Novel MoS2-In2O3-WS2 (2D/3D/2D) ternary heterostructure nanocomposite material: Efficient photocatalytic degradation of antimicrobial agents under visible-light.

Fabrication of ternary composited photocatalytic nanomaterials with strong interaction is vital to deriving the fast charge separation for efficient photodegradation of organic contaminants in wastewater under visible light. In this work, novel ternary 2D/3D/2D MoS2-In2O3-WS2 multi-nanostructures were synthesized using facile hydrothermal processes. XRD, FTIR, and XPS results confirmed the phase, functional groups, and element composition of pure MoS2, MoS2-In2O3, and MoS2-In2O3-WS2 hybrids. UV-DRS spectra of the MoS2-In2O3-WS2 ternary hybrid indicate maximum absorption in the visible light range with a band-gap energy value of 2.4 eV. The surface of the 2D WS2 nanosheet structure tightly blends and densely disperses 2D MoS2 nanosheets and 3D In2O3 nanocubes. This confirmed the formation of the MoS2-In2O3-WS2 ternary hybrid in the form of 2D/3D/2D multi-nanostructures, which is also indicated from SEM and HR-TEM images. The synthesized MoS2-In2O3-WS2 ternary hybrid showed maximum photocatalytic activity under visible-light for antimicrobial agents such as triclosan (TCS) and trichlorocarban (TCC). The photocatalytic activity of TCS was revealed to be 95% at 90 min, while that of TCC was 93% at 100 min. The reusability and stability tests of the prepared MoS2-In2O3-WS2 ternary hybrid after four consecutive photocatalytic cycles were analyzed by FTIR and SEM, which indicated that the prepared ternary hybrid was very stable. Overall results suggested that the developed MoS2-In2O3-WS2 (2D/3D/2D) multi-nanostructures are environmentally friendly and low-cost nanocomposites as a potential photocatalyst for the removal of antimicrobial agents from wastewater.

CuO improved energy band of AgO/fibrous SiO2-ZrO2 for optimized simultaneous photocatalytic redox of chromium (VI) and p-cresol using response surface methodology.

Ternary CuO/AgO/FSZr photocatalysts were fabricated via the hydrothermal and electrochemical methods with three different CuO loading (1, 3 and 5 wt%), indicated as 1CuO/AgO/FSZr, 3CuO/AgO/FSZr and 5CuO/AgO/FSZr. The photocatalytic reaction was tested towards simultaneous chromium (VI) photoreduction and p-cresol photooxidation and the performance in order as follow: 3CuO/AgO/FSZr > 5CuO/AgO/FSZr > 1CuO/AgO/FSZr > AgO/FSZr > FSZr. CuO/AgO/FSZr photocatalysts showed an improvement in photocatalytic activity compared to AgO/FSZr and FSZr due to the reduction potential of chromium (VI) aligned closer to the conduction band of CuO and provided abundant free active electrons (e-) and holes (h+) with efficient transportation and migration. Interestingly, the 3CuO/AgO/FSZr was established as the best photocatalyst with 98% reduction of chromium (VI) and 83% oxidation of p-cresol simultaneously, owing to its strong corporation between the metal oxides and support and higher total pore volume. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood model were employed for kinetics which followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics model well. Based on the simultaneous photocatalytic mechanism, chromium (VI) and p-cresol were directly reduced and oxidized by e- and h+, respectively. The response surface methodology (RSM) discovered that the quadratic term initial concentration of chromium (VI) is the main significant factor in photocatalytic performance. The optimum parameters for simultaneous photoredox of chromium (VI) and p-cresol predicted from RSM are 9.6 mg L-1 of chromium (VI) concentration, 9.8 mg L-1 of p-cresol concentration and 0.32 g L-1 of catalyst dosage. Under these conditions the error between the predicted and experimental values is only 3.7%. The 3CuO/AgO/FSZr sustained the photocatalytic performance after reused for five cycles and could oxidized various organic pollutants as well as reduced chromium (VI) simultaneously.

