Titanium Nitride Nanodonuts Synthesized from Natural Ilmenite Ore as a Novel and Efficient Thermoplasmonic Material

Nanostructures of titanium nitride (TiN) have recently been considered as a new class of plasmonic materials that have been utilized in many solar energy applications. This work presents the synthesis of a novel nanostructure of TiN that has a nanodonut shape from natural ilmenite ore using a low-cost and bulk method. The TiN nanodonuts exhibit strong and spectrally broad localized surface plasmon resonance absorption in the visible region centered at 560 nm, which is well suited for thermoplasmonic applications as a nanoscale heat source. The heat generation is investigated by water evaporation experiments under simulated solar light, demonstrating excellent solar light harvesting performance of the nanodonut structure.

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Bifunctional Cu2-xSe-decorated hierarchical TiO2 nanotube mesh with solar water evaporation and photodegradation effects for clean water generation

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2019.076 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (7) ◽

pp. 2001-2008

Author(s):

Peng Ren ◽

Xiuchun Yang

Keyword(s):

Solar Energy ◽

Low Cost ◽

Water Shortage ◽

Tio2 Nanotube ◽

Solar Irradiation ◽

Localized Surface Plasmon ◽

Water Evaporation ◽

Solar Water ◽

Feasible Solutions ◽

Simulated Solar Irradiation

Abstract The desalination and purification of sea or brackish water by utilizing solar energy are considered to be the most feasible solutions to overcome the problems of water shortage and pollution. In this study, a bifunctional Cu2-xSe-decorated hierarchical TiO2 nanotube mesh (CTNM) was designed and synthesized successfully for both solar water evaporation and photodegradation. Cu2-xSe enhances solar light absorption and solar water evaporation performance as a low-cost absorber because of its localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Meanwhile, the formation of the p-Cu2-xSe/n-TiO2 heterojunction improves the photodegradation performance by increasing separation and transport of photogenerated charge carriers. Hence, CTNM has a relatively high solar water evaporation conversion efficiency of 83.06% and also can photodegrade 95% of methyl orange after 3 h under 2.5 kW m−2 simulated solar irradiation, which demonstrate the extremely high utilization ratio of solar energy of CTNM.

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Preparation and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of AgCl-TiO2 Composite under Simulated Solar Light

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.807-809.557 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 807-809 ◽

pp. 557-561 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Wen Tao Yi ◽

Chun Yan Yan ◽

Peng Yan ◽

Shu Yin Liu

Keyword(s):

Photocatalytic Activity ◽

Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy ◽

Spectral Response ◽

Visible Region ◽

Reaction Model ◽

Solar Light ◽

Cubic Phase ◽

Pseudo First Order Reaction ◽

Simulated Solar Light ◽

Bet Analysis

AgCl-TiO2 nanocomposites with a core-shell structure were successfully prepared by hydrothermal treatment. And the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer Emmett teller (BET) Analysis, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). It is found that the composites consist of anatase TiO2 and cubic phase AgCl, which has higher surface area, stronger spectral response in visible region compared with pure TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of these samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decoloration of methyl orange (MO) under simulated solar light. The results show AgCl-TiO2 composite has much higher photocatalytic activity than that of pure TiO2, and it also has very good stability. The kinetic study showed that this photocatalytic process coincided with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) pseudo first order reaction model.

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Interface between Nanophotonics and Biotechnology: How the Near-Field Can Boost Proteomics Based on LSPR Nano Sensor

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.139-141.1554 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 139-141 ◽

pp. 1554-1557 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xi Xi Huang ◽

Zhong Cao ◽

Yong Le Liu ◽

Yi Min Dai ◽

Ju Lan Zeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Plasmon Resonance ◽

Surface Plasmon ◽

Plasmon Resonance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Near Field ◽

Visible Region ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Nano Particles ◽

Localized Surface Plasmon ◽

Bioanalytical Application

An novel optical nano biosensor based on gold capped nano-particles for detecting binding events between ligands and receptor molecules as well as interactions among proteins without use of labels has been presented in this paper. The optical properties of nano-sized gold particles exhibiting pronounced adsorption in the visible region which called as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) have been exploited, whose peak wavelengths depended exquisitely on the refractive index of the surrounding. In comparison with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology, the optical nano biosensor possessed high sensitivity, surprisingly low “bulk effect”, ease of preparation, and low-cost polymer based fabrication, which opened a promising bioanalytical application in practice.

