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Mohammad Abul Kashem,1– 3 Lin Li,2 Xin-Yong Yuan,2 Francis A Plummer1 ,†Ma Luo1,2 1Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; 2JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Center, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; 3Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chittagong, Bangladesh†Dr Francis A Plummer passed away on February 04, 2020Correspondence: Ma Luo, JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Center, National Microbiology Laboratory, 745 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3L5, Canada, Tel +1 204-789-5072, Fax +1 204-789-2018, Email maluo@phac-aspc.gc.caPurpose: TILRR is a modulator of genes in the NF-κB inflammation pathway. It regulates inflammation-responsive genes, the secretion of inflammatory mediators, and the migration of immune cells. Because inflammation drives the pathogenesis of many infectious and inflammatory diseases, it is important to know the expression of TILRR protein in tissues and cells. This study examined TILRR protein expression in healthy adult human and macaques’ tissues and PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells).Methods and Results: Tissues (trachea, lungs, stomach, small intestine [ileum], cecum, colon, rectum, vagina, cervix, uterus, and penis) and PBMCs from humans and macaques were lysed in RIPA (radioimmunoprecipitation assay) lysis buffer. The TILRR protein was examined by fluorescent Western blot analysis. The relative fluorescence units (rfu) of TILRR protein expression were quantified by Image Studio software (LI-COR). The results showed that adult healthy female (n=1) rectal and cervicovaginal tissues expressed a higher level of TILRR protein than the other tissues (trachea, lungs, stomach, small intestine [ileum], cecum, colon, uterus, and penis) examined. Like humans, the lungs, colon, and rectal tissues of healthy adult female cynomolgus monke

Mohammad Abul Kashem,1– 4 Xin-Yong Yuan,4 Lin Li,2 Joshua Kimani,5 Francis Plummer1 ,†Ma Luo1,2,4 1Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; 2JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Winnipeg, Mb, Canada; 3Department of Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chittagong, Bangladesh; 4National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; 5Institute for Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya†In memoriam (passed away on February 4, 2020).Correspondence: Ma LuoDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CanadaTel +204-789-5072Fax +204-789-2018Email maluo@canada.ca; Ma.Luo@umanitoba.caPurpose: TILRR (Toll-like interleukin-1 receptor regulator), a variant of FREM1 (Fras-related extracellular matrix 1), is a modulator of many genes in NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) signaling and inflammatory responses. It enhanced the expression of multiple genes in the NF-κB signaling pathway and promoted the production of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. TILRR is an extracellular matrix protein and expressed in cells and tissues, and has never been considered to exist in the blood. The study aimed to identify circulating TILRR protein in human plasma as a biomarker of systemic inflammation.Methods and Results: We developed a multiplex bead array method (Bio-Plex) using 4 monoclonal antibodies targeting different protein domains of FREM1/TILRR to investigate whether TILRR can be detected in blood plasma. The results of the multiplex bead array method were validated by Western blot analysis of affinity-purified TILRR from patient plasma samples. We subsequently analyzed 640 plasma samples from women enrolled in the Pumwani Sex Worker cohort (PSWC) (Nairobi, Kenya). Our study showed that TILRR exists in all pa

Shi S, Zheng G, Yang C, et al. Onco Targets Ther. 2019;12:11715–11727. The authors have advised that the affiliation “3Department of Dermatology, Xuzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Huai’an 221003, People’s Republic of China;” is incorrect. The correct affiliation is "3Department of Dermatology, Xuzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Xuzhou 221002, People’s Republic of China;". The authors apologize for this error. Read the original article

Shangyuchen Shi, 1,* Gang Zheng, 2, 3,* Chunsheng Yang, 4,* Xi Chen, 2 Qiuyue Yan, 1 Fan Jiang, 1 Xiaojie Jiang, 1 Yong Xin, 1 Guan Jiang 2 1Department of Radiotherapy, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Dermatology, Xuzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Huai’an 221003, People’s Republic of China; 4The Affiliated Huai’an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’an, Huai’an 223002, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yong Xin Email deep369@163.comGuan Jiang Email dr.guanjiang@gmail.comPurpose: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer and its incidence continues to rise yearly. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive form of cancer therapy, which utilizes the combined action of a photosensitizer, light, and oxygen molecules to selectively cause cellular damage to tumor cells. Vitamin K3 (VitK3) has been shown to induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of tumor cells in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of VitK3 and ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) on oxidative damage, proliferation and apoptosis of A431 cells.Methods: CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation; Hoechst staining, TUNEL assay and flow cytometry analysis were used to detect apoptosis. Western Blot was perfomed to measure the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Flow cytometry analysis was employed to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and mitochondrial membrane potential. Finally, the role of VitK3 in combination with UVB on the proliferation and apoptosis of A431 cells was investigated using mice xenogra

A series of transition metals (Co, Cu and Fe) were selected to decorate Ce-Ti mixed oxide to elevate the low-temperature activity of selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3 (NH3-SCR) reaction, by adjusting the ratio of surface Ce3+ species and oxygen vacancies. Among them, Co-Ce-Ti sample exhibited the excellent low-temperature activity and broadened temperature window, which could be attributed to the improvement of the physico-chemical properties and the acceleration of the reactions in the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) and Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanisms. Owing to the different ionic sizes of Co2+ and Ce4+, the lattice distortion of Ce-Ti mixed oxide was greatly aggravated and subsequently increased the ratio of Ce3+ and the surface adsorbed oxygen, which benefited the generation of adsorbed NOx species and improved the reaction in the L-H mechanism. Meanwhile, the coordinatively unsaturated cationic sites over the Co-Ce-Ti sample induced more Lewis acid sites and enhanced the formation of the adsorbed NH3 species bounded with Lewis acid sites, which were considered as the crucial intermediates in E-R mechanism, and therefore facilitating the reaction between the adsorbed NH3 species and NO molecules. The enhancements in both the reactions from L-H and E-R mechanisms appeared to directly correlated with the improved deNOx performance on the Co-Ce-Ti sample, and the L-H mechanism could be the dominate one at low temperatures due to its rapid reaction rate.

