Correlating Cu dopant concentration, optoelectronic properties, and photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanostructures: experimental and theoretical insights.

The photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts can be enhanced by cation doping, and the dopant concentration plays a key role in achieving high efficiency. This study explores the impact of copper (Cu) doping at concentrations ranging from 0% to 10% on the microstructural, optical, electronic, and photocatalytic properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures. The x-ray diffraction analysis shows a non-linear alteration in the lattice parameters with increasing the Cu content and the formation of CuO as a secondary phase at the Cu concentration of >3%. Density functional theory calculations provide insights into the change in the electronic structures of ZnO induced by Cu doping, leading to the formation of localizeddelectronic levels above the valence band maximum. The modulation of the electronic structure of ZnO by Cu doping facilitates the visible light absorption via O 2p → Cu 3d and Cu 3d → Zn 2p transitions. Photoluminescence spectroscopy reveals a quenching of the defect-related emission peak at approximately 570 nm for all Cu-doped ZnO nanostructures, indicating a reduction in the structural and other defects. The photocatalytic activity tests confirm that the ZnO nanostructures doped with 3% Cu exhibit the highest efficiency compared to other samples due to the suitable band-edge position and visible light absorption.

Effect of Mg doping on ZnO fabricated using aqueous leaf extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. for antioxidant and antibacterial studies.

Aqueous leaf extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. was successfully used to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO) and magnesium-doped ZnO (Mg-doped ZnO) particles and acted as capping and stabilizing agent. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed that optical band gap energy of ZnO has narrowed from 3.11 to 3.08 eV and 3.03 eV when doped with 1% Mg and 5% Mg, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies confirmed the purity and crystalline nature of the synthesized materials. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the presence of phytochemicals coated on the surface of synthesized materials. The synthesized materials were found to effectively scavenge DPPH radicals in the presence of visible light in comparison to the dark. The antibacterial properties of the synthesized materials were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The obtained results revealed that Staphylococcus aureus seemed to be more sensitive to the green synthesized ZnO and Mg-doped ZnO than Escherichia coli.

Antibacterial activities of zinc oxide and Mn-doped zinc oxide synthesized using Melastoma malabathricum (L.) leaf extract.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is considered as a potential antimicrobial agent. This work aims to investigate the properties of ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO (1% and 5%) fabricated using aqueous leaf extract of Melastoma malabathricum via green synthesis and its antibacterial activities. The synthesized ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO were characterized using different techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The synthesized ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO were tested for its antibacterial properties on two Gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and two Gram-positive bacteria: Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed positive antibacterial effects for B. subtilis and S. aureus only. Among the three materials tested, 1% Mn-doped ZnO exhibited the highest antibacterial activity for B. subtilis with the minimum inhibitory concentration being 50 mg/mL.

Effective photocatalytic removal of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products by elsmoreite/tungsten oxide@ZnS photocatalyst.

In this study, elsmoreite/tungsten oxide is used to form a heterojunction with ZnS-containing industrial waste. The effect of the elsmoreite/tungsten oxide content on photocatalytic activity of ZnS using the different ratios of ZnS:Na2WO4 in the synthesis solution is estimated. The initial ZnS:Na2WO4 ratio leads to the formation of hexagonal WO3∙0.33H2O on the surface of ZnS. A further increase in the ZnS:Na2WO4 ratio results in the domination of cubic WO3∙0.5H2O over hexagonal WO3. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) diffuse reflectance spectra of elsmoreite/tungsten oxide@ZnS composite photocatalysts show that the absorption onset shifts monotonously towards lower wavelengths from 450 nm to 400 nm. The microrods of hexagonal WO3 and {111}-truncated submicron-sized crystals of WO3∙0.5H2O are grown on the ZnS surface. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results confirm the formation of a heterojunction between elsmoreite/tungsten oxide and ZnS. The photocatalytic activities of elsmoreite/tungsten oxide@ZnS composite photocatalysts are evaluated for the degradation of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): metoprolol - Mt, triclosan - TCS, and caffeine - CAF both in single and in mixture solutions. The elsmoreite/tungsten oxide@ZnS photocatalysts degrade 50% of Mt, 70% TCS, and 60% CAF in single solution and 35% of Mt, 20% of CAF, and 20% of TCS in mixture solution. Hydrated Mt and TCS are preferably adsorbed on the surface of WO3∙0.5H2O (111), and CAF has better affinity to the surface of WO3. The elsmoreite/tungsten oxide@ZnS photocatalysts show a good reusability. Hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and photogenerated holes (h+) are involved in the photocatalytic removal of Mt, while only h+ is involved in the photocatalytic removal of TCS. Interestingly, none of the above-mentioned species is involved in the photocatalytic removal of CAF. Also, nontoxic CAF is mainly degraded into intermediates with higher toxicity. The toxicity of the photocatalytically treated model wastewater in the mixture solution, tested with Vibrio fischeri, is much lower than that in the single solution.

