Photoactivity under visible light of metal loaded TiO 2 catalysts prepared by low frequency ultrasound treatment

Nano Pt/TiO2 photocatalyst for ultrafast production of sulfamic acid derivatives using 4-nitroacetanilides as nitrogen precursor in continuous flow reactors

The design of reactors based on high performance photocatalysts is an important research in catalytic hydrogenation. In this work, modification of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) was achieved by preparation of Pt/TiO2 nanocomposites (NCs) through photo-deposition method. Both nanocatalysts were used for the photocatalytic removal of SOx from the flue gas at room temperature in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, water, and nitroacetanilide derivatives under visible light irradiation. In this approach, chemical deSOx was achieved along with protection of the nanocatalyst from sulfur poising through the interaction of the released SOx from SOx-Pt/TiO2 surface with p-nitroacetanilide derivatives to produce simultaneous aromatic sulfonic acids. Pt/TiO2 NCs have a bandgap of 2.64 eV in visible light range, which is lower than the bandgap of TiO2 NPs, whereas TiO2 NPs have a mean size of 4 nm and a high specific surface area of 226 m2/g. Pt/TiO2 NCs showed high photocatalytic sulfonation of some phenolic compounds using SO2 as a sulfonating agent along with the existence of p-nitroactanilide derivatives. The conversion of p-nitroacetanilide followed the combination processes of adsorption and catalytic oxidation-reduction reactions. Construction of an online continuous flow reactor-high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry system had been investigated, realizing real-time and automatic monitoring of completion the reaction. 4-nitroacetanilide derivatives (1a-1e) was converted to its corresponding sulfamic acid derivatives (2a-2e) in 93-99% isolated yields of within 60 s. It is expected to offer a great opportunity for ultrafast detection of pharmacophores.

Selective aqueous oxidation of aromatic alcohols under solar light in the presence of TiO2 modified with different metal species

A set of metals modified TiO₂ photocatalysts were prepared starting from titanium tetraisopropoxyde and different metal precursors to study the influence of the addition of the various foreign agents on the physico-chemical and photocatalytic properties of the catalysts. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, specific surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence, temperature programmed desorption after CO₂ adsorption. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated using as probe reactions the partial oxidation of three aromatic alcohols: benzyl alcohol (BA), 4-methoxy benzyl alcohol (4-MBA), and 4-hydroxy benzyl alcohol (4-HBA) under simulated solar light irradiation. Different oxidation and selectivity values were obtained for the three substrates depending not only on the type of metals but also on the nature and position of the substituent in the phenyl ring of benzyl alcohol. As a general behaviour, the doped samples allowed the achievement of a greater selectivity especially for 4-MBA even if sometimes with minor conversions. The presence of W or Nb was beneficial for both conversion and selectivity for all the substrates with respect to bare TiO₂.

Features and application of coupled cold plasma and photocatalysis processes for decontamination of water

Dielectric barrier discharge plasma and photocatalysis have been proposed as tools for decontamination of process water, especially in food industry. The present investigation aims to redefine and identify the features of coupling the two technologies in terms of degradation efficiency of a model compound. Results show that, when the process is carried out in plasma activated water in the presence of irradiated TiO₂, the efficiency of the integrated process is lower than the sum of the two processes acting separately. It is proposed that afterglow species, e.g. hydrogen peroxide and/or peroxynitrites could be activated by UVA light irradiation producing hydroxyl radicals in the liquid phase. Even if TiO₂ limits this additional effect by acting as UVA screen barrier material, its decontamination efficiency under certain conditions results higher than that obtained with plasma systems. These results open the route to chlorine-free decontamination processes and redefine the application framework of this integrated approach.

Photocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) using Ag- and Pt-doped TiO2 nanoparticles under visible light irradiation

In this work, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) and modified TiO₂ NPs with silver (Ag) or platinum (Pt) dopant were developed through photodeposition method for the NO_x conversion into nitric acid (HNO₃) under visible light irradiation. The formed photocatalysts TiO₂, Ag/TiO₂, and Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposites were characterized by utilizing TEM, SEM, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), XRD, UV/visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), and FT-IR. It had been investigated that an enhancement within the conversion of NO_x into HNO₃ was increased from 34.3 to 78.3% for Ag/TiO₂ and from 35.2 to 78.5% for Pt/TiO₂ under visible light irradiation conditions at room temperature for less than 2 h. The photodegradation rate order of NO_x under visible light irradiation is Pt/TiO₂ ~ Ag/TiO₂ > TiO₂. A possible mechanism for the catalytic conversion of NO_x gases has been proposed, which depends on the photogeneration of electrons and holes after the excitation of nanocatalysts under visible radiation that promoted superoxide and hydroxyl ions, which can depredate NO_x gases. This approach of NO_x photocatalytic conversion is characterized by its chemical stability, low cost, high efficiency, simple operation, and strong durability than traditional methods.

Enhanced Solar Light Photocatalytic Activity of Ag Doped TiO2-Ag3PO4 Composites

Composites comprised of Ag₃PO₄ and bare TiO₂ (TiO₂@Ag₃PO₄) or silver doped TiO₂ (Ag@TiO₂–Ag₃PO₄) have been synthesized by coupling sol–gel and precipitation methods. For the sake of comparison, also the bare components have been similarly prepared. All the samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoelectrochemical measurements, and specific surface area (SSA) analysis. The optoelectronic and structural features of the samples have been related to their photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 4–nitrophenol under solar and UV light irradiation. Coupling Ag₃PO₄ with silver doped TiO₂ mitigates photocorrosion of the Ag₃PO₄ counterpart, and remarkably improves the photocatalytic activity under solar light irradiation with respect to the components, to the TiO₂–Ag₃PO₄ sample, and to the benchmark TiO₂ Evonik P25. These features open the route to future applications of this material in the field of environmental remediation.

Electrical behavior and enhanced photocatalytic activity of (Ag, Ni) co-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized from co-precipitation technique

Methylene blue (MB) dye is the most common harmful, toxic, and non-biodegradable effluent produced by the textile industries. The present study investigates the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and Ag-Ni doped ZnO NPs on the performance of photocatalytic degradation of MB dye. Pure ZnO and Ag-Ni doped ZnO NPs are synthesized using the co-precipitation method. The crystalline nature and surface morphology of the synthesized pure ZnO and Ag-Ni doped ZnO NPs was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis. The presence of spherical-like morphologies was confirmed from SEM and HRTEM analysis. The presence of Ni-O and Zn-O bands in the synthesized materials was found by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. The MB dye was degraded under UV-light exposure in various pH conditions. The Ag (0.02%)-Ni doped ZnO NPs exhibits highest photocatalytic activity of 77% under pH 4.

Photocatalyzed Transformation of Free Carbohydrates

In the growing context of sustainable chemistry, one of the challenges of organic chemists is to develop efficient and environmentally friendly methods for the synthesis of high-added-value products. Heterogeneous photocatalytic transformations have brought revolution in this regard, as they take advantage of an unlimited source of energy (solar light) or artificial UV light to onset organic chemical modifications. The abundance of free carbohydrates as chemical platform feedstock offers a great opportunity to obtain a variety of industrial interest compounds from biomass. Due to their chirality and polyfunctionality, the conversion of sugars generally requires multi-step protocols with protection/deprotection steps and hazardous chemical needs. In this context, several selective and eco-friendly methodologies are currently under development. This review presents a state of art of the recent accomplishments concerning the use of photocatalysts for the transformation and valorization of free carbohydrates. It discusses the approaches leading to the selective oxidation of free sugars, their degradation into organic chemicals, or their use for hydrogen production.