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. As an important half reaction in solar-driven water splitting, it is still a challenging issue to develop low-cost and high efficient photocatalysts for water oxidation process. In this study, we reported a facile strategy for controllable synthesis of three-component Bi2O3/Bi2S3/MoS2 n-p heterojunction based on the formation of the intermediate Bi2S3 by coupling Bi2O3 and MoS2. The Bi2S3 was easily formed due to the strong interaction between Bi3+ and S2- ions with the assistance of the hydrothermal treatment. As a result, the prepared Bi2O3/Bi2S3/MoS2 nanocomposite exhibits enhanced ability of photocatalytic water oxidation (529.1 µmol h-1 g-1cat), which is 1.5 and 12.5 times higher than that of pure Bi2O3 and MoS2, respectively, under simulated solar light irradiation. Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical results reveal that the charge transportation feature and the donor density were apparently enhanced after the introduction of highly conductive layered MoS2, which indicates the enhancement of the photo-response and the improvement of charge separation efficiency.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR) at low temperatures is a promising technology for DeNOx (removal of NOx) as a result of its high NOx conversion, excellent selectivity, and broad application prospect. As a result of the remarkable activity under low temperature for SCR performance, Mn-based catalysts have attracted extensive attention. In this work, a series of WαMn1 – αOx (α = 0, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5, or 1) catalysts were synthesized by a one-step urea co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Thereamong, the W0.33Mn0.66Ox catalyst showed the highest NH3-SCR activity within a broad temperature range of 230–470 °C. In addition, the active Mn and W species were in highly amorphous or poorly crystalline states. It was revealed that the interaction of W and Mn increased the chemistry oxygen content of the catalysts, thus enhancing the low-temperature SCR performance.

Short chain chlorinated paraffins have recently attracted great attention because of their environmental persistence and biological toxicity as an important organic pollutant. In this work, reduced graphene oxide/CoFe2O4/Ag (RGO/CoFe2O4/Ag) nanocomposite was prepared and employed for photocatalytic degradation of short chain chlorinated paraffins. The process of photocatalytic degradation of short chain chlorinated paraffins over RGO/CoFe2O4/Ag under visible light (λ > 400 nm) was investigated by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the related mechanisms were proposed. An apparent degradation ratio of 91.9% over RGO/CoFe2O4/Ag could be obtained under visible light illumination of 12 h, while only about 21.7% was obtained with commercial P25 TiO2 under the same experimental conditions, which demonstrates that the RGO/CoFe2O4/Ag nanocomposite is a potential candidate for effective photocatalytic removal of short chain chlorinated paraffins.

© 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc. Fabrication of Au nanostars (AuNSs) can expand the application range of Au nanoparticles because of their high electron density and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) on branches. Exploiting this potential requires further refinement of length of the branches and radius of their tips. To this end, we successfully synthesized AuNSs with uniform and sharply-pointed branches by combining benzyldimethylammonium chloride (BDAC) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at low BDAC/CTAB ratios. Once mixed with CTAB, BDAC lowers the critical micelle concentration (CMC) for quick formation of the micelles, which provides favorable growth templates for AuNSs formation. Besides, BDAC increases the concentration of Cl-, which favors Ag+ in adsorbing on Au facets. This feature is crucial for the yield boosting and synergic shape control of AuNSs regardless of types of Au seeds used. Use of less amounts of seeds as the center of nucleation benefited sharper and longer growth of the branches. AuNSs exhibited excellent enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensities as the result of high electron density localized at the tips; however, the enhancement degree varied in accordance with the size of branches. In addition, AuNSs showed high catalytic performance toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). Efficient catalysis over AuNSs originates from their corners, stepped surfaces and high electron density at the tips.

© 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc. Fabrication of Au nanostars (AuNSs) can expand the application range of Au nanoparticles because of their high electron density and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) on branches. Exploiting this potential requires further refinement of length of the branches and radius of their tips. To this end, we successfully synthesized AuNSs with uniform and sharply-pointed branches by combining benzyldimethylammonium chloride (BDAC) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at low BDAC/CTAB ratios. Once mixed with CTAB, BDAC lowers the critical micelle concentration (CMC) for quick formation of the micelles, which provides favorable growth templates for AuNSs formation. Besides, BDAC increases the concentration of Cl-, which favors Ag+ in adsorbing on Au facets. This feature is crucial for the yield boosting and synergic shape control of AuNSs regardless of types of Au seeds used. Use of less amounts of seeds as the center of nucleation benefited sharper and longer growth of the branches. AuNSs exhibited excellent enhancement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensities as the result of high electron density localized at the tips; however, the enhancement degree varied in accordance with the size of branches. In addition, AuNSs showed high catalytic performance toward the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). Efficient catalysis over AuNSs originates from their corners, stepped surfaces and high electron density at the tips.

In order to enhance the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 in the visible light region, BiPO4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites photocatalysts with different BiPO4 contents were prepared through a hydrothermal method including calcination. Through N2 adsorption–desorption measurements, BiPO4/g-C3N4 showed a large surface area (172.9 m2 g−1) and small pore diameter and the incorporation of BiPO4 caused a red-shift of g-C3N4 in the visible light region by UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of benzene over BiPO4/g-C3N4 was investigated. Degradation of benzene could be achieved up to 73% in 2 wt% BiPO4/g-C3N4 photocatalysts under optimum reaction conditions, which was 6 times more when compared with pure g-C3N4 at the same conditions. The improved photoactivity of BiPO4/g-C3N4 could be ascribed to its effective separation of photogenerated hole–electron pairs between BiPO4 and g-C3N4. Furthermore, the BiPO4/g-C3N4 photocatalysts showed excellent stability. By using an in situ FTIR technique, ethyl acetate, carboxylic acid and aldehyde could be regarded as the intermediate products, and CO2 and H2O were produced as the final products. Through electron spin resonance (ESR), OH˙ and O2˙− were examined in the photocatalytic degradation of benzene.