Distinguishing the effects of altered morphology and size on the visible light-induced water oxidation activity and photoelectrochemical performance of BaTaO2N crystal structures.

Factors, including crystallinity, morphology, size, preferential orientation, growth, composition, porosity, surface area, etc., can directly influence the optical, charge-separation, charge-transfer and water oxidation and reduction properties of particle-based photocatalysts. Therefore, these factors must be considered when designing high-performance particle-based photocatalysts for solar water splitting. Here, a flux growth method was applied to alter the morphology and size of Ba5Ta4O15 precursor oxide crystals using BaCl2, KCl, RbCl, CsCl, KCl + BaCl2 and K2SO4 at different solute concentrations, and the impact of nitridation with and without KCl flux was studied. Specifically, the effects of altered morphology and size on the visible light-induced water oxidation activity and photoelectrochemical performance of the BaTaO2N crystal structures were investigated. Upon nitridation, the samples became porous due to the lattice shrinkage caused by the replacement of 3 O2- with 2 N3- in the anionic network. The BaTaO2N crystal structures obtained by nitridation without KCl flux show higher surface areas than do their counterparts prepared by nitridation with KCl flux because of the formation of porous networks. All of the samples exhibited a high anodic photocurrent upon nitridation without KCl flux compared with those of the samples obtained by nitridation with KCl flux. These findings demonstrate that it is important to specifically engineer photocatalytic crystals to reach their maximum potential in solar water splitting.

Elucidating the impact of A-site cation change on photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution activities of perovskite-type LnTaON2 (Ln = La and Pr).

Transition metal (oxy)nitrides with perovskite-type structures have been regarded as one of the promising classes of inorganic semiconductor materials that can be used in solar water splitting systems for the production of hydrogen as a renewable and storable energy carrier. The performance of transition metal (oxy)nitrides in solar water splitting is strongly influenced by the crystal structure-related dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers. Here, we have systematically assessed the influence of A-site cation exchange on the visible-light-induced photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution activities, photoanodic response, and dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers of perovskite-type LnTaON2 (Ln = La and Pr). The structural refinement results reveal the orthorhombic Imma and Pnma structures for LaTaON2 and PrTaON2, respectively; the latter has a more distorted crystal structure from the ideal cubic perovskite due to the smaller size of Pr3+ cations. Compared with LaTaON2, PrTaON2 exhibits lower photocatalytic H2 and O2 gas evolution activities and photoanodic response owing to an excessive amount of intrinsic defects associated with anionic vacancies and reduced tantalum species stemming from a long high-temperature nitridation process under reductive NH3 atmosphere. Transient absorption signals evidence the faster decay of photogenerated electrons (holes) in Pt (CoOx)-loaded LaTaON2 than that in Pt (CoOx)-loaded PrTaON2, consistent with the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performance of the two photocatalysts. This study suggests that in addition to selecting a suitable A-site cation, it is prerequisite to synthesize LnTaON2 (Ln = La and Pr) crystals with a low defect density to improve their photo-conversion efficiency for solar water splitting.

