The present study examined the gas-phase photocatalytic degradation of toluene using ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposite supported on activated carbon in a photocatalytic reactor. Toluene was selected as a model pollutant from volatile organic compounds to determine the pathway of photocatalytic degradation and the factors influencing this degradation. The ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposite was synthesized through co-p...

Semiconductor photocatalysts have attracted increased attention due to their great potential for solving energy and environmental problems. The formation of Z-scheme photocatalytic systems that mimic natural photosynthesis is a promising strategy to improve photocatalytic activity that is superior to single component photocatalysts. The connection between photosystem I (PS I) and photosystem II...

Herein, we have developed a facile and general method for the high-yield fabrication of AgX/Ag(3)PO(4) (X = Cl, Br, I) core-shell heterostructures with an unusual rhombic dodecahedral morphology, which exhibit much higher photocatalytic activities, structural stabilities and photoelectric properties than pure Ag(3)PO(4) crystals in environment and energy applications.

A novel active zinc substrate-induced sequential self-construction method is presented for the fabrication of hydrated WO(3) hierarchical octahedrons, flakes, lanterns, and arresting sandwiched double-layer nanorods arrays architectures for the first time. Photocatalytic activity and gas sensing properties of the as-obtained various WO(3).0.33H(2)O architectures were studied as well.

This research demonstrates a simple method for synthesizing titanium dioxide nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanofibers. These nanofibers showed highly efficient degradation of methylene blue under UV light because of the synergistic effects of the large surface-active sites of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the carbon nanofibers on the photocatalytic properties.

A novel TiO(2) nano-thorn membrane was assembled for concurrent filtration and photocatalytic oxidization to remove pollutants in water. This membrane has hierarchical porous and multifunctional properties, which provide these advantages: (1) producing water with high quality; (2) increasing water flux; and (3) eliminating membrane fouling.

Hexagonal wurtzite ZnS nanowires radially arrayed on cubic zinc-blende ZnS hollow spheres have been successfully achieved for the first time, and such novel heterogeneous ZnS hollow urchin-like hierarchical nanostructures show greatly enhanced photocatalytic properties due to their two-phase enhanced light-harvesting and high surface-to-volume ratio.

Herein, we demonstrate a complex-precipitation strategy for high-yield fabrication of single-crystalline Ag(3)PO(4) sub-microcubes with sharp corners, edges, and smooth surfaces, which exhibit much higher photocatalytic activities and photoelectric conversion properties than spherical Ag(3)PO(4) particles and commercial N-doped TiO(2) under visible light irradiation.

The in situ formation of sub-100 nm solid frameworks stabilized against dissolution by the addition of nanoseeds allows the facile and controllable synthesis of TiO(2) (anatase) mesocrystalline structures with spherical shape, mesoporosity and sizes between 50 and 70 nm. As an example of their multifunctionality, these structures show good capabilities for enzyme immobilization and adequate pho...