Synthesis of Novel Ternary Dual Z-scheme AgBr/LaNiO3/g-C3N4 Composite with Boosted Visible-Light Photodegradation of Norfloxacin.

Promoting the separation of photogenerated charges and enhanced optical absorption capacity is the main means to modify photocatalytic capacities to advance semiconductor photocatalyst applications. For the first time, a novel ternary photocatalyst for dual Z-scheme system AgBr/LaNiO3/g-C3N4 (ALG) was prepared via a modest ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal method. The results indicated that LaNiO3 nanoballs and AgBr nanoparticles were successfully grown on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets. A dual Z-scheme photocatalytic reaction system could be constructed based on the energy band matching within AgBr, LaNiO3 and g-C3N4. Metallic Ag during the photocatalytic reaction process acted as the active electrons transfer center to enhance the photocatalytic charge pairs separation. The chemical composition of ALG was optimized and composites with 3% AgBr, 30% LaNiO3 and 100% g-C3N4 which was noted as 3-ALG displayed the best photocatalytic performance. A total of 92% of norfloxacin (NOR) was photodegraded within two hours over ALG and the photodegradation rate remained >90% after six cycles. The main active species during the degradation course were photogenerated holes, superoxide radical anion and hydroxyl radical. A possible mechanism was proposed based on the synergetic effects within AgBr, LaNiO3 and g-C3N4. This work would offer a credible theoretical basis for the application of dual Z-scheme photocatalysts in environment restoration.

Fabrication and synergistically enhanced photocatalytic activity of ternary kaolinite, TiO2, and Al2O3 (K65T30A5) nanocomposite for visible-light-induced degradation of methylene blue and remazol red dye.

The ternary photocatalyst ((Al2Si2O5 (OH)4/TiO2/Al2O3) composites (where w/w = 65, 30, and 5 wt%) denoted K65T30A5 were successfully synthesized and examined for their efficiency in removing cationic (Methylene Blue, MB) and anionic (Remazol Red, RR) dye from aqueous medium under visible-light irradiation. A series of nanocomposites with varied wt% of kaolinite, TiO2, and Al2O3 were prepared through sonication followed by calcination at 600 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystallinity of the synthesized materials and established their average crystal size to be 83.87 nm. The morphological structure, composite molecule, and surface properties of the resulting K65T30A5 were characterized using FTIR, FE-SEM, and EDS analyses to confirm the successful fabrication of the nanocomposite. FTIR and EDS elemental mapping analyses confirmed the presence of Al, Si, Ti, and O elements in the nanocomposites. The composites exhibited photocatalytic behaviour across the UV-visible spectra, with values varying from the ultraviolet to the visible region with a sharp increase in reflectance at 510 nm. Near-complete degradation of MB (97.66 %) was achieved within 90 min at pH 9 and a 10 mg/L dye concentration, while RR removal reached 90.66 % within 120 min at pH 3.5 and the same dye concentration under visible light irradiation. The catalyst exhibited robust stability, retaining its efficiency by removing 85.09 % of MB and 80.21 % of RR dye after three reuse cycles. The composite catalyst discussed in this study emerges as a promising material for straightforward fabrication techniques, featuring a high percentage of kaolinite and proving to be a cost-effective solution for large-scale water and wastewater treatment processes.

Insight into the whole characteristics of (Pd/WP)/CdS for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The (noble metal/non-noble metal)/semiconductor are efficient and attractive ternary photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. To deeply understand the advantages of ternary photocatalysts, the physicochemical characteristics of both the whole ternary photocatalysts and each part of that must be revealed. Herein, we design (Pd/WP) as a co-catalyst loaded on CdS to form ternary photocatalysts (Pd/WP)/CdS. The (0.05%Pd/4%WP)/CdS exhibits a high hydrogen evolution activity of 18.0 mmol/h/g, which is 1.5 times of WP/CdS, 2.2 times of Pd/CdS, and 6.4 times of pure CdS. Additionally, photoelectrochemical tests demonstrate that (Pd/WP)/CdS has appropriate capacitance, excellent conductivity and strong catalytic ability, which can inhibit the recombination of photo-excited carries and boost hydrogen evolution. Especially, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) tests show that the conduction band (CB) position of (Pd/WP)/CdS can be regulated successfully through synergistic effect of Pd, WP, and CdS. This study not only reveals the physicochemical properties of ternary photocatalysts from a holistic perspective, but also provides a pathway for hydrogen evolution of scientific and economic interest.

