Photocatalytic activity of semiconductor nanostructures is gaining much importance in recent years in both energy and environmental applications. However, several parameters play a crucial role in enhancing or suppressing the photocatalytic activity through, for example, modifying the band gap energy positions, influencing the generation and transport of charge carriers and altering the recombi...

A Co3O4/Fe2O3 composite nanofiber-based solar photocatalyst has been prepared, and its catalytic performance was evaluated by degrading acridine orange (AO) and brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) beneath solar light. The morphological and physiochemical structure of the synthesized solar photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-...

A simple approach was proposed to synthesize three types of ellipsoidal hollow nanostructures whose shells are assembled from anatase TiO(2) nanosheets (NSs) with exposed (001) facets. Among them, ellipsoid Fe(3)O(4)@TiO(2)-NS nanorattles can be readily generated as a magnetically separable photocatalyst with enhanced activity through in situ reduction of the α-Fe(2)O(3) core.

Plasmonic photocatalytic nanostructures have been fabricated under mild conditions (room temperature aqueous solution) using genetically engineered bacteriophage P22 virus-like particles (VLP) as a nano-platform. The photodegradation of methylene blue by CdS photocatalyst confined inside VLP can be significantly enhanced by the controlled deposition of gold nanoparticles on the outer shell of V...

TiO(2) nanostructures with fascinating morphologies like cubes, spheres, and rods were synthesized by a simple microwave irradiation technique. Tuning of different morphologies was achieved by changing the pH and the nature of the medium or the precipitating agent. As-synthesized titania nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy...

A green synthesis for nanoleave, nanosheet, spindle-like, rugby-like, dandelion-like and flower-like CuO nanostructures (from 2D to 3D) is successfully achieved through simply hydrothermal synthetic method without the assistance of surfactant. The morphology of CuO nanostructures can be easily tailored by adjusting the amount of ammonia and the source of copper. By designing a time varying expe...

In this research, self-assembled copper sulfide nanospheres were synthesized by the solvothermal method and the effects of reaction parameters, including reaction time and reaction temperature on the morphology and phase evolution of copper sulfide nanostructures were investigated. For the identification of copper sulfide nanostructures, X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), f...

A nanostructured plasmonic photocatalyst, silver/silver thiocyanate (Ag@AgSCN), has been prepared by a simple precipitation method followed by UV-light-induced reduction. The ratio of Ag to silver thiocyanate (AgSCN) can be controlled by simply adjusting the photo-induced reduction time. The formation mechanism of the product was investigated based on the time-dependent experiments. Further exp...

Sphere-like cadmium molybdate (CdMoO4) nanostructures have been synthesized by a large scale and simple sonochemical method by using Cd(Sal)2 (Sal=salicylidene) and Na2MoO4.2H2O for the first time. The effects of sonochemical irradiation time, sonochemical power, temperature, solvent, surfactant and cadmium source were considered to obtain a controlled shape. The as-prepared nanostructured cadm...