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that highly branched gold nanostars (AuNSs) and silica-coated AuNSs (AuNSs@mSiO2) could potentially serve as efficient hydrogenation catalysts. The catalytic activity could be promoted by raising the number of tipped-branches of AuNSs, which reveals that the tips play an important role as active sites. The fabricated sharply-pointed AuNSs benefit the electron transfer from BH4 anions to 4-nitrophenol. Coating AuNSs with mesoporous silica (AuNSs@mSiO2) further enhanced the reduction rate and recyclability, and also contributed to reducing the induction period. The AuNSs@mSiO2 (50-100 nm in diameter) are large enough to be catalytically inactive, but they consist of sharply-pointed tips with the radius of 2.6-3.6 nm, which are rich in coordinately unsaturated sites similar to those of nanoparticles and clusters. Such features in structure and activity would also extend their application range in heterogeneous catalysis.

Metal-organic framework Cu-BTC was synthesized by hydrothermal method, and was employed as denitrification catalyst for low temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 (NH3-SCR). After activated at different temperatures from 180°C to 250°C in vacuum, Cu-BTC samples were characterized by NH3-SCR test, X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, scanning electron microscope and in situ Fourier-transform infrared. NO conversion results revealed that activation temperatures played a significant beneficial effect role in Cu-BTC catalytic performance for low-temperature NH3-SCR reaction. The Cu-BTC catalyst pre-treated at 230°C achieved a complete NO conversion efficiency with large operating-temperature window from 220°C to 280°C. This excellent catalytic activity was mainly attributed to the unsaturated Cu sites in Cu-BTC. The correlation between catalytic property and structure of Cu-BTC was discussed.

© 2016 Elsevier LtdIn this work, a facile strategy of ultrasound-assisted successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction was successfully employed to modify TiO2 nanotube arrays with BiFeO3 nanoparticles. An enhanced positive surface photovoltage was observed with the obtained BiFeO3/TiO2 nanotube arrays as well as a longer lifetime of charges separation state, as probed by transient photovoltage technique. The higher photocurrent density produced by BiFeO3/TiO2 nanotube arrays further indicated that BiFeO3 nanoparticles contributed to photo conversion and promoted the generation of photo-induced charge carriers over TiO2 nanotube arrays. Besides, the prepared BiFeO3/TiO2 electrode exhibited a much enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performance in removing methyl blue compared with bare TiO2 nanotube arrays.

A new type of multifunctional plasmonic nanoparticles, cobalt-doped Fe2O3 at polydopamine-Au (Co-Fe2O3 at PDA-Au), is fabricated via coating PDA through self-polymerization onto Co-Fe2O3 and further loading gold nanoparticles by in situ reduction onto the surface of PDA shell. Benefiting from the universal adhesive ability of PDA and negative zeta potetntial of the composite, the Co-Fe2O3 at PDA-Au shows strong adsorptivity for cationic dyes. The presence of gold nanoparticle with the diameter of 15 nm in the Co-Fe2O3 at PDA-Au system promotes surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity with an impressive detection limit of 1 × 10-6 m. Thanks to the synergistic effect of the light harvesting of PDA, the surface plasmon resonance of Au, and the electron conductibility of PDA and Au, the Co-Fe2O3 at PDA-Au exhibits an enhanced photocatalytic activity comparing with unmodified Co-Fe2O3. All the above-mentioned functions enable Co-Fe2O3 at PDA-Au to be a multifunctional material system for various applications toward environmental pollutants.

© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016. This work focuses on exploring metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for degradation of gaseous pollutants. We demonstrate that NH2-MIL-101(Fe) hexagonal micro-spindles, as a new photocatalyst, showed an improved performance for degradation of toluene under visible light irradiation. The structural and optical properties of the as-prepared NH2-MIL-101(Fe) hexagonal micro-spindles were characterized. Furthermore, the catalytic reaction mechanism has been investigated on the basis of in situ Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technology. Meanwhile, some intermediates (benzoic acid) and the final product (CO2) of the degradation of toluene were also identified.

In this work, the TiO2 and AgInS2 heterostructures with different mole ratios were prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized composites were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the obtained materials exhibited multi-heterostructures, possessing the orthorhombic phase of AgInS2, and anatase and rutile phase of TiO2. Furthermore, the optical properties displayed that a series of AgInS2/TiO2 composites could expand the visible-light response range and enhance the absorption intensity by UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The photo-generated carriers were subsequently investigated by the surface photovoltage (SPV) spectra and photoluminescence (PL) technique, and the results demonstrated that the forming heterojunctions greatly depressed the recombination of photogenerated charges in the composites. Finally, the materials were tested as photocatalysts for degradation of gaseous 1, 2-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) under visible-light irradiation, and the degradation process and final products (CO2) were identified by using in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The mechanism of enhanced photocatalytic activity was proposed in terms of the quantum calculation of AgInS2 and the proper band alignment of AgInS2/TiO2 composites.

With the aim of improving the performance of TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs), α-Bi2O3 nanoparticles were successfully implanted into the nanotube arrays via a vacuum-assisted impregnation strategy for the first time. Photoelectrochemical characterizations and comparative investigations on the degradation efficiency of 2-Chlorophenol demonstrate the enhanced photo activity of α-Bi2O3/TiO2 nanotube arrays over the pure nanotube arrays. The as-prepared α-Bi2O3/TiO2-NTAs grown on Ti behaved as a recyclable and stable electrode and outperformed pure TiO2-NTAs. The α-Bi2O3 nanoparticles modified TiO2 nanotube arrays could favor the separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers, which promote the energy conversion and the generation of reactive radicals upon irradiation. The predominant superoxide radicals were evidenced by electron spin resonance signals.

