Spectroscopic study of the photofixation of SO2 on anatase TiO2 thin films and their oleophobic properties

Impact of TiO2 Reduction and Cu Doping on Bacteria Inactivation under Artificial Solar Light Irradiation

Preparation of TiO₂ using the hydrothermal treatment in NH₄OH solution and subsequent thermal heating at 500-700 °C in Ar was performed in order to introduce some titania surface defects. The highest amount of oxygen vacancies and Ti³⁺ surface defects were observed for a sample heat-treated at 500 °C. The presence of these surface defects enhanced photocatalytic properties of titania towards the deactivation of two bacteria species, E. coli and S. epidermidis, under artificial solar lamp irradiation. Further modification of TiO₂ was targeted towards the doping of Cu species. Cu doping was realized through the impregnation of the titania surface by Cu species supplied from various copper salts in an aqueous solution and the subsequent heating at 500 °C in Ar. The following precursors were used as a source of Cu: CuSO₄, CuNO₃ or Cu(CH₃COO)₂. Cu doping was performed for raw TiO₂ after a hydrothermal process with and without NH₄OH addition. The obtained results indicate that Cu species were deposited on the titania surface defects in the case of reduced TiO₂, but on the TiO₂ without NH₄OH modification, Cu species were attached through the titania adsorbed hydroxyl groups. Cu doping on TiO₂ increased the absorption of light in the visible range. Rapid inactivation of E. coli within 30 min was obtained for the ammonia-reduced TiO₂ heated at 500 °C and TiO₂ doped with Cu from CuSO₄ solution. Photocatalytic deactivation of S. epidermidis was greatly enhanced through Cu doping on TiO₂. Impregnation of TiO₂ with CuSO₄ was the most effective for inactivation of both E. coli and S. epidermidis.

Ordering Transitions of Liquid Crystals Triggered by Metal Oxide-catalyzed Reactions of Sulfur Oxide Species

Liquid crystals (LCs), when supported on reactive surfaces, undergo changes in ordering that can propagate over distances of micrometers, thus providing a general and facile mechanism to amplify atomic-scale transformations on surfaces into the optical scale. While reactions on organic and metal substrates have been coupled to LC-ordering transitions, metal oxide substrates, which offer unique catalytic activities for reactions involving atmospherically important chemical species such as oxidized sulfur species, have not been explored. Here, we investigate this opportunity by designing LCs that contain 4'-cyanobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (CBCA) and respond to surface reactions triggered by parts-per-billion concentrations of SO₂ gas on anatase (101) substrates. We used electronic structure calculations to predict that the carboxylic acid group of CBCA binds strongly to anatase (101) in a perpendicular orientation, a prediction that we validated in experiments in which CBCA (0.005 mol %) was doped into an LC (4'-n-pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile). Both experiment and computational modeling further demonstrated that SO₃-like species, produced by a surface-catalyzed reaction of SO₂ with H₂O on anatase (101), displace CBCA from the anatase surface, resulting in an orientational transition of the LC. Experiments also reveal the LC response to be highly selective to SO₂ over other atmospheric chemical species (including H₂O, NH₃, H₂S, and NO₂), in agreement with our computational predictions for anatase (101) surfaces. Overall, we establish that the catalytic activities of metal oxide surfaces offer the basis of a new class of substrates that trigger LCs to undergo ordering transitions in response to chemical species of relevance to atmospheric chemistry.

Sulfur-treated TiO2 shows improved alcohol dehydration activity and selectivity

The dehydration of alcohols is an important class of reactions for the development of fossil-free fuel and chemical industries. Acid catalysts are well known to enhance the reactivity of alcohols following two main pathways of either dehydration to olefins or dehydrogenation to ketones/aldehydes. TiO₂ surfaces have been well documented for primary and secondary alcohol dehydration with selectivity ranging from 1-100% towards dehydration products based on process conditions and catalyst structure. In this work we document the effects of various sulfur treatments of TiO₂ surfaces which induce higher activity and, more importantly, higher selectivity for alcohol dehydration than untreated surfaces. The increase in activity and >99% dehydration selectivity is coupled with demonstrated stability for several hours on stream at high conversion. Using temperature programmed reaction studies, XPS and FT-IR spectroscopy, we identify Lewis acidic sites correlated with sulfate species on TiO₂ surfaces as active sites for the reaction.

