Synthesis of a high-performance Z-scheme 2D/2D WO3@CoFe-LDH nanocomposite for the synchronic degradation of the mixture azo dyes by sonocatalytic ozonation process

Synthesis of La2Ti2O7/Bi5O7I photocatalysts with improved photocatalytic activity for degradation of CIP under visible light

Excellent piezo-photocatalytic performance of Bi4Ti3O12 nanoplates synthesized by molten-salt method

Lithium incorporation assisted synthesis of ultra-small Mo2C nanodots as efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution cocatalysts

The rational design of nanomaterials with distinct exposed facets is of great importance for improving the physicochemical properties of these materials and for the study of structure–activity relationships. This work describes the first synthesis of lanthanum titanate (La2Ti2O7, LTO) with dandelion-like nanostructures via the molten salt method. The lowest synthesis temperature of 700 °C is at least 200 °C lower than that required by other methods. The dandelion structure consists of well-crystallized LTO nanorods (NRs) with sizes of less than 100 nm in the radial direction and 300–500 nm in the axial direction, which is different from the widely accepted two-dimensional form. LaOCl microplates were formed as an intermediate substrate for LTO NR growth outwards to the basal surfaces of the LaOCl crystallites. DFT calculation results showed that the strong LiCl adsorption on the (100) surface led to distinct growth of the (100) and (020) planes, thus promoting the rod-like growth of LTO along the [010] axis. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of as-prepared LTO was evaluated by determining the degradation of rhodamine B. The results suggested that the as-prepared LTO could markedly enhance the photocatalytic activity as a result of the surface heterojunction of coexposed {100} and {002} facets in LTO NRs. A catalyst that uses light irradiation to decompose organic pollutants can become more active by being fabricated into rod-like nanostructures resembling dandelion seeds. Zhong Huang from the Wuhan University of Science and Technology in China and co-workers have developed a method for synthesizing lanthanum titanate, a ceramic that excels at separating positive and negative photogenerated charges so they can be employed for catalytic reactions. The team’s approach quickly prepares lanthanum titanate nanocrystals using a bath of molten lithium and potassium salts. By optimizing the molten salt concentrations, the researchers isolated tiny aggregates of nanorods that have a high number of exposed crystal facets for charge separation. Experiments showed the nanorods could degrade model pollutants such as rhodamine dyes several times faster than conventional plate-shaped lanthanum titanates. A surface heterojunction is formed in the dandelion-like LTO, resulting in significant enhancement of the photocatalytic performance.

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One-step synthesis of dandelion-like lanthanum titanate nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic performance

Loading a noble metal on Bi4Ti3O12 could enable the formation of the Schottky barrier at the interface between the former and the latter, which causes electrons to be trapped and inhibits the recombination of photoelectrons and photoholes. In this paper, AgPt/Bi4Ti3O12 composite photocatalysts were prepared using the photoreduction method, and the effects of the type and content of noble metal on the photocatalytic performance of the catalysts were investigated. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) showed that the loading of AgPt bimetallic nanoparticles significantly improved the catalytic performance of Bi4Ti3O12. When 0.10 wt% noble metal was loaded, the degradation rate for RhB of Ag0.7Pt0.3/Bi4Ti3O12 was 0.027 min-1, which was respectively about 2, 1.7 and 3.7 times as that of Ag/Bi4Ti3O12, Pt/Bi3Ti4O12 and Bi4Ti3O12. The reasons may be attributed as follows: (i) the utilization of visible light was enhanced due to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag and Pt in the visible region; (ii) Ag nanoparticles mainly acted as electron acceptors to restrain the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs under visible light irradiation; and (iii) Pt nanoparticles acted as electron cocatalysts to further suppress the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The photocatalytic performance of Ag0.7Pt0.3/Bi4Ti3O12 was superior to that of Ag/Bi4Ti3O12 and Pt/Bi3Ti4O12 owing to the synergistic effect between Ag and Pt nanoparticles.

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/11/2206/pdf

Gen Zhang

Papers

One-step synthesis of dandelion-like lanthanum titanate nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic performance

Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance for Degradation of Rhodamine B of AgPt/Bi4Ti3O12 Composites.