The α-Fe2O3/In2O3 composite hollow microspheres were first synthesized through a well-designed two-step hydrothermal approach with an aim to promote the photocatalytic activity of the pure In2O3. The morphologies, phase structures, and optical properties of the resultant samples were systematically characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse-reflectance, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles acted as visible-light sensitizer, which were well-decorated on the surface of the In2O3 hollow microspheres. Meanwhile, the investigation of photocatalytic performance confirmed that the visible-light induced photocatalytic degradation rate of gaseous toluene was improved after the introduction of α-Fe2O3 component, which was about 1.6 times higher than that of pure In2O3 sample under identical conditions. Furthermore, some intermediates formed during the photocatalytic oxidation process were also identified by in␣situ FTIR spectroscopy. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the α-Fe2O3/In2O3 composites mainly stemmed from the strong visible-light-harvesting ability and the efficient spatial separation of photo-generated electron–hole pairs.

This work aims to explore the mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of gaseous 1,2-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) over vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) hollow spheres. To this end, flower-type V2O5 hollow microspheres with diameters of about 700–800 nm were obtained with the assistance of carbon-sphere templates, and then tested in the photodegradation of o-DCB under visible light (λ > 400 nm). Due to its strong adsorption capacity and large specific surface area, the V2O5 hollow structure showed high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of gaseous o-DCB under visible light. Furthermore, the o-DCB degradation mechanism was investigated by using in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the intermediates, such as o-benzoquinone-type and organic acid species, and final products (CO2 and H2O) were also confirmed. Then, the reaction pathways over V2O5 were proposed. The outstanding performance indicated that the photocatalysts could be applied to air purification for Chlorinated Volatile Organic Compound (Cl–VOC) removal.

A novel nanocomposite electrode with tight and vertically aligned Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4@TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTs) has been successfully synthesized via an ultrasonically assisted electrodeposition strategy. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the composite nanostructures indicated that the as-prepared electrodes were well-aligned TiO2 NTs with Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles. The enhanced absorption of the nanocomposite electrode under simulated sun light and visible light regions were observed. The photoelectrochemical performance of the Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4@TiO2 nanotube arrays showed excellent sensitive response to visible light. The surface-interface charge separation and transfer of photo-induced electrons and holes were also demonstrated by optical characterization. Meanwhile, the photoelectrochemical investigations clearly illustrated that the Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4@TiO2 composite NTs had more effective photo-conversion capability than the unloaded TiO2 NTs. The saturated photocurrent density of the doped electrode was about 6.5 fold and 4 fold as high as that of the TiO2 NTs under the illumination of visible light and simulated sun light, respectively. In addition, the enhanced photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) ability of the as-prepared electrode was demonstrated in the degradation of toxic p-nitrophenol species. The much improved PEC activity can be attributed to both the visible-light photocatalytic activity of Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 and the heterostructure between Zn0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 and TiO2.

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. The structure sensitivity of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with propylene over Cu-doped Ti0.5Zr0.5O2-d catalysts was investigated systematically in a series of characterizations and in situ DRIFT spectroscopy. A Cu-doped Ti0.5Zr0.5O2-d catalyst with a hierarchical structure was fabricated successfully using a hydrothermal method (Hy-Sample), and shown to exhibit excellent SCR performance with high reaction rate and turnover frequency (TOF). The physico-chemical properties, mass transfer, and SCR activity of the catalyst depended on the preparation method. Another sample of Cu-doped Ti0.5Zr0.5O2-d catalyst prepared using a co-precipitation method (Co-Sample) exhibited a disordered, irregular morphology, whose SCR activity, as determined in a fixed bed reactor, was significantly lower than that of Hy-Sample. In comparison, Hy-Sample possessed an enhanced redox property, and its highly ordered morphology greatly promoted the generation of active sites, including the fine-dispersed CuO species and surface adsorbed oxygen. Consequently, NO and C3H6 were readily adsorbed and activated over Hy-Sample and induced the formation of important intermediates with high reactivity, such as isocyanate (-NCO) and cyanide (-CN) species. However, the activation capacity of Co-Sample toward reactants was very weak, and the sequential deficiency of N-containing organics could be the primary reason for the poor SCR activity of Co-Sample.

© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. In this work, the body-centered cubic indium oxide (bcc-In2O3) hollow microspheres were prepared via a P123-assisted solvothermal process. The structural properties of samples were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible diffusive reflectance spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic effects of degrading gaseous toluene were evaluated by gas chromatography and in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra under a irradiation of a 500 W high pressure xenon lamp. The results indicated that the as-prepared bcc-In2O3 hollow microspheres exhibited a high degradation efficiency towards toluene within a short reaction time. Besides, the preliminary mechanism therein was inferred with the aid of in situ FTIR and electron spin-paramagnetic resonance techniques to understand the degradation process.

© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. BiFeO3-based materials have attracted broad interests due to their multiferric and photoactive properties, but there remains some controversial uncertainty about the electronic structures of various nanoparticles of BiFeO3. In this work, BiFeO3 nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm have grown into TiO2 nanotube array by an ultrasonic-immersion method. Some evidences on the energy band position of BiFeO3 nanoparticles in BiFeO3/TiO2 nanotube array were from the visible-light driven photo responses. Positive surface photovoltage polarity of the composite is the same as that of the pure TiO2 nanotube array, which reveals the photo-induced electron transfer from BiFeO3 nanoparticles to TiO2 nanotubes. Furthermore, both ·OH and ·O2 − radicals could be detected by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin-trapping method. According to the EPR result, the valence band edge of BiFeO3 nanoparticles could be deduced as more positive than the potential at which ·OH radical could be generated. A scheme on the energy band alignment and photo-induced charges transfer processes is then proposed based on the observed visible-light photo activity of BiFeO3/TiO2 nanotube array.