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Aniline chlorination by in situ formed Ag–Cl complexes under simulated solar light irradiation

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2015.149 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 71 (11) ◽

pp. 1679-1685 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xuefeng Hu ◽

Xiaowen Wang ◽

Liuliu Dong ◽

Fei Chang ◽

Yongming Luo

Keyword(s):

Surface Plasmon Resonance ◽

Surface Water ◽

Resonance Absorption ◽

Light Irradiation ◽

Solar Light ◽

Chloride Medium ◽

Surface Plasmon Resonance Absorption ◽

Simulated Solar Light ◽

Solar Light Irradiation

Ag speciation in a chloride medium was dependent upon the Cl/Ag ratio after releasing into surface water. In this study, the photoreaction of in situ formed Ag–Cl species and their effects on aniline photochlorination were systematically investigated. Our results suggested that formation of chloroaniline was strongly relevant to the Cl/Ag ratio and could be interpreted using the thermodynamically expected speciation of Ag in the presence of Cl−. AgCl was the main species responsible for the photochlorination of aniline. Both photoinduced hole and •OH drove the oxidation of Cl− to radical •Cl, which promoted the chlorination of aniline. Ag0 formation was observed from the surface plasmon resonance absorption during AgCl photoreaction. This study revealed that Ag+ released into Cl−-containing water may result in the formation of chlorinated intermediates of organic compounds under solar light irradiation.

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Effect of Synthesis Conditions of Nitrogen and Platinum Co-Doped Titania Films on the Photocatalytic Performance under Simulated Solar Light

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal10091074 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1074

Author(s):

Daryna Ihnatiuk ◽

Camilla Tossi ◽

Ilkka Tittonen ◽

Oksana Linnik

Keyword(s):

Sol Gel ◽

Visible Region ◽

Solar Light ◽

Photocatalytic Decomposition ◽

Homogeneous Distribution ◽

Synthesis Conditions ◽

Simulated Solar Light ◽

Titania Films ◽

Doped Titania ◽

Co Doped

Platinum and nitrogen co-doped titania films of different surface morphologies obtained via a sol-gel process have been tested for tetracycline hydrochloride photocatalytic decomposition under simulated solar light. Titania crystallization to anatase is shown by XRD for all films. A shift of the bandgap edge toward the visible region in absorption spectra and, consequently, a narrowing of the bandgap is observed for some films doped with nitrogen and/or exposed to UV pretreatment. The surface peculiarities of the samples are presented by an SEM and TEM investigation. The surface saturation by Pt and N with a homogeneous distribution of Pt ions on the surface as well as bulk as established by XPS and EDS data can be achieved with a certain synthesis procedure. The influence of the platinum content and of the pretreatment procedure on the state and atomic surface concentration of incorporated nitrogen and platinum is studied by XPS analysis: substitutional and interstitial nitrogen, non-metal containing fragments, Pt0, Pt2+ and Pt4+ ions. The photocatalytic activity of the films is ruled by the presence of Pt2+ ions and N rather than Pt0. The formation of the polycrystalline titania structure and Pt0 nanoparticles (NPs) is confirmed by TEM and electron diffraction images. The mechanism of primary photocatalytic processes is proposed.