Fabrication of La2Ti2O7 crystals using an alkali-metal molybdate flux growth method and their nitridability to form LaTiO2N crystals under a high-temperature NH3 atmosphere.

Flux growth is a promising method that allows one to control over the crystalline phase, crystal shape, crystal size, and crystal surface through the selection of a suitable flux. In this work, lanthanum titanate (La2Ti2O7) crystals with different morphologies were grown using the Na2MoO4, K2MoO4, NaCl, and mixed NaCl + K2MoO4 (molar ratio = 3:7) fluxes, and their nitridability to form LaTiO2N crystals under a high-temperature NH3 atmosphere was also investigated. The effects of the solute concentration and cooling rate on the growth of the La2Ti2O7 crystals were also studied. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that the {100} plane was dominant in the La2Ti2O7 platelet crystals grown using the alkali-metal molybdate fluxes. When the solute concentration was increased from 1 to 20 mol %, the average size of the crystals decreased without considerable alteration of the overall crystal morphology. The La2Ti2O7 crystals with the preferred ⟨010⟩ and ⟨001⟩ growth directions along the b and c axes were grown using the Na2MoO4 and K2MoO4 fluxes, respectively. Compared to the Na2MoO4 flux, the K2MoO4 flux did not show a cooling-rate-dependent effect on the growth of the La2Ti2O7 crystals. It was found that conversion of the La2Ti2O7 crystals to the LaTiO2N crystals was strongly dependent on the flux used to grow the precursor La2Ti2O7 crystals. That is, the La2Ti2O7 crystals grown using the K2MoO4 and NaCl fluxes were nearly completely converted into the LaTiO2N crystals, while conversion of the La2Ti2O7 crystals grown using the Na2MoO4 and mixed NaCl + K2MoO4 fluxes to the LaTiO2N crystals seemed to be not completed yet even after nitridation at 950 °C for 15 h using NH3 because of the larger crystal size and the presence of unintentional impurities (sodium and molybdenum from the flux) in the La2Ti2O7 crystal lattice. Nevertheless, the LaTiO2N crystals fabricated by nitriding the La2Ti2O7 crystals grown using the K2MoO4 and NaCl fluxes should be suitable for direct solar water splitting.

Preparation of iron oxide-impregnated spherical granular activated carbon-carbon composite and its photocatalytic removal of methylene blue in the presence of oxalic acid.

The spherical granular activated carbon-carbon composites (GAC-Fe) with different iron oxide contents (Fe mass% = 0.6-10) were prepared by a pore volume impregnation method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2-adsorption results confirm the presence of amorphous iron oxide, pyrolytic carbon, and graphitized globular carbon nanoparticles covered with amorphous carbon in the CAG-Fe. The rate of photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution under UV light in the presence of oxalic acid correlates with porosity of the prepared materials. The total MB removal includes the combination of adsorption and photodegradation without the addition of H2O2. The results of total organic carbon (TOC) analysis reveal that the decolorization of MB in aqueous solution containing oxalic acid corresponds to the decomposition of organic compounds to CO2 and H2O.

Untangling the Effect of Carbonaceous Materials on the Photoelectrochemical Performance of BaTaO2N.

The water oxidation reaction is a rate-determining step in solar water splitting. The number of surviving photoexcited holes is one of the most influencing factors affecting the photoelectrochemical water oxidation efficiency of photocatalysts. The solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of BaTaO2N is still far below the benchmark efficiency set for practical applications, notwithstanding its potential as a 600 nm-class photocatalyst in solar water splitting. To improve its efficiency in photoelectrochemical water splitting, this study offers a straightforward route to develop photocatalytic materials based on the combination of BaTaO2N and carbonaceous materials with different dimensions. The impact of diverse carbonaceous materials, such as fullerene, g-C3N4, graphene, carbon nanohorns, and carbon nanotubes, on the photoelectrochemical behavior of BaTaO2N has been examined. Notably, the use of graphene and g-C3N4 remarkably improves the photoelectrochemical performance of the composite photocatalysts through a higher photocurrent and acting as electron reservoirs. Consequently, a marked reduction in recombination rates, even at low overpotentials, leads to a higher accumulation of photoexcited holes, resulting in 2.6- and 1.7-fold increased BaTaO2N photocurrent densities using graphene and g-C3N4, respectively. The observed trends in the dark for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) potential align with the increase in the photocurrent density, revealing a good correlation between opposite phenomena. Importantly, the enhancement observed implies an underlying accumulation phenomenon. The verification of this concept lies in the evidence provided by oxygen reduction and is in line with photoredox flux matching during photocatalysis. This research underscores the intricate interplay between carbonaceous materials and oxynitride photocatalysts, offering a strategic approach to enhancing various photocatalytic capabilities.

