combined through a novel in-situ hydrothermal method to form heterojunction structured photocatalysts. These photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). FT-IR results indicate that oxygen functional groups can be grafted on the surface of O-g-C3N4by hydrogen peroxide treatment. The visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate was investigated in 10 vol% TEOA aqueous solution. The optimal Al2O3mass content is set to be 20 wt% and the corresponding hydrogen evolution rate is 1288 µmol/h/g which is approximately 6, 3 folds that of pristine g-C3N4and O-g-C3N4respectively and 1.6 folds that of mechanical mixed composite with the same Al2O3mass content. The photocurrent density–time curves were carried out under visible light illumination for four on–off cycles. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements verified the enhanced separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs. This work raised a new method to form the heterojunction structured photocatalysts and achieved a remarkable improvement of the photocatalytic activity in water splitting for hydrogen under visible light irradiation. © 2016

C(sp^2)-H/O-H cross-dehydrogenative coupling of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with alcohols under visible-light photoredox catalysis

An efficient and practical route to various 3-alkoxylquinoxalin-2(1 H)-ones through visible-light photocatalytic C(sp^2)-H/O-H cross-dehydrogenation coupling of quinoxalin-2(1 H)-ones and alcohols,employing ambient air as an oxidant at room temperature under metal-free conditions,was developed.

LED Modulation Characteristics in a Visible-Light Communication System

This paper conducts a research on modulation characteristics of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used in a visible-light communication (VLC) system. Through analysis of the modulation characteristics of LEDs with different emitting sizes, we find that there is a similar linear relationship between LED’s 3dB bandwidth and the operation current density. This experiment also shows that high series resistance is one major issue that limits our LED's modulation speed. To further improve the LED bandwidth, the resistance can be reduced by optimizing device layout as well as reducing material bulk resistance. Clearly, this study provides an approach to increase the modulation bandwidth of GaN-based LEDs for VLC systems.

Preparation and Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity of FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 Microspheres

Tetraphenyl-porphyrin iron （FeTPP） was chosen to sensitize Cr doped TiO2 （Cr-TiO2） nanoparticles, a novel multimodified photocatalyst FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 with excellent visible- light photocatalytic activity was successfully synthesized. The FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 microspheres were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic activity of FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 was evaluated by degradations of methylene blue in aqueous solution under irradiation with Xe lamp （150 W）. The results showed that the FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 multimodified photocatalyst was anatase phase with high specific surface area （74.7 m^2/g）, and exhibited higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency than Cr-TiO2 and FeTPP-TiO2. The photocatalytic degradations of three quinolone antibiotics （lomefioxacin, norfioxacin, and ofioxacin） were further estimated for the feasibility of practical application of catalyst in wastewater treatment. It is desirable that photodegradation of antibiotics with FeTPP-Cr-TiO2 achieved pretty high degradation rates and all followed the pseudo first-order reaction model, and the rate constants k of 3.02×10^-2, 2.81×10^-2, and 3.86×10^-2 min-1 and the half-lifes t1/2 of 22.9, 24.6, and 17.9 min were achieved respectively.

Visible-light photoredox-catalyzed selective carboxylation of C(sp~2)-F bonds in polyfluoroarenes with CO2

Visible light‐driven carboxylation with CO_(2) have emerged as a sustainable and powerful way to transfer waste to treasure.However,it is still challenging for aryl fluorides due to the low reactivities of both C(sp2)−F bonds and CO_(2).Herein,we report the first photocatalytic carboxylation of aryl C−F bonds with CO_(2).The visible‐light photoredox catalysis enables selective carboxylation of strong C(sp2)−F bonds in diverse polyluoroarenes,such as penta‐,tetra‐,and tri‐fluoroarenes under mild conditions,providing a facile access to a series of important polyfluoroaryl carboxylic acids with good yields.In contrast to previous reports of direct capture of polyfluoroaryl radicals,mechanistic studies suggest that the reduction of fleeting polyfluoroaryl radicals into polyfluoroaryl anions might be involved in this transformation,which may open a new avenue for photocatalytic functionalization of aryl C−F bonds.