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Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/AuNRs–SiO2 Nanocomposites Applied to Building Materials

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings8090296 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. 296 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Alessandra Truppi ◽

Manuel Luna ◽

Francesca Petronella ◽

Aurelia Falcicchio ◽

Cinzia Giannini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Photocatalytic Activity ◽

Photocatalytic Oxidation ◽

Building Materials ◽

Low Cost ◽

Solar Light ◽

Simulated Solar Light ◽

Direct Exposure ◽

Carbon Soot ◽

Sio2 Nanocomposites ◽

Self Cleaning

In this work, the self-cleaning and photocatalytic properties of mesoporous TiO2/AuNRs-SiO2 composites (namely UCA–TiO2Au) prepared by a simple and low-cost technique were investigated toward application in building materials. Mesoporous photocatalytic nanocomposites coating the surface of stone and other building materials are a very promising approach to address relevant questions connected with the increasing atmospheric pollution. We tested three types of preformed TiO2/AuNRs nanostructures in order to evaluate the effect of AuNRs on the photocatalytic activity of resulting coatings deposited on the surface of a popular building limestone. The resulting nanocomposites provide crack-free surface coatings on limestone, effective adhesion, improve the stone mechanical properties and impart hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. Photocatalytic characterization involved the degradation of a target compound (Methylene blue; MB) under direct exposure to simulated solar light using TiO2 P25 Evonik (TiO2 P25) as a reference material. Moreover, these coatings upon irradiation by simulated solar light were successfully employed for the photocatalytic oxidation of carbon soot. The experimental results revealed that UCA–TiO2Au samples are the best performing coating in both MB bleaching and soot degradation.

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Hydrophobic lithiated titania floating film for efficient solar-driven water evaporation

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2019.179 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 478-486

Author(s):

Miaomiao Ye ◽

Xun Wang ◽

Pei Zhou ◽

Rong Chen ◽

Qimao Gan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Storage Time ◽

Pure Water ◽

Solar Light ◽

Water Evaporation ◽

Water Parameters ◽

Simulated Solar Light ◽

New Process ◽

New Research ◽

And Storage

Abstract Recently, the development of new photothermal materials for seawater desalination based on air–water interfacial solar heating has become a new research hotspot. In this paper, hydrophobic lithiated titania was synthesized by lithium reaction with amorphous titania followed by surface modification with a thin 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane (PFOTS) monolayer. The hydrophobic lithiated titania was used as a photothermal material for seawater evaporation based on this new process. A thin lithiated titania floating film was assembled under simulated solar light irradiance due to the combined actions of water surface tension and the water molecules' thermal motion. The formation of the thin floating film significantly promoted water evaporation. The water evaporation rate by the lithiated titania floating film was 0.87 kg·m−2·h−1 under 2.0 sun solar irradiance, which was 2.4 times higher than that of pure water. Parameters affecting the solar evaporation process such as lithiated titania dose, solar light intensity, and storage time were investigated. Finally, the quality of the condensed fresh water was tested to evaluate the potential application of the lithiated titania floating film in practical settings of seawater desalinization.

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Effects of Al doping on defect behaviors of ZnO thin film as a photocatalyst

Materials Science-Poland ◽

10.2478/msp-2019-0050 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 437-445 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fucheng Yu ◽

Hailong Hu ◽

Bolong Wang ◽

Haishan Li ◽

Tianyun Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dopant Concentration ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Visible Region ◽

Hexagonal Wurtzite Structure ◽

Defect Concentration ◽

Solar Light ◽

Zno Films ◽

Al Doping ◽

Simulated Solar Light ◽

Degradation Of Methyl Orange

AbstractAl doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were prepared on silica substrates by sol-gel method. The films showed a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferred orientation along c-axis. Suitable Al doping dramatically improved the crystal quality compared to the undoped ZnO films. Dependent on the Al dopant concentration, the diffraction peak of (0 0 2) plane in XRD spectra showed at first right-shifting and then left-shifting, which was attributed to the change in defect concentration induced by the Al dopant. Photocatalytic properties of the AZO film were characterized by degradation of methyl orange (MO) under simulated solar light. The transmittance of the films was enhanced by the Al doping, and the maximum transmittance of 80 % in the visible region was observed in the sample with Al concentration of 1.5 at.% (mole fraction). The film with 1.5 at.% Al doping achieved also maximum photocatalytic activity of 68.6 % under solar light. The changes in the film parameters can be attributed to the variation in defect concentration induced by different Al doping content.