Photoinduced Adsorption and Oxidation of SO2 on Anatase TiO2(101)

Adsorption of molecules is a fundamental step in all heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Nevertheless, the basic mechanism by which photon-mediated adsorption processes occur on solid surfaces is poorly understood, mainly because they involve excited catalyst states that complicate the analysis. Here we demonstrate a method by which density functional theory (DFT) can be used to quantify photoinduced adsorption processes on transition metal oxides and reveal the fundamental nature of these reactions. Specifically, the photoadsorption of SO₂ on TiO₂(101) has been investigated by using a combination of DFT and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). The combined experimental and theoretical approach gives a detailed description of the photocatalytic desulfurization process on TiO₂, in which sulfate forms as a stable surface product that is known to poison the catalytic surface. This work identifies surface-SO₄^2- as the sulfate species responsible for the surface poisoning and shows how this product can be obtained from a stepwise oxidation of SO₂ on TiO₂(101). Initially, the molecule binds to a lattice O₂^- ion through a photomediated adsorption process and forms surface sulfite, which is subsequently oxidized into surface-SO₄^2- by transfer of a neutral oxygen from an adsorbed O₂ molecule. The work further explains how the infrared spectra associated with this oxidation product change during interactions with water and surface hydroxyl groups, which can be used as fingerprints for the surface reactions. The approach outlined here can be generalized to other photo- and electrocatalytic transition metal oxide systems.

Photocatalytic and bactericidal properties and molecular docking analysis of TiO2 nanoparticles conjugated with Zr for environmental remediation

Despite implementing several methodologies including a combination of physical, chemical and biological techniques, aquatic and microbial pollution remains a challenge to this day. Recently, nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention due to their extraordinary prospective for utilization toward environmental remediation. Among several probable candidates, TiO2 stands out due to its potential for use in multifaceted applications. One way to improve the catalytic and antimicrobial potential of TiO2 is to dope it with certain elements. In this study, Zr-doped TiO2 was synthesized through a sol-gel chemical method using various dopant concentrations (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt%). Surface morphological, microstructural and elemental analysis was carried out using FESEM and HR-TEM along with EDS to confirm the formation of Zr-TiO2. XRD spectra showed a linear shift of the (101) anatase peak to lower diffraction angles (from 25.4° to 25.08°) with increasing Zr4+ concentration. Functional groups were examined via FTIR, an ample absorption band appearing between 400 and 700 cm-1 in the acquired spectrum was attributed to the vibration modes of the Ti-O-Ti linkage present within TiO2 nanoparticles, which denotes the formation of TiO2. Experimental results indicated that with increasing dopant concentrations, photocatalytic potential was enhanced significantly. In this respect, TiO2 doped with 8 wt% Zr (sample 0.08 : 1) exhibited outstanding performance by realizing 98% elimination of synthetic MB in 100 minutes. This is thought to be due to a decreased rate of electron-hole pair recombination that transpires upon doping. Therefore, it is proposed that Zr-doped TiO2 can be used as an effective photocatalyst material for various environmental and wastewater treatment applications. The good docking scores and binding confirmation of Zr-doped TiO2 suggested doped nanoparticles as a potential inhibitor against selected targets of both E. coli and S. aureus. Hence, enzyme inhibition studies of Zr-doped TiO2 NPs are suggested for further confirmation of these in silico predictions.

Ni-Doped Titanium Dioxide Films Obtained by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation in Refrigerated Electrolytes

Porous crystalline Ni-doped TiO2 films were produced using DC plasma electrolytic oxidation in refrigerated H2SO4 aqueous solutions containing NiSO4. The crystalline phase structure consisted of a mixture of anatase and rutile, ranging from ~30 to ~80 wt % rutile. The oxide films obtained at low NiSO4 concentration showed the highest photocurrent values under monochromatic irradiation in the UV-vis range, outperforming pure TiO2. By increasing NiSO4 concentration above a threshold value, the photoelectrochemical activity of the films decreased below that of undoped TiO2. Similar results were obtained using cyclic voltammetry upon polychromatic UV-vis irradiation. Glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) analysis evidenced a sulfur signal peaking at the TiO2/Ti interface. XPS spectra revealed that oxidized Ni2+, S4+ and S6+ ions were included in the oxide films. In agreement with photocurrent measurements, photoluminescence (PL) spectra confirmed that less intense PL emission, i.e., a lower electron-hole recombination rate, was observed for Ni-doped samples, though overdoping was detrimental.