BiPO4/g-C3N4 with different amounts of BiPO4 was prepared through wet impregnation with calcination method. The BiPO4/g-C3N4 showed large surface area (172.9 m2 g− 1) and the incorporation of BiPO4 caused a red-shift of g-C3N4 in visible light. The photocatalytic degradation of toluene over the samples was investigated. The degradation of toluene could get 82% in BiPO4/g-C3N4 photocatalysts under optimum reaction conditions. The BiPO4/g-C3N4 exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity than pure g-C3N4 or BiPO4. The improved photoactivity of BiPO4/g-C3N4 could be attributed to strong absorption in visible light and effective separation of photo-induced hole-electron pairs between BiPO4 and g-C3N4.

MnFe2O4 hollow nanospheres were successfully fabricated via a facile one-pot solvothermal method. The prepared products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy analyses. Benzene can be effectively degradated on the MnFe2O4 nanospheres when irradiated with visible light. By using the in situ FTIR technique, ethyl acetate, carboxylic acid, aldehyde and acetylene could be regarded as the intermediate products, and CO2 was produced as the final mineralization product during the reaction process. Hydroxyl radicals were confirmed as active species in the photocatalytic reaction by the photoluminescence technique.

This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry. Novel phosphorus-doped graphitic-carbon nitride (P-C3N4) modified vertically aligned TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTs) were designed and synthesized. They can significantly enhance the conduction and utilization of photogenerated charge carriers of TiO2 NTs. The heterostructure was successfully fabricated through a three-step process: electrochemical anodization and wet-dipping followed by thermal polymerization. The prepared P-C3N4/TiO2 NTs exhibit enhanced light-absorption characteristics and improved charge separation and transfer ability, thus resulting in a 3-fold photocurrent (1.98 mA cm-2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl) compared with that of pure TiO2 NTs (0.66 mA cm-2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl) in 1 M NaOH solution. The prepared P-C3N4/TiO2 NT photoelectrodes also present excellent photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic capabilities in the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The kinetic rate of P-C3N4/TiO2 NTs in the photoelectrocatalytic process for MB is 2.7 times that of pristine TiO2 NTs. Furthermore, the prepared sample was used as a photoanode for solar-driven water splitting, giving a H2 evolution rate of 36.6 µmol h-1 cm-2 at 1.0 V vs. RHE under simulated solar light illumination. This novel structure with a rational design for a visible light response shows potential for metal free materials in photoelectrochemical applications.

© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015. In an effort to develop visible-light-driven heterostructured photocatalysts with high activity, a novel quantum-sized tubelike BiVO4 sensitized TiO2 microflower catalytic system was successfully fabricated by using a facile hydrothermal and ultrasonic adhering approach. The structural and optical properties of the as-prepared samples were comparatively characterized. The staggered band structure of quantum-sized BiVO4 decorated TiO2 not only extended the photo-response range but also promoted photoexcited charges transfer and separation. Photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples were examined by the degradation of toluene under visible light irradiation (? > 400 nm). Compared to the individual TiO2 microflower, BiVO4 quantum tube, BiVO4 nanoparticle and nano-BiVO4/TiO2, the quantum-BiVO4/TiO2 (Q-BiVO4/TiO2) composite exhibited higher photo activities. Electron spin resonance (ESR) examinations confirmed the generation of the photo-induced reactive oxygen species (OH and O2 -) which were involved in the photocatalytic process of Q-BiVO4/TiO2 composites. Furthermore, the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Q-BiVO4/TiO2 composite mainly originated from the high separation efficiency of photo-induced electron-hole pairs and the efficient production of hydroxyl radicals. A detailed mechanism accounting for the superior photocatalytic activity was proposed in terms of the energy band structures of the components.

An ultrasound-assisted impregnation deposition technique was adopted to construct Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles on TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) which were prepared by electrochemical anodization in a hydrofluoric acid system. The Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles were found to successfully deposit on the surface of the highly oriented TiO2 NTAs causing no damage to the ordered structure of the nanotubes. The as-prepared Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/TiO2 NTAs exhibited much improved photoelectrochemical capability. Compared with pure TiO2 NTAs, a more than 2.36-fold enhancement in photo-current density and a 2.17-fold enhancement in photo-conversion efficiency of the Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/TiO2 NTAs were achieved. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activities of Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/TiO2 NTAs were evaluated by the degradation of toxic 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in aqueous solution under simulated sun light irradiation. The experimental results indicated that the heterostructure photoelectrode showed much higher PEC activity than the pure TiO2 NTAs for the degradation of 2.4-DCP under simulated sun light irradiation. In addition, electron spin resonance examination confirmed that the photogenerated active species (˙OH and ˙O2−) were involved in the PEC degradation of 2,4-DCP. A mechanism accounting for the enhanced PEC activity of the Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/TiO2 NTAs was proposed. The enhanced PEC activity of the nanocomposite electrode could be attributed to the synergistic effects between the lowered electron–hole recombination rate by the applied bias and the wider spectral response promoted by the Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 component.

