Functionalized silicate sol-gel-supported TiO2-Au core-shell nanomaterials and their photoelectrocatalytic activity

A Review of Electrical Assisted Photocatalytic Technologies for the Treatment of Multi-Phase Pollutants

This article reviews the fundamental theories and reaction mechanisms of photocatalytic technologies with the assistance of electrical field for degrading multi-phase pollutants. Photo(electro)catalysis including photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) and photoelectrocatalytic oxidation (PECO) have been a potential technologies applied for the treatment of organic and inorganic compounds in the wastewaters and waste gases, which has been treated as a promising technique by using semiconductors as photo(electro)catalysts to convert light or electrical energy to chemical energy. Combining photocatalytic processes with electrical field is an option to effectively decompose organic and inorganic pollutants. Although photocatalytic oxidation techniques have been used to decompose multi-phase pollutants, developing efficient advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) by combining photocatalysis with electrical potential is urgently demanded in the future. This article reviews the most recent progress and the advances in the field of photocatalytic technologies combined with external electrical field, including the characterization of nano-sized photo(electro)catalysts, the degradation of multi-phase pollutants, and the development of electrical assisted photocatalytic technologies for the potential application on the treatment of organic and inorganic compounds in the wastewaters and waste gases. Innovative oxidation techniques regarding photo(electro)catalytic reactions with and without oxidants are included in this review article.

Carbon quantum dot sensitized Pt@Bi2WO6/FTO electrodes for enhanced photoelectro-catalytic activity of methanol oxidation

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) sensitized Pt@Bi₂WO₆/FTO electrodes (simplified as CQDs-Pt@Bi₂WO₆/FTO) were prepared by loading platinum particles onto Bi₂WO₆ nanoplates via a photo-deposition method and sensitized CQDs via a dip-coating method.

Design of gold nanoparticles-decorated SiO2@TiO2 core/shell nanostructures for visible light-activated photocatalysis

In this study, we designed core/shell nanostructures (CSNs) of silicon dioxide (SiO₂)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂), which were decorated with gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs), to activate the visible light-driven photocatalytic reaction.

Au Nanowire-Striped Cu3P Platelet Photoelectrocatalysts

A stripy pattern of continuous epitaxial growth of thin Au nanowires on plasmonic Cu3P platelets is reported. The obtained Au-Cu3P heterostructures retain their wide area interfacial heterojunction, which is typically not observed in metal-semiconductor heterostructures. This is performed by phosphine-mediated in situ reduction of Au ions on specific facets of Cu3P platelets. The intriguing stripy movements of nanowires are regulated by strong surface binding ligands. Because this is a dual plasmon heterostructure with wide visible absorption window, these are further explored as a photoelectrocatalyst for efficient hole transfer and sensing of an important biomolecule, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). The observed anodic photocurrent was 30 times higher in the presence of NADH, and this proves that the heterostructured material is an ideal photosenser and an efficient catalyst for solar energy conversion.

Effect of synergic cooperation on optical and photoelectrochemical properties of CeO2–MnO composite thin films

Low-temperature (475 °C) fabrication of CeO₂–MnO composite thin films having a band gap of 2.5 eV by AACVD.

Chemically reduced graphene oxide–P25–Au nanocomposite materials and their photoelectrocatalytic and photocatalytic applications

CRGO–P25–Au NCMs were prepared through a one-pot chemical reduction method. Photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of methanol with high photocurrent and photocatalytic reduction of Cr(vi) ions to Cr(iii) ions were demonstrated.

CO2 conversion in a photocatalytic continuous membrane reactor

CO₂ was photocatalytically reduced over TiO₂–Nafion membranes in a continuous flow membrane reactor. MeOH production is considered as a relevant advance over the existing literature results which mostly propose CH₄ as the reaction product.

Gold nanoclusters based dual-emission hollow TiO2 microsphere for ratiometric optical thermometry

The dual-emitting hollow TiO₂ microspheres are prepared and they show dual emission fluorescence with single-excitation, which could be used as nanosensors for accurate measurement of temperature over the wide temperature range (20–80 °C).

Fabrication of CuO–1.5ZrO2 composite thin film, from heteronuclear molecular complex and its electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation

CuO–1.5ZrO₂ composite electrodes fabricated from a single source precursor [Cu₄Zr₆(μ-O)₈(dmap)₄(OAc)₁₂]·H₂O have been utilized for the oxidation of methanol.

Light converting phosphor-based photocatalytic composites

Light-conversion phosphor-based composites including up-conversion, down-conversion, and long afterglow phosphor-semiconductors for efficient photocatalysis are summarized.