Quasicrystal Nanosheet/α-Fe2O3 Heterostructure-Based Low Power NO2 Sensors: Experimental and DFT Studies.

Industrial emissions, environmental monitoring, and medical fields have put forward huge demands for high-performance and low power consumption sensors. Two-dimensional quasicrystal (2D QC) nanosheets of metallic multicomponent Al70Co10Fe5Ni10Cu5 have emerged as a promising material for gas sensors due to their excellent catalytic and electronic properties. Herein, we demonstrate highly sensitive and selective NO2 sensors developed by low-cost and scalable fabrication techniques using 2D QC nanosheets and α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The sensitivity (ΔR/R%) of the optimal amount of 2D QC nanosheet-loaded α-Fe2O3 sensor was 32%, which is significantly larger about 3.5 times than bare α-Fe2O3 sensors for 1 ppm of NO2 at 150 °C operating temperature. The sensors exhibited p-type conduction, and resistance was reduced when exposed to NO2, an oxidizing gas. The enhanced sensing characteristics are a result of the formation of nanoheterojunctions between 2D QC and α-Fe2O3, which improved the charge transport and provided a large sensing signal. In addition, the heterojunction sensor demonstrated excellent NO2 selectivity over other oxidizing and reducing gases. Furthermore, density functional theory calculation examines the adsorption energy and charge transfer between NO2 molecules on the α-Fe2O3(110) and QC/α-Fe2O3(110) heterostructure surfaces, which coincides well with the experimental results.

Achieving Molecular-Level Selective Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds through a Strong Coupling Effect of Ultrathin Nanosheets and Au Nanoparticles.

The high density of surface active sites, high efficiency of interfacial carrier transport, and molecular diffusion path determine the efficiency of the electrochemical sensors. The ultrathin structures have atomic-level thickness, carrier migration and heat diffusion are limited in the two-dimensional plane, resulting in excellent conductivity and high carrier concentration. A one-step chemical method is applied to synthesize defect-rich Au-SnO2 in an ultrathin nanosheet form (thickness of 2-3 nm). The strong interaction between Au and SnO2 via the Au-O-Sn bonding and the catalytic effect of Au can prolong the service life via decreasing the optimal operating temperature (55 °C) and promote the Au-SnO2 sensor to exclusively detect formaldehyde at the ppb level (300 ppb). The experimental findings along with theoretical study reveal that Au nanoparticles have a different effect on the competitive adsorption and chemical reaction over the surface of the Au-SnO2 with formaldehyde and other interfering VOC gases, such as methanol, ethanol, and acetone. This study provides mechanistic insights into the correlation between operating temperature and the performance of the Au-SnO2 chemiresistive sensor. This work allows the development of highly efficient and stable electrochemical sensors to detect VOC gases at room temperature in the future.

Visible light photocatalysis with c-WO(3-x)/WO3×H2O nanoheterostructures in situ formed in mesoporous polycarbosilane-siloxane polymer.