In the present work, the multiphase TixZr1−xO2 particles containing cubic-phase ZrO2 were fabricated via co-precipitation route. The mole ratios of Ti and Zr elements were controlled by three levels: Ti/Zr = 7/3 (maximum), Ti/Zr = 5/5 (medium), and Ti/Zr = 3/7 (minimum). The materials prepared were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. For the maximum usage of solar power with fabricated catalysts, elimination of gaseous toluene was chosen as a model to evaluate the performances under visible light. The results indicated that the degradation efficiency of toluene was about 80% after 6 h reaction using Ti0.3Zr0.7O2 as the photocatalyst. On the other hand, the multiphase TixZr1−xO2 (x = 0.7 or 0.5) photocatalysts showed significant enhancement in the activity, compared with the commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25). The enhanced performances of TixZr1−xO2 might be attributed to the lower charge recombination rate of photoinduced electron–hole pairs. In addition, some intermediates (the benzaldehyde and benzoic acid) and final product (CO2) adsorbed on the surface of the particles were also detected by using in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

This work aims at the exploration of nanostructured ferroelectric-material-modified semiconductor electrodes for enhanced photo-induced activity. A well-aligned BiFeO3/TiO2-nanotubes (NTs) array with visible-light activity was successfully synthesized on a titanium sheet by combining anodization and an ultrasonic-immersion method followed by annealing. The structural and optical properties of the TiO2-NTs and the composite BiFeO3/TiO2-NTs were comparatively characterized. The composite BiFeO3/TiO2-NTs grown on a Ti sheet and used as an electrode exhibited a stronger absorption in the visible region and a much higher photoconversion efficiency than the pure TiO2-NTs/Ti electrode. Electrochemical impedance investigation attested to a significant improvement of the interfacial electron-transfer kinetics with enhanced separation of electron-hole pairs. The as-prepared composite electrode showed a high efficiency for photoelectrocatalytic degradation towards rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation (λ > 400 nm). The enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of the composite electrode could be attributed to the synergistic effect between the lowered electron-hole recombination rate by the applied bias and the wider spectral response promoted by the BiFeO3 component.

The SO2-poisoning on a Cu-supported Ti–Zr mixed oxide catalyst (Cu/Ti0.7Zr0.3O2−δ) in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with C3H6 was investigated, and the different effects of SO2 at varying reaction temperatures were clarified by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In situ FTIR results of the catalyst at low temperatures (150–250 °C) implied that the formation of sulfates on the surface inhibited the activation of NO and C3H6 as well as the reactivity of nitrates and NO2. The weakened capacity of the catalyst toward acetate formation is an important reason for the decline of catalytic activity at low temperatures. At high temperatures (above 275 °C), the negative effect of SO2 on the C3H6 activation to acetate is quite weak. More importantly, the generation of −NCO species is enhanced significantly via the reaction −CN + SO2/SO42– → −NCO, which is confirmed by both in situ FTIR experimental observations and DFT calculations. The promotion in the generation of −NCO species is the primary reason for the elevation of SCR activity at high temperatures.

A novel n-type CuInS2 modified TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTs) heterostructure photoelectrode was successfully prepared via an ultrasonication-assisted cathodic electrodeposition strategy. CuInS2 particles were uniformly decorated on the inner and external walls of the TiO2 NTs electrode. The stoichiometry measured by XPS and ICP-OES clearly illustrated the excess indium. Mott–Schottky analysis further demonstrated CuInS2 possessed an n-type feature. Optical characterizations indicated that the introduced CuInS2 could extend the visible-light response range and enhance the visible light photoactivity. Moreover, the electrochemical measurements attested to a significant improvement of the interfacial electron-transfer properties. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity of CuInS2/TiO2 NTs electrode was evaluated by degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The results indicated that the as-prepared CuInS2/TiO2 NTs electrode displayed much higher PEC performance than that of the pure TiO2 NTs electrode.

©, 2014, Higher Education Press. All right reserved. BiPO4@Ag3PO4 core/shell heterojuction photocatalyst was synthesized through a facile hydrothermal process followed by the ion-exchange method. The morphology, crystallinity, composition, and photophysical properties of the catalyst were systematically investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer (DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Meanwhile, Rhodamine B (RhB) was chosen as the target pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of BiPO4@Ag3PO4 photocatalyst under the visible light and simulated sunlight irradiation, respectively. The results show that RhB was almost totally degraded in 60 min under visible-light irradiation and in 40 min under sunlight irradiation, respectively. The BiPO4@Ag3PO4 core/shell heterojunction photocatalyst displayed enhanced photocatalytic activity against RhB, which is attributed to the effective charge separation by the core/shell heterojuction between the Ag3PO4 and BiPO4. Active species detection experiments proved that during the process of degradation of pollutants over the core/shell microrods, the main mechanism was the direct oxidation process by the photo-induced holes. Ag3PO4 shell can improve the absorption of the visible light effectively and also enhance the stability, dispersibility and photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst. The BiPO4@AgPO4 photocatalysts show attractive potential applications in pollution control, water splitting and solar cell.

In an effort to develop nanostructured photocatalysts to achieve high performance in heterogeneous photocatalysis, a novel composite V 2O5/BiVO4/TiO2 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by using a sequentially hydrothermal and adhering method. The structural and optical properties of the as-prepared samples were comparatively characterized. The formed ternary nanojunctions were composed of TiO2 nanobelts and V2O5/BiVO4 nanorods which were self-assembled by smaller V2O5 and BiVO4 nanoparticles. Compared to pure TiO2 nanobelts and V2O5/BiVO4 nanorods, the V2O 5/BiVO4/TiO2 composite exhibited higher photocatalytic activity in decomposition of gaseous toluene under visible light irradiation (> 400 nm). Electron spin resonance examination confirmed that the photoinduced active species (•OH and O2 •-) were involved in the photocatalytic degradation of toluene. A detailed mechanism accounting for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of the V2O5/BiVO4/TiO2 nanocomposite was proposed in terms of the energy band structures of the components. The rationally designed ternary nanojunctions could effectively enhance the photocatalytic performance by increasing photoinduced charge carriers through the charges separation across their multiple interfaces. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

A facile phosphine-free approach is presented to prepare Cu doped ternary Zn–In–Se nanocrystals with high performance photoluminescence. By doping during nucleation stage, Cu dopant serving as a dominative emission centre was introduced into a weak fluorescence ternary system to modify the emission path. As a result of varying the ratios of zinc to indium, emission of the products is tunable ranging from 620 to 545 nm and a photoluminescence quantum yield of up to 20%. Meanwhile, a large Stokes shift of 467 meV is achieved.

