Wonyong Choi

Bio: Wonyong Choi is an academic researcher from Pohang University of Science and Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Photocatalysis & Racism. The author has an hindex of 98, co-authored 433 publications receiving 49043 citations. Previous affiliations of Wonyong Choi include Guangdong University of Technology & Yonsei University.

Environmental Applications of Semiconductor Photocatalysis

Abstract: The civilian, commercial, and defense sectors of most advanced industrialized nations are faced with a tremendous set of environmental problems related to the remediation of hazardous wastes, contaminated groundwaters, and the control of toxic air contaminants. For example, the slow pace of hazardous waste remediation at military installations around the world is causing a serious delay in conversion of many of these facilities to civilian uses. Over the last 10 years problems related to hazardous waste remediation have emerged as a high national and international priority.

The Role of Metal Ion Dopants in Quantum-Sized TiO2: Correlation between Photoreactivity and Charge Carrier Recombination Dynamics

Abstract: A systematic study of metal ion doping in quantum (Q)-sized (2-4 nm) TiO_2 colloids is performed by measuring their photoreactivities and the transient charge carrier recombination dynamics. The presence of metal ion dopants in the TiO_2 crystalline matrix significantly influences photoreactivity, charge carrier recombination rates, and interfacial electron-transfer rates. The photoreactivities of 21 metal ion-doped colloids are quantified in terms of both the conduction band electron reduction of an electron acceptor (CCl_4 dechlorination) and the valence band hole oxidation of an electron donor (CHCl_3 degradation). Doping with Fe^(3+), Mo^(5+), Ru^(3+), Os^(3+), Re^(5+), V^(4+), and Rh^(3+) at 0.1-0.5 at.% significantly increases the photoreactivity for both oxidation and reduction while Co^(3+) and Al^(3+) doping decreases the photoreactivity. The transient absorption signals upon laser flash photolysis (λ_(ex) = 355 nm) at λ = 600 nm are extended up to 50 ms for Fe^(3+)-, V^(4+)-, Mo^(5+)-, and Ru^(3+)-doped TiO_2 while the undoped Q-sized TiO_2 shows a complete "blue electron" signal decay within 200 μs. Co^(3+)- and Al^(3+)-doped TiO_2 are characterized by rapid signal decays with a complete loss of absorption signals within 5 μs. The quantum yields obtained during CW photolyses are quantitatively correlated with the measured transient absorption signals of the charge carriers. Photoreactivities are shown to increase with the relative concentration of trapped charge carriers. The photoreactivity of doped TiO_2 appears to be a complex function of the dopant concentration, the energy level of dopants within the TiO_2 lattice, their d electronic configuration, the distribution of dopants, the electron donor concentration, and the light intensity.

Surface modification of TiO2 photocatalyst for environmental applications

Abstract: This paper reviews recent studies on the semiconductor photocatalysis based on surface-modified TiO2 of which application is mainly focused on environmental remediation. TiO2 photocatalysis that is based on the photoinduced interfacial charge transfer has been extensively studied over the past four decades. A great number of modification methods of semiconductor photocatalysts have been developed and investigated to accelerate the photoconversion, to enable the absorption of visible light, or to alter the reaction mechanism to control the products and intermediates. In this regard, various modification methods of TiO2 are classified according to the kind of surface modifiers (metal-loading, impurity doping, inorganic adsorbates, polymer coating, dye-sensitization, charge transfer complexation) and their effects on photocatalytic reaction mechanism and kinetics are discussed in detail. Modifying TiO2 in various ways not only changes the mechanism and kinetics under UV irradiation but also introduces visible light activity that is absent with pure TiO2. Each modification method influences the photocatalytic activity and mechanism in a way different from others and the observed modification effects are often different depending on the test substrates and conditions even for the same modification method. Better understanding of the modification effects on TiO2 photocatalysis is necessary to obtain reliable results, to assess the photoconversion efficiency more quantitatively, and to further improve the modification methods.

Visible-Light Photocatalysis in Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Oxides

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.