Fabrication of 3D Hierarchical Byttneria Aspera-Like Ni@Graphitic Carbon Yolk-Shell Microspheres as Bifunctional Catalysts for Ultraefficient Oxidation/Reduction of Organic Contaminants

The search for earth-abundant, low-cost, recyclable, multifunctional as well as highly active catalysts remains the most pressing demand for heterogeneous catalytic elimination of pollutants in water environment remediation. Herein, a porous graphitic carbon-encapsulated Ni nanoparticles (NPs) hybrid (Ni@GC) is designed/constructed by direct pyrolysis of a Ni-based metal-organic framework (MOF) in N₂ . The resulting Ni@GC exhibits a unique 3D hierarchical byttneria aspera-like yolk-shell structure with a high surface area, abundant active sites as well as good microwave (MW)-absorbing performance. The outstanding MW-driven oxidation of norfloxacin to inorganic molecules and direct catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to less toxic and more useful chemical raw material (4-aminophenol) can originate from the synergistic effects, including the presence of both zero-valent Ni NPs as the active center and graphitic carbon as the protective layer/electron acceptor as well as unique porous yolk-void-shell structure, which facilitates the MW energy-harvesting and/or rapid mass transfer of the reactant/product in the channels and cavities. Accordingly, the localized surface plasmon resonance-excitation and electronic relay mechanism are proposed to account for the catalytic oxidation/reduction, respectively. This work provides a new strategy for the design/assembly of multifunctional metal@GC hybrids with a unique architecture and elucidates new opportunities for remediation of environmental water.

Synthesis of novel chitosan-PVC conjugates encompassing Ag nanoparticles as antibacterial polymers for biomedical applications

We herein describe the synthesis of four Cs-PVC conjugates three of them were functionalized with benzothiazole (BTh) derivative as an antibacterial agent. Two of these BTh-functionalized conjugates, namely Cs2 and Cs3, comprise silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and Ag/TiO₂ NPs, respectively. The structures were characterized via FTIR spectroscopic analysis, morphological investigation such as scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Spectral data confirmed the introduction of the BTh to the Cs backbone as well as the coupling between the two polymers. SEM data showed homogenous polymer surfaces with well-distributed Ag nanoparticles. The Ag contents in the prepared samples Cs2 and Cs3 were, respectively, 0.61 and 0.21%, however, TEM analysis showed that the sizes of AgNPs and Ag/TiO₂ NPs were in the range of 3-7 nm and 15-22 nm for the prepared conjugates, respectively. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized conjugates was investigated against two Gram-negative (E. coli, and S. typhimurium) and two Gram-positive (S. aureus, and L. monocytogenes) bacteria. The antibacterial assay showed that all three Cs-PVC (Cs1, Cs2, and Cs3) conjugates modified with BTh exhibited excellent bacterial inhibition after 30, 60, and 120 min.

Photocatalytic Treatment of An Actual Confectionery Wastewater Using Ag/TiO2/Fe2O3: Optimization of Photocatalytic Reactions Using Surface Response Methodology

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis is one of the most commonly studied advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the mineralization of deleterious and recalcitrant compounds present in wastewater as it is stable, inexpensive, and effective. Out of all, doping with metal and non-metals, and the heterojunction with another semiconductor were proven to be efficient methods in enhancing the degradation of organic pollutants under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. However, complex degradation processes in the treatment of an actual wastewater are difficult to model and optimize. In the present study, the application of a modified photocatalyst, Ag/TiO2/Fe2O3, for the degradation of an actual confectionery wastewater was investigated. Factorial studies and statistical design of experiments using the Box-Behnken method along with response surface methodology (RSM) were employed to identify the individual and cross-factor effects of independent parameters, including light wavelength (nm), photocatalyst concentration (g/L), initial pH, and initial total organic carbon (TOC) concentration (g/L). The maximum TOC removal at optimum conditions of light wavelength (254 nm), pH (4.68), photocatalyst dosage (480 mg/L), and initial TOC concentration (11,126.5 mg/L) was determined through the numerical optimization method (9.78%) and validated with experimental data (9.42%). Finally, the first-order rate constant with respect to TOC was found to be 0.0005 min−1 with a residual value of 0.998.

Influence of fluorine on the synthesis of anatase TiO2 for photocatalytic partial oxidation: are exposed facets the main actors?

The influence of fluorine on TiO₂ exposed facets and on the physico-chemical properties was evaluated and a synergetic effect of the presence of fluorine and the facets' distribution was observed.

Electron transfer in ZnO–Fe2O3 aqueous slurry systems and its effects on visible light photocatalytic activity

The strong interactions between ZnO and Fe₂O₃ modify the nanocomposite's electronic structure producing efficient charge separation and superior photoactivity.