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An efficient method of photocatalytic degradation of methylparaben in water using Ag nanoparticles (NPs) loaded AgBr-mesoporous-WO3 composite photocatalyst (Ag/AgBr@m-WO3 ), under visible light is presented. In this process, quantification of methylparaben in water was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the HPLC results showed a significant reduction of methylparaben in water due to the enhanced of photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Ag/AgBr@m-WO3 . For the material synthesis, highly ordered mesoporous-WO3 (m-WO3 ) was initially synthesized by sol-gel method and AgBr nanoparticles (NPs) were subsequently introduced in the pores of m-WO3 , and finally, the Ag nanoparticles were introduced by light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylparaben in water is attributed to the formation of surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) due to the introduction of Ag NPs on the surface of the catalyst. Also, the formation of heterojunction between AgBr and mesoporous-WO3 in Ag/AgBr@m-WO3 significantly inhibited the recombination of light-induced electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor composite. The morphological and optical characterizations of the synthesized photocatalysts (Ag/AgBr@m-WO3 ) were carried out using SEM, TEM, XDR, N2 adsorption-desorption, UV-VIS diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Also, the photocatalytic studies using radical scavengers were carried out and the results indicated that O 2 · - is the main reactive species.

A synthesis of aminothiazoles from various 1,3-dicarbonyls and thioureas without a leaving group has been developed. The reaction is photocatalyzed by tetraiodofluorescein, an organic dye. Under irradiation with green LEDs, a sulfur radical is generated in situ from thiourea, followed by addition to the enol tautomer, forming the aminothiazole backbone. This novel strategy provides a greener alternative to the traditional leaving group protocols, with excellent atom economy.

Methyl tert-butyl ether is a commonly used fuel oxygenate that is present in gasoline. It was introduced to eliminate the use of leaded gasoline and to improve the octane quality because it aids in the complete combustion of fuel by supplying oxygen during the combustion process. Over the past decade, the use of MTBE has increased tremendously worldwide. For obvious reasons relating to accidental spillage, MTBE started to appear as an environmental and human health threat because of its nonbiodegradable nature and carcinogenic potential, respectively. In this work, MTBE was degraded with the help of an advanced oxidation process through the use of zinc oxide as a photocatalyst in the presence of visible light. A mixture of 200 mg of zinc oxide in 350 mL of 50 ppm MTBE aqueous solution was irradiated with visible light for a given time. The complete degradation of MTBE was recorded, and approximately 99% photocatalytic degradation of 100 ppm MTBE solution was observed. Additionally, the photoactivity of 1% Pd-doped ZnO was tested under similar conditions to understand the effect of Pd doping on ZnO. Our results obtained under visible light irradiation are very promising, and they could be further explored for the degradation of several nondegradable environmental pollutants.

The photocatalyst BiFeO3 and multiferroic Co substituted BiFeO3 (BiFe0.95Co0.05O3) perovskite are synthesized by a tartaric acid modified sol—gel method involving Bi(NO3)3, Fe(NO3)3, and Co(NO3)2 hydrates in stoichiometric proportions.

The photocatalytic activity of the title nanocomposites (obtained by photochemical deposition of Pt and Au nanoparticles on WO3) is characterized by the removal of methyl orange and 2,4-sichlorophenoxyacetic acid from aqueous solutions under sunlight irradiation.