Graphene oxide capturing surface-fluorinated TiO2 nanosheets for advanced photocatalysis and the reveal of synergism reinforce mechanism

Surface-fluorinated TiO2 (F-TiO2) nanosheets with exposed (001) facets were synthesized from a scalable hydrothermal treatment assisted by a specific stabilization effect of fluorine ions on the (001) facets. Assembly of F-TiO2 on graphene oxide (GO) sheets into GO/F-TiO2 hybrid in aqueous solution was further achieved by making use of the surfactant role of GO. Photocatalytic properties of GO/F-TiO2 hybrid were evaluated under 365 nm UV light irradiation for photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). An optimal GO content has been determined to be 3 wt%, and the corresponding apparent pseudo-first-order rate constant Kapp is 0.0493 min(-1), 3 times and 4 times more than that of pure TiO2 nanosheets and commercial P25 photocatalyst, respectively. To reveal the synergism reinforce mechanism of GO/F-TiO2 hybrid, photo absorption, surface absorption, and the photoelectrochemical current properties have been intensively studied. We found that enhanced electron-hole separation has been the key issue for the reinforcement of photocatalytic performance. F-TiO2 with exposed (001) facet has stronger electron-hole separation resulting in a higher photoelectrochemical current than that of P25 photocatalyst. Moreover, hybridization of F-TiO2 with GO could further increase the photoelectrochemical current and the largest current for the optimal weight fraction of GO is in good accordance with the photocatalysis performance. The GO/F-TiO2 interface junction that favors the electron-hole separation was attributed to the photoelectrochemical current enhancement.

A new dielectric ta-C film coating of Ag-nanoparticle hybrids to enhance TiO2 photocatalysis

We have demonstrated a novel method to enhance TiO₂ photocatalysis by adopting a new ultrathin tetrahedral-amorphous-carbon (ta-C) film coating on Ag nanoparticles to create strong plasmonic near-field enhancement. The result shows that the decomposition rate of methylene blue on the Ag/10 Å ta-C/TiO₂ composite photocatalyst is ten times faster than that on a TiO₂ photocatalyst and three times faster than that on a Ag/TiO₂ photocatalyst. This can be ascribed to the simultaneous realization of two competitive processes: one that excites the surface plasmons (SPs) of the ta-C-film/Ag-nanoparticle hybrid and provides a higher electric field near the ta-C/TiO₂ interface compared to Ag nanoparticles alone, while the other takes advantage of the dense diamond-like ta-C layer to help reduce the transfer of photogenerated electrons from the conduction band of TiO₂ to the metallic surface, since any electron transfer will suppress the excitation of SP modes in the metal nanoparticles.

Photoelectrocatalytic performance of a titania-keggin type polyoxometalate-gold nanocomposite modified electrode in methanol oxidation

Aminosilicate sol-gel supported titania-keggin type polyoxometalate-gold nanocomposite materials (APS/(P25-PTA-Au)NCM) (APS, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane; P25, Degussa-TiO2; PTA, Na3PW12O40·xH2O) were prepared by a simple chemical reduction method and characterized by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis. The as-prepared APS/(P25-PTA-Au)NCM was used to fabricate the photoelectrode for a photoelectrochemical cell. The photoelectrocatalytic activity of the APS/(P25-PTA-Au)NCM modified photoelectrode in methanol oxidation was investigated. The APS/(P25-PTA-Au)NCM modified photoelectrode showed a higher photocurrent for methanol oxidation than control photoelectrodes. The modification of titania using PTA and Au nanoparticles significantly boosted the photoelectrocatalytic performance by a synergistic effect and thus improved the interfacial charge transfer processes. The presence of Au nanoparticles enhances the interfacial electron transfer process. The APS silicate sol-gel matrix acts as a very good support material for the preparation of the nanocomposite material and for preparation of the chemically modified electrode. This newly fabricated APS/(P25-PTA-Au)NCM modified photoelectrode could be a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical cells.

Efficient electrostatic self-assembly of one-dimensional CdS-Au nanocomposites with enhanced photoactivity, not the surface plasmon resonance effect

A series of CdS nanowire-Au nanocomposites (CdS NW-Au NCs) with different weight addition ratios of Au nanoparticles (NPs) are successfully synthesized by using a simple and efficient electrostatic self-assembly method at room temperature for utilizing the natural surface charge properties of the CdS NWs and Au NPs. These natural surface charge properties are dependent on the synthesis approaches. The probe reactions for photocatalytic selective reduction of nitroaromatic compounds in the aqueous phase under visible light irradiation are utilized to evaluate the photoactivity of this series of as-prepared CdS NW-Au NCs. The CdS NW-Au NCs exhibit significantly enhanced photoactivity as compared to the CdS nanowires (CdS NWs). The addition of Au NPs into the CdS NW domain enables efficient enhancement of the lifetime and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers from CdS NWs under visible light irradiation. However, the addition of excess amounts of Au NPs not only influences the penetration of light but the Au NPs also become the recombination centers, and result in decreased photoactivity. The optimal proportion of the Au NPs is proved to be 1 wt%, which indicates the synergistic effect between the CdS NWs and Au NPs. In addition, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Au NPs is proved to not play an efficient role in the reaction and the possible photocatalytic reaction mechanism is proposed. It is hoped that this work could aid in the fabrication of 1-D semiconductor-metal nanocomposites by using such a simple and efficient electrostatic self-assembly strategy. In addition, it is also expected to enrich and supplement their application as visible light photocatalysts toward selective organic transformations through our investigation.

