Preparation and characterization of Ni-doped TiO2 materials for photocurrent and photocatalytic applications

Synthesis of BiOI-TiO2 composite nanoparticles by microemulsion method and study on their photocatalytic activities

This study was conducted to synthesize a series of nanosized BiOI-TiO₂ catalysts to photodegrade Bisphenol A solution. The BiOI-TiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized in the reverse microemulsions, consisting of cyclohexane, Triton X-100, n-hexanol, and aqueous salt solutions. The synthesized particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analyzer, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible light (UV-Vis) absorption spectra and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The photodegradation of Bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous suspension under visible light irradiation was investigated to explore the feasibility of using the photocatalytic method to treat BPA wastewater. The effects of different molar ratios of BiOI to TiO₂ on the photocatalytic activity were discussed. The experimental results revealed that the photocatalytic effect of the BiOI-TiO₂ particles was superior to the commercial P25 TiO₂. The BPA degradation could be approached by a pseudo-first-order rate expression. The observed reaction rate constant (k_obs) was related to nanoparticles dosage and initial solution pH.

Fabrication and Photoelectrochemical Characterization of Fe, Co, Ni and Cu-Doped TiO2 Thin Films

Different amounts of Fe, Co, Ni and Cu-doped TiO2 thin films were prepared on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated soda-lime glass substrates by following a conventional sol-gel dip-coating technique followed by heat treatment at 550 and 600°C for 30 min. These thin films were characterized for photo-current, chronoamperometry and band-gap energy values. The chemical compositions of metals-doped TiO2 thin films on FTO glass substrates were confirmed by XPS spectroscopic study. The metal-ions doped TiO2 thin films had a thickness of <200 nm="" optical="" transparency="" of="">80%, band-gap energy of >3.6 eV, and a direct band-to-band energy transition. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) studies revealed that all the metal-ions doped TiO2 thin films exhibit n-type semi-conducting behavior with a quite stable chronoamperometry and photo-currents that increase with the increase of applied voltage but decrease with the dopant metal-ion concentration in the thin film. Furthermore, these thin films exhibited flat-band potentials amenable to water oxidation reaction in a PEC cell. The 0.5 wt.% Cu-doped TiO2 thin film electrode exhibited an highest incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of about 21%.

Fluorescence ratiometric properties induced by nanoparticle plasmonics and nanoscale dye dynamics

Nanoscale transport of merocyanine 540 within/near the plasmon field of gold nanoparticles was recognized as an effective inducer of single-excitation dual-emission ratiometric properties. With a high concentration of the signal transducer (ammonium), a 700% increase in fluorescence was observed at the new red-shifted emission maximum, compared to a nanoparticle free sensor membrane. A previously nonrecognized isosbestic point is demonstrated at 581.4 ± 0.1 nm. The mechanism can be utilized for enhanced and simplified ratiometric optical chemical sensors and potentially for thin film engineering to make solar cells more effective and stable by a broader and more regulated absorption.