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Akira Fujishima

Other affiliations: Kanagawa University, Jilin University, University of Tokyo  ...read more
Bio: Akira Fujishima is an academic researcher from Tokyo University of Science. The author has contributed to research in topics: Photocatalysis & Diamond. The author has an hindex of 70, co-authored 299 publications receiving 69335 citations. Previous affiliations of Akira Fujishima include Kanagawa University & Jilin University.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
07 Jul 1972-Nature
TL;DR: Water photolysis is investigated by exploiting the fact that water is transparent to visible light and cannot be decomposed directly, but only by radiation with wavelengths shorter than 190 nm.
Abstract: ALTHOUGH the possibility of water photolysis has been investigated by many workers, a useful method has only now been developed. Because water is transparent to visible light it cannot be decomposed directly, but only by radiation with wavelengths shorter than 190 nm (ref. 1).

27,819 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the current progress in the area of TiO 2 photocatalysis, mainly photocatalytic air purification, sterilization and cancer therapy is discussed in this paper.
Abstract: Scientific studies on photocatalysis started about two and a half decades ago. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), which is one of the most basic materials in our daily life, has emerged as an excellent photocatalyst material for environmental purification. In this review, current progress in the area of TiO 2 photocatalysis, mainly photocatalytic air purification, sterilization and cancer therapy are discussed together with some fundamental aspects. A novel photoinduced superhydrophilic phenomenon involving TiO 2 and its applications are presented.

6,802 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The field of photocatalysis can be traced back more than 80 years to early observations of the chalking of titania-based paints and to studies of the darkening of metal oxides in contact with organic compounds in sunlight as discussed by the authors.

5,729 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
31 Jul 1997-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, the photogeneration of a highly amphiphilic (both hydrophilic and oleophilic) titanium dioxide surface was reported, and the unique character of this surface was ascribed to the microstructured composition of hydrophilicity of the phases, produced by ultraviolet irradiation.
Abstract: The ability to control the surface wettability of solid substrates is important in many situations. Here we report the photogeneration of a highly amphiphilic (both hydrophilic and oleophilic) titanium dioxide surface. The unique character of this surface is ascribed to the microstructured composition of hydrophilic and oleophilic phases, produced by ultraviolet irradiation. The result is a TiO2-coated glass which is antifogging and self-cleaning.

3,049 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the progress of the scientific research on TiO2 photocatalysis as well as its industrial applications are reviewed, and future prospects of this field mainly based on the present authors' work.
Abstract: Photocatalysis has recently become a common word and various products using photocatalytic functions have been commercialized. Among many candidates for photocatalysts, TiO2 is almost the only material suitable for industrial use at present and also probably in the future. This is because TiO2 has the most efficient photoactivity, the highest stability and the lowest cost. More significantly, it has been used as a white pigment from ancient times, and thus, its safety to humans and the environment is guaranteed by history. There are two types of photochemical reaction proceeding on a TiO2 surface when irradiated with ultraviolet light. One includes the photo-induced redox reactions of adsorbed substances, and the other is the photo-induced hydrophilic conversion of TiO2 itself. The former type has been known since the early part of the 20th century, but the latter was found only at the end of the century. The combination of these two functions has opened up various novel applications of TiO2, particularly in the field of building materials. Here, we review the progress of the scientific research on TiO2 photocatalysis as well as its industrial applications, and describe future prospects of this field mainly based on the present authors' work.

3,008 citations


Cited by
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[...]

08 Dec 2001-BMJ
TL;DR: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one, which seems an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.
Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

33,785 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
24 Oct 1991-Nature
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a photovoltaic cell, created from low-to medium-purity materials through low-cost processes, which exhibits a commercially realistic energy-conversion efficiency.
Abstract: THE large-scale use of photovoltaic devices for electricity generation is prohibitively expensive at present: generation from existing commercial devices costs about ten times more than conventional methods1. Here we describe a photovoltaic cell, created from low-to medium-purity materials through low-cost processes, which exhibits a commercially realistic energy-conversion efficiency. The device is based on a 10-µm-thick, optically transparent film of titanium dioxide particles a few nanometres in size, coated with a monolayer of a charge-transfer dye to sensitize the film for light harvesting. Because of the high surface area of the semiconductor film and the ideal spectral characteristics of the dye, the device harvests a high proportion of the incident solar energy flux (46%) and shows exceptionally high efficiencies for the conversion of incident photons to electrical current (more than 80%). The overall light-to-electric energy conversion yield is 7.1-7.9% in simulated solar light and 12% in diffuse daylight. The large current densities (greater than 12 mA cm-2) and exceptional stability (sustaining at least five million turnovers without decomposition), as well as the low cost, make practical applications feasible.

26,457 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Ryoji Asahi1, Takeshi Morikawa1, T. Ohwaki1, Koyu Aoki1, Y. Taga1 
13 Jul 2001-Science
TL;DR: Film and powders of TiO2-x Nx have revealed an improvement over titanium dioxide (TiO2) under visible light in optical absorption and photocatalytic activity such as photodegradations of methylene blue and gaseous acetaldehyde and hydrophilicity of the film surface.
Abstract: To use solar irradiation or interior lighting efficiently, we sought a photocatalyst with high reactivity under visible light. Films and powders of TiO 2- x N x have revealed an improvement over titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) under visible light (wavelength 2 has proven to be indispensable for band-gap narrowing and photocatalytic activity, as assessed by first-principles calculations and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy.

11,402 citations