In recent years, there have been significant efforts to find novel photocatalytic materials with improved properties. Thus, there is an active ongoing search for new materials that can operate at a broad range of wavelengths for photocatalytic reactions. Among photocatalytically active semiconductors, considerable attention has been given to tungsten oxide with a band gap of E(g) ≈ 2.6 eV, which provides the opportunity to harvest visible light. In the present work, we report on a one-step synthesis of c-WO(3-x)/WO3×H2O nanowhiskers dispersed in a hydrolytically stable mesoporous polycarbosilane-siloxane ([-Si(O)CH2-]n) matrix. The as-synthesized nanocomposites possess high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is due to (i) the reduction in the electron-hole recombination rate because of the reduced dimensions of nanowhiskers, (ii) more efficient consumption of photogenerated electrons and holes as a result of the high surface-to-bulk-ratio of the nanowhiskers, and (iii) better electron-hole pair separation due to the formation of c-WO(3-x)/WO3×H2O nanoheterostructures.

Perovskite BaTaO2 N: From Materials Synthesis to Solar Water Splitting.

Barium tantalum oxynitride (BaTaO2 N), as a member of an emerging class of perovskite oxynitrides, is regarded as a promising inorganic material for solar water splitting because of its small band gap, visible light absorption, and suitable band edge potentials for overall water splitting in the absence of an external bias. However, BaTaO2 N still exhibits poor water-splitting performance that is susceptible to its synthetic history, surface states, recombination process, and instability. This review provides a comprehensive summary of previous progress, current advances, existing challenges, and future perspectives of BaTaO2 N for solar water splitting. A particular emphasis is given to highlighting the principles of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, classic and emerging photocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions, and the crystal and electronic structures, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties, synthesis routes, and thin-film fabrication of BaTaO2 N. Various strategies to achieve enhanced water-splitting performance of BaTaO2 N, such as reducing the surface and bulk defect density, engineering the crystal facets, tailoring the particle morphology, size, and porosity, cation doping, creating the solid solutions, forming the heterostructures and heterojunctions, designing the photoelectrochemical cells, and loading suitable cocatalysts are discussed. Also, the avenues for further investigation and the prospects of using BaTaO2 N in solar water splitting are presented.

Growth of submillimeter SrTaO2N single crystals by an NH3-assisted SrCl2 flux method.

Perovskite-type oxynitrides have recently been highlighted due to their dielectric and photocatalytic properties. Numerous studies have addressed the synthesis and characterization of their nanocrystals and ceramics. However, few research works have considered single-crystal formation in such systems due to difficulties in melt growth. In this study, we explore the crystal growth of perovskite-type oxynitride SrTaO2N by an NH3-assisted SrCl2 flux method. Submillimeter-sized single crystals with lengths of approximately 300 µm were grown at a temperature of 1200 °C for 10 h with a solute concentration of 1.5 mol%. Subsequently, the crystal growth mechanism of SrTaO2N in an SrCl2 flux was studied systematically through experiments with variable holding temperature, holding time, cooling rate, and solute concentration. Our results suggest that SrTaO2N crystal growth is induced by the evaporation of SrCl2 flux.

Tetraphenolphthalein Cobalt(II) Phthalocyanine Polymer Modified with Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as an Efficient Catalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the main reaction at the cathode of a fuel cell that utilizes Pt/C as the benchmark catalyst. Due to sluggish activity, high cost, rare abundance, and durability issues, Pt/C must be replaced by nonprecious, stable, and easily synthesizable materials. This work involves the synthesis of novel, simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly phenolphthalein-bearing cobalt(II) phthalocyanine polymer, poly(Co II TPpPc) dyad, as an efficient catalyst for ORR. The results of analytical characterizations reveal the formation of the poly(Co II TPpPc) polymer in the pure state. To further enhance the catalytic response of poly(Co II TPpPc), a hybrid composite is prepared using poly(Co II TPpPc) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that increase the surface area and conductivity. The poly(Co II TPpPc) and hybrid composite are separately deposited on the electrode surfaces. The electron microscopy images confirm the uniform distribution of the poly(Co II TPpPc) molecules on the electrode surface and MWCNTs. The poly(Co II TPpPc) and hybrid composite electrodes are evaluated for ORR, and the hybrid composite exhibits better onset potential at 0.803 V versus reversible hydrogen reference electrode for ORR according to linear sweep voltammograms (LSVs). The obtained data are superior compared to those of other carbon-based redox-active materials reported previously and nearer to those of the benchmark catalyst (Pt/C). The rotating disc electrode measurement of the hybrid composite electrode confirms the total number of electrons involved in ORR to be four. Furthermore, the hybrid composite electrode exhibits an excellent stability for 100 LSV scans. The synergistic effect of poly(Co II TPpPc) and MWCNTs leads to the surprisingly high ORR activity due to the improved surface area, conductivity, and interfacial confined surface.