CdSe Quantum Dots (QDs) sensitized TiO2 photocatylysts were synthesized by a facile sol-gel method at room temperature. The effects of CdSe QDs concentration on the properties of the photocatalysts were studied by XRD, BET, SEM, UV/vis. The photocatalytic performance was investigated by degrading methylene blue (MB) under halogen-tungsten lamp irradiation. The results revealed that the catalysts doped with CdSe QDs show large surface area, small crystal size and narrow band gap. The catalysts doped with 0.05% CdSe QDs possessed the best activity, and the degradation efficiency of methylene blue (MB) is up to 99.2% within 180 min.

Cu-ZnTPyP coordination polymer with hexagonal micro-lump and micro-prism morphologies has been successfully synthesized through a facile surfactant assisted self-assembly method based on Cu(OAc)2{dot operator}2H2O and Zinc-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (ZnTPyP) in DMF/H2O solvent. The morphologies of three-dimensional micro-prisms and micro-lumps obtained at different concentrations of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy. The compositions of the micro-prisms were studied by energy-dispersive spectra and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a circular hexametric cage structure cross-linked by the main Zn-N axial coordination of the pyridyl ligands inside the micro-scale coordination polymers. The UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy revealed the formation of J-type aggregates in the both microstructures. The formation mechanism of Cu-ZnTPyP coordination polymer structure was investigated by varying CTAB concentration. Their surface photovoltage spectra indicated that the novel hexagonal micro-prism morphology of the coordination polymer displayed enhanced photo response under visible light, which is beneficial for exploiting the practical application of Cu-ZnTPyP compound. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

A novel visible-light-activated photocatalyst consisting of porous graphitic C3N4 nanosheets and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were synthesized through a tunable in situ deposition method. The morphology and microstructure of the C3N4/Ag 3PO4 nanocomposites were carefully characterized by scanning electron microscope, TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectra, and so on. The porous C 3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites were featured by the typical platelet-like morphology, with an average crystallite size of about 39 nm. The coexistence of porous graphitic C3N 4 nanosheets and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles is confirmed via the XRD and EDX results. Owing to its narrower band gap of Ag 3PO4, the nanocomposites displayed a significant redshift of UV-Vis spectral absorption edge together with expanded light absorption in comparison with g-C3N4 nanosheets. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites is demonstrated by the photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites displayed higher photocatalytic activity than pure C 3N4 or Ag3PO4, which could be attributed to the interfacial effect of the nanocomposites in inhibiting the unfavorable recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Electron spin resonance spin-trap study implied that the generation of hydroxyl radicals plays the key role in the photodegradation of 4-CP by the C3N 4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites under visible light irradiation.

CuInS2/TiO2 nanotube heterojunction arrays electrode was synthesized via a modified successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The morphology, crystalline structure and chemical composition of the composite electrode were characterized with field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), respectively. The optical properties were investigated by UV-vis diffusion reflection spectra (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as the photoelectrochemical measurements. Significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical properties of CuInS2/TiO2 NTs electrode were observed under visible light irradiation, which could be attributed to the high absorption coefficient of CuInS2 in visible region and the heterostructure formed between CuInS2 and TiO 2. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Mercury is one of the most acutely toxic substances at trace level to human health and living thing. Developing a rapid, cheap and water soluble metal sensor for detecting mercury ions at ppb level remains a challenge. Herein, a metal sensor consisting of MPA coated Mn doped ZnSe/ZnS colloidal nanoparticles was utilized to ultrasensitively and selectively detect Hg 2+ ions with a low detection limit (0.1 nM) over a dynamic range from 0 to 20 nM. According to strong interaction between thiol(s) and mercury ions, mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) was used as a highly unique acceptor for mercury ions in the as-obtained ultrasensitive sensor. In the presence of mercury ions, colloidal nanoparticles rapidly agglomerated due to changes of surface chemical properties, which results in severe quenching of fluorescent intensity. Meanwhile, we find that the original ligands are separated from the surface of colloidal nanoparticles involving strongly chelation between mercury ion and thiol(s) proved by controlled IR analysis. The result shows that the QD-based metal ions sensor possesses satisfactory precision, high sensitivity and selectivity, and could be applied for the quantification analysis of real samples.

© 2014 American Chemical Society. Gold nanostars coated with cysteine (Cys-AuNSs) were successfully synthesized and used in SERS-based copper ions (Cu2+) detection in aqueous media. The strong coordination ability of cysteine (Cys) with Cu2+ and the resulting Cys-AuNSs-Cu complex formation led to AuNSs aggregation and the drastic change in intensity and strength of COOH band spectra. The aggregation of AuNSs yielded distinct SERS signals, which exhibited remarkable sensitivity and selectivity for Cu2+ over other metal ions. Using this SERS-based sensing method, we have achieved a practical detection limit of 10 µM. Such AuNSs-based detection could provide promising alternative choices for future SERS-active AuNSs application.

TiO2 nanotube arrays were decorated with Ag/Ag3PO4 nanoparticles through a sequential chemical bath deposition and followed by partial reduction of Ag+ ions in the Ag3PO4 nanoparticles to Ag0 under UV irradiation. The structure and optical properties of the Ag/Ag3PO4/TiO2 nanotube electrode were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity of the composite electrode was evaluated by the decomposition of 2-chlorophenol under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). Clusters of Ag/Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were successfully formed on the surface of the TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) causing no damage to the ordered structure of the nanotubes. The PL intensity of Ag/Ag3PO4/TiO2 NTs was much lower than that of TiO2 nanotubes. The p-type Ag3PO4 and Ag nanoparticles deposited on the TiO2 NTs could promote the transfer of photo-generated electrons, which inhibited the recombination of electrons and holes effectively, leading to a significant increase in the photocurrent density. Moreover, the Ag/Ag3PO4/TiO2 heterostructure photoelectrodes showed much higher PEC activity than the pure TiO2 NTs for the degradation of 2-CP aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The enhanced PEC activity could be attributed to the visible-light photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4 and the heterostructure between Ag3PO4 and TiO2. The electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trap study further demonstrated that ˙OH could be generated on the Ag/Ag3PO4/TiO2 NTs under visible light irradiation.

