Engineering the Z-system hybrids of 0D/2D F-TiO2 quantum dots/g-C3N4 heterostructure through chemical bonds with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance

Constructing a direct Z-Scheme system for the photocatalysts is a promising strategy to enhance photocatalytic redox performance owing to its effective charge transfer; however, building a reasonable interfacial charge transfer...

Preparation of Mn2O3/MIL-100(Fe) composite and its mechanism for enhancing the photocatalytic removal of rhodamine B in water

Effective charge transfer enhances the persulfate activation of Mn2O3/MIL-100(Fe) for photocatalytic removal of RhB under LED-generated visible light.

A Morphological Investigation of Ag/Graphite Oxide/TiO2 Composites for Photocatalysis

To handle persistent toxic organic contaminants in water, advanced oxidation process (AOP) by titanium dioxide (TiO2) and its composites has been extensively utilized. A smart combination of composite materials was synthesized to improve photocatalytic activity of TiO2 via engineering effective charge transfer. In this study, synthesis of Ag/Graphite Oxide (GO)/TiO2 was investigated. Degussa P25 TiO2 (Rutile:Anatase of 85:15, 99.9%, 20nm) nanopowder was purchased. Graphite oxide was prepared using modified Hummer’s method. Photoreduction and ultrasonication were conducted to prepare Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). XRD was used to confirm formation of Ag- GO- TiO2, i.e., peaks of GO, AgNPs and phases of anatase and rutile of TiO2 P25. Backscattered SEM was used to identify the AgNPs in different compositions of the AgNPs/GO/TiO2 composites. TEM was used for high resolution images to observe sizes and shapes of nanomaterials involved. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of the Ag L3-edge were used to confirm zero-valence AgNPs. The best performed photocatalyst from this study was 5Ag0.5GOTiO2 with 78.86 % degradation of RhB after 2 hours. The AgNPs were found to be spherical with sizes of around 2-10 nanometers and evenly distributed within the GO/TiO2 matrix.

A Novel Route to High-Quality Graphene Quantum Dots by Hydrogen-Assisted Pyrolysis of Silicon Carbide

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) can be highly beneficial in various fields due to their unique properties, such as having an effective charge transfer and quantum confinement. However, defects on GQDs hinder these properties, and only a few studies have reported fabricating high-quality GQDs with high crystallinity and few impurities. In this study, we present a novel yet simple approach to synthesizing high-quality GQDs that involves annealing silicon carbide (SiC) under low vacuum while introducing hydrogen (H) etching gas; no harmful chemicals are required in the process. The fabricated GQDs are composed of a few graphene layers and possess high crystallinity, few defects and high purity, while being free from oxygen functional groups. The edges of the GQDs are hydrogen-terminated. High-quality GQDs form on the etched SiC when the etching rates of Si and C atoms are monitored. The size of the fabricated GQDs and the surface morphology of SiC can be altered by changing the operating conditions. Collectively, a novel route to high-quality GQDs will be highly applicable in fields involving sensors and detectors.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of CO2 reduction to methanol through the use of a novel-structured CuCaAg2Se–graphene–TiO2 ternary nanocomposite

Effective charge transfer is a key factor in enhancing the catalytic activity of photocatalytic nanocomposite materials.

Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution over ZnIn2S4 Flower-Like Microspheres Doped with Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots

In this work, black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) were decorated on hexagonal ZnIn2S4 flower-like microspheres to form zero-dimensional/two-dimensional (0D/2D) structures. Interface interactions between the BPQDs and ZnIn2S4 resulted in optimum effective charge transfer, thereby improving the photocatalytic performance of the material. Thus, the 0.2% BPQD–ZnIn2S4 sample showed 30% higher H2 evolution rates compared to pure ZnIn2S4. This study provides a simple route for the synthesis of photocatalysts. The results obtained herein can pave the way for designing effective catalysts for solar-to-chemical energy conversion and feasible approaches to obtain cheap, clean, and efficient photocatalysts.

Improvement of the arsine adsorption by doping on monolayer MoS2

The improvement of the arsine adsorption on monolayer MoS2 by doping has been investigated by first-principles calculation. The impurity atoms Si, P, and Cl, have been introduced to substitute S atoms to form an [Formula: see text]- or [Formula: see text]-type system. The electronic properties of MoS2 with dopants P and Cl are insensitive to the adsorption of AsH3. The Si-MoS2 with adsorbed AsH3 configuration has the largest adsorption energy, the lowest adsorbed height, and the most effective charge transfer. It is indicated that the properties of MoS2 can be improved by doping for detecting AsH3 molecules.