Revealing the toxicity of lopinavir- and ritonavir-containing water and wastewater treated by photo-induced processes to Danio rerio and Allivibrio fischeri.

In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), among many protocols, lopinavir and ritonavir in individual or combined forms with other drugs have been used, causing an increase in the concentration of antiviral drugs in the wastewater and hospital effluents. In conventional wastewater treatment plants, the removal efficiency of various antiviral drugs is estimated to be low (<20%). The high values of predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) for lopinavir and ritonavir (in ng∙L-1) reveal their high chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms. This indicates that lopinavir and ritonavir are current priority antiviral drugs that need to be thoroughly monitored and effectively removed from any water and wastewater samples. In this study, we attempt to explore the impacts of two photo-induced processes (photolysis and photocatalysis) on the toxicity of treated water and wastewater samples containing lopinavir and ritonavir to zebrafish (Danio rerio) and marine bacteria (Allivibrio fischeri). The obtained results reveal that traces of lopinavir in water under photo-induced processes may cause severe problems for Danio rerio, including pericardial edema and shortening of the tail, affecting its behavior, and for Allivibrio fischeri as a result of the oxygen-depleted environment, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Hence, lopinavir must be removed from water and wastewater before being in contact with light. In contrast, the photo-induced processes of ritonavir-containing water and wastewater reduce the toxicity significantly. This shows that even if the physicochemical parameters of water and wastewater are within the standard requirements/limits, the presence of traces of antiviral drugs and their intermediates can affect the survival and behavior of Danio rerio and Allivibrio fischeri. Therefore, the photo-induced processes and additional treatment of water and wastewater containing ritonavir can minimize its toxic effect.

Detoxifying SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs from model and real wastewaters by industrial waste-derived multiphase photocatalysts.

The use of antiviral drugs has surged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in higher concentrations of these pharmaceuticals in wastewater. The degradation efficiency of antiviral drugs in wastewater treatment plants has been reported to be too low due to their hydrophilic nature, and an additional procedure is usually necessary to degrade them completely. Photocatalysis is regarded as one of the most effective processes to degrade antiviral drugs. The present study aims at synthesizing multiphase photocatalysts by a simple calcination of industrial waste from ammonium molybdate production (WU photocatalysts) and its combination with WO3 (WW photocatalysts). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirm that the presence of multiple crystalline phases in the synthesized photocatalysts. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra reveal that the synthesized multiphase photocatalysts absorb visible light up to 620 nm. Effects of calcination temperature of industrial waste (550-950 °C) and WO3 content (0-100%) on photocatalytic activity of multiphase photocatalysts (WU and WW) for efficient removal of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs (lopinavir and ritonavir) in model and real wastewaters are studied. The highest k1 value is observed for the photocatalytic removal of ritonavir from model wastewater using WW4 (35.64 ×10-2 min-1). The multiphase photocatalysts exhibit 95% efficiency in the photocatalytic removal of ritonavir within 15 of visible light irradiation. In contrast, 60 min of visible light irradiation is necessary to achieve 95% efficiency in the photocatalytic removal of lopinavir. The ecotoxicity test using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos shows no toxicity for photocatalytically treated ritonavir-containing wastewater, and the contrary trend is observed for photocatalytically treated lopinavir-containing wastewater. The synthesized multiphase photocatalysts can be tested and applied for efficient degradation of other SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs in wastewater in the future.