A series of (BiO)2CO3/BiOX (X = Cl, Br, I) heterostructured photocatalysts were synthesized through acid etching method and characterized by XRD, DRS, SEM and HRTEM, respectively. Under visible light (λ > 400 nm), (BiO)2CO3/BiOX displayed much higher photocatalytic activity than pure (BiO)2CO3 and corresponding BiOX for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples increased following this order: (BiO)2CO3/BiOCl < (BiO)2CO3/BiOBr < (BiO)2CO3/BiOI. The enhanced photocatalytic activities could be attributed to the function of heterojunction interface between (BiO)2CO3 and BiOX. Moreover, except for the role of heterostructure, the excellent photocatalytic performance of (BiO)2CO3/BiOI also originated from its good visible light absorption.

Great efforts have been made recently to develop graphene-based visible-light-response photocatalysts and investigate their application in environmental field. In this study, a novel graphene-supported ZnFe2O4 multi-porous microbricks hybrid was synthesized via a facile deposition–precipitation reaction, followed by a hydrothermal treatment. The morphology, structure and optical properties of the hybrid were well characterized, indicating that an intimate contact between ZnFe2O4 microbricks and graphene sheets has been formed. The photocatalytic degradation of p-chlorophenol experiments indicated that the graphene-supported ZnFe2O4 multi-porous microbricks hybrid exhibited a much higher photocatalytic activity than the pure ZnFe2O4 multi-porous microbricks and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles under the visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The enhancement of photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the fast photogenerated charge separation and transfer due to the high electron mobility of graphene sheets, improved light absorption, high specific surface area as well as multi-porous structure of the hybrid. Photoluminescence and radicals trapping studies revealed the hydroxyl radicals were involved as the main active oxygen species in the photocatalytic reaction. The work could open new possibilities to provide some insights into the design of new graphene-based hybrid photocatalysts with high activity for environmental purification applications.

Square-like B doped TiO2 nanocrystals were first synthesized by a mild solvothermal method with H3BO4 and titanium isopropoxide as the precursors, and isopropyl alcohol as reaction medium. Then, Ag nanoparticles were deposited on TiO2-B nanosquares by photo-deposition. The as-synthesized products have been investigated by photocatalytic reaction test and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The results showed that boron was successfully doped into TiO2 nanosquares under solvothermal condition. The obtained Ag/TiO2-B composite showed high efficiency in degradation of acid orange II under visible light irradiation. The high photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of B doping and the plasmon photocatalysis role of the deposited silver nanoparticles over TiO2. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Square-like B doped TiO2 nanocrystals were first synthesized by a mild solvothermal method with H3BO4 and titanium isopropoxide as the precursors, and isopropyl alcohol as reaction medium. Then, Ag nanoparticles were deposited on TiO2-B nanosquares by photo-deposition. The as-synthesized products have been investigated by photocatalytic reaction test and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The results showed that boron was successfully doped into TiO2 nanosquares under solvothermal condition. The obtained Ag/TiO2-B composite showed high efficiency in degradation of acid orange II under visible light irradiation. The high photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of B doping and the plasmon photocatalysis role of the deposited silver nanoparticles over TiO2. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A type of uniform ZnMn2O4 with cubic-like morphology was successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The results from X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicated that the as-prepared sample was cubic-like ZnMn 2O4 with well crystallinity and phase purity. The average length, width and thickness of the sample are approximately 2.5 µm, 1.5 µm and 1.5 µm, respectively. The N2 gas adsorption-desorption isotherms results revealed that the cubic-like ZnMn2O4 has a higher surface area of 138 m2 g-1 and monomodal pore size distributions. The optical property of the sample was studied by UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The synthesized cubic-like ZnMn 2O4 exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

A series of flower-like hydrotalcite-based CuNiAl mixed oxides with high surface area were synthesized by urea hydrolysis approach, and employed for SO2 abatement. These catalysts were investigated in detail by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR). The results demonstrated that the introduction of copper into NiAlO catalyst could allow substitution of Cu2+ into the NiO lattice to form Cu-Ni solid solutions and induce the appearance of Cu-O pairs. The synergistic effects between Cu and Ni species easily promoted the reduction of the CuNiAlO catalysts and produced more lattice oxygen and then contributed the increasing of catalytic activity for SO2 abatement. Therefore, the CuNiAlO catalysts showed higher catalytic ability than the pristine NiAlO catalyst toward SO2 removal. © 2013 Elsevier B.V..

Membrane fouling remains one of the most problematic issues surrounding membrane use in water and wastewater treatment. Organic fouling and biological fouling contribute to irreversible fouling and flux decline in these processes. In this study, to obtain both organic antifouling and antibacterial properties, in situ formed Ag nanoparticles were immobilized in poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, using N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as the reducing agent for Ag+ and solvent for PVDF polymer simultaneously. The hydrophilicity of the membrane surface was improved by the integration of Ag nanoparticles, leading to a reduction in membrane contact angle (81 to 68°) and an increase in permeate flux (36.4 to 108.6 L/m2 h). The organic antifouling and antibacterial performance of the Ag-loading membranes were evaluated by using bovine serum albumin (BSA) aqueous solution and Escherichia coli (E. coli) as model foulants, respectively. The experimental results confirm that the immobilization of Ag nanoparticles in PVDF UF membrane can mitigate the organic and biological fouling.