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In situ Reduction of Silver Nanoparticles on Chitosan Hybrid Copper Phosphate Nanoflowers for Highly Efficient Plasmonic Solar-driven Interfacial Water Evaporation

Journal of Bionic Engineering ◽

10.1007/s42235-021-0005-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mei Zhang ◽

Wanghuai Xu ◽

Minfei Li ◽

Jiaqian Li ◽

Peng Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Silver Nanoparticles ◽

Water Purification ◽

Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽

High Efficiency ◽

Mechanical Stability ◽

Low Cost ◽

Solar Light ◽

Water Evaporation ◽

Interfacial Water ◽

Pvdf Membrane

AbstractThe development of water purification device using solar energy has received tremendous attention. Despite extensive progress, traditional photothermal conversion usually has a high cost and high environmental impact. To overcome this problem, we develop a low cost, durable and environmentally friendly solar evaporator. This bi-layered evaporator is constructed with a thermal insulating polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane as a bottom supporting layer and plasmonic silver nanoparticles decorated micro-sized hybrid flower (Ag/MF) as a top light-to-heat conversion layer. Compared with the sample with a flat silver film, the two-tier Ag/MF has a plasmonic enrichment property and high efficiency in converting the solar light to heat as each flower can generate a microscale hotspot by enriching the absorbed solar light. On the other hand, the PVDF membrane on the bottom with porous structure not only improves the mechanical stability of the entire structure, but also maintains a stable water supply from the bulk water to the evaporation interface by capillarity and minimizes the thermal conduction. The combination of excellent water evaporation ability, simple operation, and low cost of the production process imparts this type of plasmonic enhanced solar-driven interfacial water evaporator with promising prospects for potable water purification for point-of-use applications.

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Tuning the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance of Al-Al2O3 Nanosphere Towards NIR Region by Gold Coating

Micro and Nanosystems ◽

10.2174/1876402912999200727173140 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jyoti Katyal ◽

Shivani Gautam

Keyword(s):

Electric Field ◽

Field Distribution ◽

Dielectric Layer ◽

Electric Field Distribution ◽

Active Material ◽

Visible Region ◽

Field Enhancement ◽

Localized Surface Plasmon ◽

Sers Substrate ◽

Al Nanoparticles

Background: A relatively narrow LSPR peak and a strong inter band transition ranging around 800 nm makes Al strongly plasmonic active material. Usually, Al nanoparticles are preferred for UV-plasmonic as the SPR of small size Al nanoparticles locates in deep UV-UV region of the optical spectrum. This paper focused on tuning the LSPR of Al nanostructure towards infrared region by coating Au layer. The proposed structure has Au as outer layer which prevent the further oxidation of Al nanostructure. Methods: The Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) and Plasmon Hybridization Theory has been used to evaluated the LSPR and field enhancement of single and dimer Al-Al2O3-Au MDM nanostructure. Results: It is observed that the resonance mode show dependence on the thickness of Al2O3 layer and also on the composition of nanostructure. The Au layered MDM nanostructure shows two peak of equal intensities simultaneously in UV and visible region tuned to NIR region. The extinction spectra and electric field distribution profiles of dimer nanoparticles are compared with monomer to reveal the extent of coupling. The dimer configuration shows higher field enhancement ~107 at 1049 nm. By optimizing the thickness of dielectric layer the MDM nanostructure can be used over UV-visible-NIR region. Conclusion: The LSPR peak shows dependence on the thickness of dielectric layer and also on the composition of nanostructure. It has been observed that optimization of size and thickness of dielectric layer can provide two peaks of equal intensities in UV and Visible region which is advantageous for many applications. The electric field distribution profiles of dimer MDM nanostructure enhanced the field by ~107 in visible and NIR region shows its potential towards SERS substrate. The results of this study will provide valuable information for the optimization of LSPR of Al-Al2O3-Au MDM nanostructure to have high field enhancement.

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