2.3. Evaluation of Photocatalytic Water Splitting 6507 2.3.1. Photocatalytic Activity 6507 2.3.2. Photocatalytic Stability 6507 3. UV-Active Photocatalysts for Water Splitting 6507 3.1. d0 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6507 3.1.1. Ti-, Zr-Based Oxides 6507 3.1.2. Nb-, Ta-Based Oxides 6514 3.1.3. W-, Mo-Based Oxides 6517 3.1.4. Other d0 Metal Oxides 6518 3.2. d10 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6518 3.3. f0 Metal Oxide Photocatalysts 6518 3.4. Nonoxide Photocatalysts 6518 4. Approaches to Modifying the Electronic Band Structure for Visible-Light Harvesting 6519

Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

Jenny Schneider,*,† Masaya Matsuoka,‡ Masato Takeuchi,‡ Jinlong Zhang, Yu Horiuchi,‡ Masakazu Anpo,‡ and Detlef W. Bahnemann*,† †Institut fur Technische Chemie, Leibniz Universitaẗ Hannover, Callinstrasse 3, D-30167 Hannover, Germany ‡Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University, 1 Gakuen-cho, Sakai Osaka 599-8531, Japan Key Lab for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China

Understanding TiO2 photocatalysis: mechanisms and materials.

Photoinduced reactivity of titanium dioxide

Fujishima and Honda (1972) demonstrated the potential of titanium dioxide (TiO2) semiconductor materials to split water into hydrogen and oxygen in a photo-electrochemical cell. Their work triggered the development of semiconductor photocatalysis for a wide range of environmental and energy applications. One of the most significant scientific and commercial advances to date has been the development of visible light active (VLA) TiO2 photocatalytic materials. In this review, a background on TiO2 structure, properties and electronic properties in photocatalysis is presented. The development of different strategies to modify TiO2 for the utilization of visible light, including non metal and/or metal doping, dye sensitization and coupling semiconductors are discussed. Emphasis is given to the origin of visible light absorption and the reactive oxygen species generated, deduced by physicochemical and photoelectrochemical methods. Various applications of VLA TiO2, in terms of environmental remediation and in particular water treatment, disinfection and air purification, are illustrated. Comprehensive studies on the photocatalytic degradation of contaminants of emerging concern, including endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cyanotoxins and volatile organic compounds, with VLA TiO2 are discussed and compared to conventional UV-activated TiO2 nanomaterials. Recent advances in bacterial disinfection using VLA TiO2 are also reviewed. Issues concerning test protocols for real visible light activity and photocatalytic efficiencies with different light sources have been highlighted.

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A review on the visible light active titanium dioxide photocatalysts for environmental applications

Human skin is a remarkable organ. It consists of an integrated, stretchable network of sensors that relay information about tactile and thermal stimuli to the brain, allowing us to maneuver within our environment safely and effectively. Interest in large-area networks of electronic devices inspired by human skin is motivated by the promise of creating autonomous intelligent robots and biomimetic prosthetics, among other applications. The development of electronic networks comprised of flexible, stretchable, and robust devices that are compatible with large-area implementation and integrated with multiple functionalities is a testament to the progress in developing an electronic skin (e-skin) akin to human skin. E-skins are already capable of providing augmented performance over their organic counterpart, both in superior spatial resolution and thermal sensitivity. They could be further improved through the incorporation of additional functionalities (e.g., chemical and biological sensing) and desired properties (e.g., biodegradability and self-powering). Continued rapid progress in this area is promising for the development of a fully integrated e-skin in the near future.

25th Anniversary Article: The Evolution of Electronic Skin (E-Skin): A Brief History, Design Considerations, and Recent Progress

The peroxide gel route is employed to synthesize N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) at low temperature using titanium tetraisopropoxide, ethylmethylamine, and hydrogen peroxide as precursors. Structural studies show anatase phase in the undoped titania NPs as well as at 5 at. % N-doped titania NPs, although with a degree of matrix disorder in the latter case. The annealing of N-doped titania NPs at different temperatures shows that above 400 °C nitrogen escapes the O−Ti−O matrix and at 500 °C the sample becomes crystalline. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the particle size is in the range of 20−30 nm for the undoped TiO2 but only 5−10 nm for N-doped TiO2. At higher nitrogen concentration (10 at. %) bubble-like agglomerates form. FTIR and photoluminescence quenching also confirm the incorporation of nitrogen in anatase TiO2. Optical properties reveal an extended tailing of the absorption edge toward the visible region upon nitrogen doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to examine the ...

N-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticle Based Visible Light Photocatalyst by Modified Peroxide Sol−Gel Method

Nanostructured photocatalysts with high activity are sought for solar production of hydrogen. Spinel semiconductors with different nanostructures and morphologies have immense importance for photocatalytic and other potential applications. Here, a chemically stable cubic spinel nanostructured CdIn2S4 prepared by a facile hydrothermal method is reported as a visible-light driven photocatalyst. A pretty, marigold-like morphology is observed in aqueous-mediated CdIn2S4, whereas nanotubes of good crystallinity, 25 nm in diameter, are obtained in methanol-mediated CdIn2S4. The aqueous- and methanol-mediated CdIn2S4 products show excellent photocatalytic activity compared to other organic mediated samples, and this is attributed to their high degree of crystallinity. The CdIn2S4 photocatalyst gives quantum yields of 16.8 % (marigold-like morphology) and 17.1 % (nanotubes) at 500 nm, respectively, for the H2 evolution reaction. The details of the characteristics of the photocatalyst, such as crystal and band structure, are reported. Considering the importance of hydrogen energy, CdIn2S4 will be an excellent candidate as a catalyst for “photohydrogen” production under visible light. Being a nanostructured chalcogenide semiconductor, CdIn2S4 will have other potential prospective applications, such as in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and optoelectronic devices.

Bharat B. Kale

Papers

N-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticle Based Visible Light Photocatalyst by Modified Peroxide Sol−Gel Method

CdIn2S4 Nanotubes and “Marigold” Nanostructures: A Visible‐Light Photocatalyst

Preparation and photo-catalytic activity of FeTiO2 thin films prepared by sol–gel dip coating

Green approach for hierarchical nanostructured Ag-ZnO and their photocatalytic performance under sunlight

Self-assembled aligned Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light irradiation