Fabrication and characterization of ZnTiO3/Zn2Ti3O8/ZnO ternary photocatalyst for synergetic removal of aqueous organic pollutants and Cr(VI) ions.

Highly efficient photocatalysts have great development prospects in wastewater treatment, especially in the degradation of organic pollutants and reduction of inorganic heavy metal ions. Herein, a Z-scheme ZnTiO3/Zn2Ti3O8/ZnO ternary photocatalyst was prepared by the solvothermal-calcination method and the influence of the content of tetrabutyl titanate precursor and different reaction temperature on the crystal phase structures, photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalytic activities of the samples were investigated. Due to its unique Z-scheme structure and suitable band gap position, which is favorable for the efficient migration and separation of photo-generated electrons and holes and the improvement of photocatalytic redox reaction capability, the samples show excellent performance for the degradation of organic pollutants and reduction of heavy metal Cr(VI) ions. Based on a series of characterization analyses, a possible Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism is proposed. This work provides a simple preparation method for fabrication of multivariate heterojunction photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants and removal of heavy metal ions.

A ternary photocatalyst of graphitic carbon nitride/cadmium sulfide/titania based on the electrostatic assembly using two-dimensional semiconductor nanosheets.

Herein, we employed the exfoliated two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) and titania nanosheets (TNS) as building blocks, and these negatively charged nanosheets were flocculated by Cd2+ ions with a followed sulfidation treatment to produce a ternary heterostructure photocatalyst of CNNS/CdS/TNS. This novel nanocomposite exhibited outstanding absorption in visible spectral region, and meanwhile its gradient band structure and the closed interface promoted the separation of photo-generated charge. The relative content of CNNS and TNS in the ternary nanocomposite was optimized, and the optimal photocatalyst with a CNNS/TNS mass ratio of 98:2 could rapidly remove 10mgL-1 rhodamine B (RhB) in 20min under visible light irradiation. The calculated rate constant of CNNS/CdS/TNS was 56.87, 12.18, and 6.67 times higher than those of the restacked CNNS and TNS and the individual CdS, as well as 8.31, 6.22 and 2.57 times higher than those of binary CNNS/TNS, CdS/TNS and CdS/CNNS photocatalysts, respectively. Moreover, this nanocomposite possessed a superior durability and universality for degradation of RhB in different concentration and other organic pollutants, including dyes and colorless compounds. Finally, the possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the theoretical calculation and the active species quenching experiment.

A bamboo-inspired hierarchical nanoarchitecture of Ag/CuO/TiO(2) nanotube array for highly photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dinitrophenol.

The optimized geometrical configuration of muitiple active materials into hierarchical nanoarchitecture is essential for the creation of photocatalytic degradation system that can mimic natural photosynthesis. A bamboo-like architecture, CuO nanosheets and Ag nanoparticles co-decorated TiO2 nanotube arrays (Ag/CuO/TiO2), was fabricated by using simple solution-immersion and electrodeposition process. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) photocatalytic degradation rate over Ag/CuO/TiO2 was about 2.0, 1.5 and 1.2 times that over TiO2 nanotubes, CuO/TiO2 and Ag/TiO2, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ternary Ag/CuO/TiO2 photocatalyst was ascribed to improved light absorption, reduced carrier recombination and more exposed active sites. Moreover, the excellent stability and reliability of the Ag/CuO/TiO2 photocatalyst demonstrated a promising application for organic pollutant removal from water.