STABLE STRUCTURES AND CHARACTERISTIC VIBRATIONAL SPECTRA OF TinOm(n = 2–4; m = 1–2n) CLUSTERS

The energetically favorable structures and characteristic infrared (IR) and Raman peaks of Ti n O m(n = 2–4, m ≤ 2n) clusters are obtained in this work using a B3LYP/6-311G(d) method of density functional theory (DFT). The structures with m < 2n compose of Ti atoms of lower numbers of coordination with O atoms, providing many dangling bonds which considerably enhance the reactivity compared with its bulk counterpart. Two- and three-coordinated O atoms present for m/n ≤ 1.5, whereas two- and also single-coordinated O atoms are found for m/n > 1.5. The Ti n O m(n = 2–4, m < 2n) clusters show strong IR peaks in the range of 600–1100 cm-1 and strong Raman peaks in the region of 300–800 cm-1, whereas both the IR and Raman spectrum peaks of the Ti n O m(n = 2–4, m = 2n) clusters are in the region of 700–1100 cm-1. The main Raman peak of the Ti n O m(m ≠ 2n) clusters is at a frequency considerably lower than that of the IR spectrum. Our results can help understand the structure-property relationships of the Ti n O m clusters and provide their characteristic spectroscope features for further experimental identification.

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange over nitrogen-fluorine codoped TiO2 nanobelts prepared by solvothermal synthesis

Anatase type nitrogen-fluorine (N-F) codoped TiO(2) nanobelts were prepared by a solvothermal method in which amorphous titania microspheres were used as the precursors. The as-prepared TiO(2) nanobelts are composed of thin narrow nanobelts and it is noted that there are large amount of wormhole-like mesopores on these narrow nanobelts. Photocatalytic activity of the N-F codoped TiO(2) nanobelts was measured by the reaction of photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. Results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of the N-F codoped TiO(2) nanobelts is higher than that of P25, which is mainly ascribed to wormhole-like mesopores like prison, larger surface area, and enhanced absorption of light due to N-F codoping. Interestingly, it is also found that the photocatalytic activity can be further enhanced when tested in a new testing method because more photons can be captured by the nanobelts to stimulate the formation of the hole-electron pair.

Enhanced water photolysis with Pt metal nanoparticles on single crystal TiO2 surfaces

Two novel deposition methods were used to synthesize Pt-TiO(2) composite photoelectrodes: a tilt-target room temperature sputtering method and aerosol-chemical vapor deposition (ACVD). Pt nanoparticles (NPs) were sequentially deposited by the tilt-target room temperature sputtering method onto the as-synthesized nanostructured columnar TiO(2) films by ACVD. By varying the sputtering time of Pt deposition, the size of deposited Pt NPs on the TiO(2) film could be precisely controlled. The as-synthesized composite photoelectrodes with different sizes of Pt NPs were characterized by various methods, such as SEM, EDS, TEM, XRD, and UV-vis. The photocurrent measurements revealed that the modification of the TiO(2) surface with Pt NPs improved the photoelectrochemical properties of electrodes. Performance of the Pt-TiO(2) composite photoelectrodes with sparsely deposited 1.15 nm Pt NPs was compared to the pristine TiO(2) photoelectrode with higher saturated photocurrents (7.92 mA/cm(2) to 9.49 mA/cm(2)), enhanced photoconversion efficiency (16.2% to 21.2%), and increased fill factor (0.66 to 0.70). For larger size Pt NPs of 3.45 nm, the composite photoelectrode produced a lower photocurrent and reduced conversion efficiency compared to the pristine TiO(2) electrode. However, the surface modification by Pt NPs helped the composite electrode maintain higher fill factor values.

Titanium dioxide-gold nanocomposite materials embedded in silicate sol-gel film catalyst for simultaneous photodegradation of hexavalent chromium and methylene blue

Aminosilicate sol-gel supported titanium dioxide-gold (EDAS/(TiO(2)-Au)(nps)) nanocomposite materials were synthesized by simple deposition-precipitation method and characterized. The photocatalytic oxidation and reduction activity of the EDAS/(TiO(2)-Au)(nps) film was evaluated using hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and methylene blue (MB) dye under irradiation. The photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was studied in the presence of hole scavengers such as oxalic acid (OA) and methylene blue (MB). The photocatalytic degradation of MB was investigated in the presence and absence of Cr(VI). Presence of Au(nps) on the (TiO(2))(nps) surface and its dispersion in the silicate sol-gel film (EDAS/(TiO(2)-Au)(nps)) improved the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of MB due to the effective interfacial electron transfer from the conduction band of the TiO(2) to Au(nps) by minimizing the charge recombination process when compared to the TiO(2) and (TiO(2)-Au)(nps) in the absence of EDAS. The EDAS/(TiO(2)-Au)(nps) nanocomposite materials provided beneficial role in the environmental remediation and purification process through synergistic photocatalytic activity by an advanced oxidation-reduction processes.