Anchoring Platinum Clusters onto Oxygen Vacancy-Modified In2O3 for Ultraefficient, Low-Temperature, Highly Sensitive, and Stable Detection of Formaldehyde.

To avoid carcinogenicity, formaldehyde gas, currently being only detected at higher operating temperatures, should be selectively detected in time with ppb concentration sensitivity in a room-temperature indoor environment. This is achieved in this work through introducing oxygen vacancies and Pt clusters on the surface of In2O3 to reduce the optimal operating temperature from 120 to 40 °C. Previous studies have shown that only water participates in the competitive adsorption on the sensor surface. Here, we experimentally confirm that the adsorbed water on the fabricated sensor surface is consumed via a chemical reaction due to the strong interaction between the oxygen vacancies and Pt clusters. Therefore, the long-term stability of formaldehyde gas detection is improved. The results of theoretical calculations in this work reveal that the excellent formaldehyde gas detection of Pt/In2O3-x originates from the electron enrichment due to the surface oxygen vacancies and the molecular adsorption and activation ability of Pt clusters on the surface. The developed Pt/In2O3-x sensor has potential use in the ultraefficient, low-temperature, highly sensitive, and stable detection of indoor formaldehyde at an operating temperature as low as room temperature.

Visible light active Bi3TaO7 nanosheets for water splitting.

Tantalate semiconductors are potential photocatalysts for hydrogen generation via photocatalytic water splitting reaction because the conduction band of tantalates is composed of the tantalum 5d orbital, which is located at a more negative potential than that of the H+/H2 half reaction, i.e., 0.0 V vs. NHE. Bi3TaO7 is a stable tantalate under acidic or alkaline conditions, with a band gap suitable for visible light absorption. However, the photocatalytic properties of Bi3TaO7 are only reported based on the dye degradation reactions, probably due to the fast electron/hole recombination losses. 2D crystal-like nanosheets with a thickness of a few nanometers show unique features such as high carrier mobility, the quantum Hall effect, high specific surface area, and excellent electrical/thermal conductivity. 2D structures can also enhance the photocatalytic properties because photo-generated charge carriers in nanosheets are less prone to fast recombinations as compared to their bulk counterparts. In this study, nanosheets of Bi3TaO7 are produced by a liquid exfoliation method and the photocatalytic hydrogen generation reaction is investigated for both the as-synthesized Bi3TaO7 nanoparticles and Bi3TaO7 nanosheets.

Novel Au/La-Bi5O7I Microspheres with Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity for NO Removal: Synergistic Effect of Au Nanoparticles, La Doping, and Oxygen Vacancy.

Sphere-like Bi5O7I (BOI) doped with La (L-BOI) samples were prepared by a solvothermal method followed by calcination at 450 °C for 2 h. Au nanoparticles were loaded on 6% La-doped Bi5O7I (2%A-6%L-BOI) microspheres by a room-temperature chemical reduction method. The UV-vis absorption spectra show that the L-BOI and 2%A-6%L-BOI samples have a strong visible-light absorption in comparison with the pure BOI. The electron paramagnetic resonance results indicate that the number of oxygen vacancies in L-BOI samples is increased with an increasing amount of the La dopant. The band structure of the prepared photocatalysts is investigated by confirming the positions of the valence band (VB) measured by XPS-VB and the Fermi level computed by density functional theory, respectively. NO is selected as a target gaseous pollutant to confirm the influence of La doping and the plasmonic effect of Au nanoparticles on the photocatalytic activity of BOI microspheres. The 2%A-6%L-BOI sample exhibits an enhanced photocatalytic performance compared to BOI, L-BOI, and A-BOI photocatalysts under visible-light irradiation. Interestingly, the 2%A-6%L-BOI sample also can reduce the amount of intermediate NO2 during the NO removal process. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of the 2%A-6%L-BOI photocatalyst is profited from the synergy of La-ion doping, oxygen vacancy, and the surface plasmon resonance effect of Au nanoparticles. Based on the results of trapping experiments and electron spin resonance spectroscopy tests, h+, e-, and •O2- were involved in the NO oxidative removal.