Exploiting Direct Current Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation to Boost Photoelectrocatalysis

In this study, we report an investigation of the photoelectrochemical activity of TiO2 films formed by DC plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) at a variable potential in a sulfuric acid electrolyte at 0 and 25 °C. The surface morphology was mainly determined by the oxide-forming potential. X-Ray Diffraction and Raman analyses showed that the relative amount of the anatase and rutile phases varied from 100% anatase at low potential (110–130 V) to 100% rutile at high potential (180–200 V), while mixed-phase oxide films formed at intermediate potential. Correspondingly, the band gap of the TiO2 films decreased from about 3.20 eV (pure anatase) to 2.94 eV (pure rutile) and was red-shifted about 0.1 eV by reducing the electrolyte temperature from 25 °C to 0 °C. Glow-Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GD-OES) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses evidenced S-containing species located preferentially close to the TiO2/Ti interface. The photoelectrochemical activity was assessed by measuring the incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) under Ultraviolet C (UV-C) irradiation, which showed a non-gaussian normal trend as a function of the PEO cell potential, with maximum values exceeding 80%. Photoelectrocatalytic activity was assessed by decolorization of model solutions containing methylene blue. Photoanodes having higher IPCE values showed faster decolorization kinetics.

Immunodynamics: a cancer immunotherapy trials network review of immune monitoring in immuno-oncology clinical trials

The efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 targeted therapies in addition to anti-CTLA-4 solidifies immunotherapy as a modality to add to the anticancer arsenal. Despite raising the bar of clinical efficacy, immunologically targeted agents raise new challenges to conventional drug development paradigms by highlighting the limited relevance of assessing standard pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Specifically, systemic and intratumoral immune effects have not consistently correlated with standard relationships between systemic dose, toxicity, and efficacy for cytotoxic therapies. Hence, PK and PD paradigms remain inadequate to guide the selection of doses and schedules, both starting and recommended Phase 2 for immunotherapies. The promise of harnessing the immune response against cancer must also be considered in light of unique and potentially serious toxicities. Refining immune endpoints to better inform clinical trial design represents a high priority challenge. The Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network investigators review the immunodynamic effects of specific classes of immunotherapeutic agents to focus immune assessment modalities and sites, both systemic and importantly intratumoral, which are critical to the success of the rapidly growing field of immuno-oncology.

pH-controlled and sulfite anion-directed assembly of a family of cerium(III)-containing polyoxotungstates clusters

A versatile one-pot strategy was employed to synthesize five cerium(III)-containing polyoxotungstate nanoclusters through pH-controlled and sulfite anion-directed assembly: [C2H8N]3Na7[Ce2(H2O)6W22O72(OH)4]·20H2O (1) at pH 5.0; [C2H8N]8Na16[Ce4(H2O)12W44O144(OH)12]·23H2O (2) at pH 4.5; [C2H8N]2Na4Ce2[Ce2(H2O)10W28O92(OH)2]·27H2O (3) at pH 2.8-3.3; [C2H8N]2Na7[{α-SW7O28}{Ce2(H2O)6}(W3O6){α-SW9O32}{α-SW9O31(OH)}]·18H2O (4) at pH 2.5; [C2H8N]2Na18[Ce2(H2O)9W36O110(OH)12]2·30H2O (5) at pH 1.5. These compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Moreover, their electrochemical properties were investigated. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis revealed that 1 and 2 were di- and tetra-cerium(III)-bridged polyoxotungstates, constructed from two different types of lacunary {W11} units. 3 composed of the well-known cerium(III)-stabilized {W28} unit and organic amine-sodium-cerium cations, was isolated in the pH range 2.8-3.3. In this reaction system, the SO3(2-) anion acted as a heteroanion template at a lower pH 2.5. 4 was isolated by the combination of cerium(III) centers and SO3(2-) heteroanion template, which is the first lanthanide-containing polyoxotungstates with sulfur heteroatoms, and the 4f metal cerium(III) centers in 4 both have eight-coordinated modes and the SO3(2-) heteroanion templates display μ7 and μ9 coordination modes. At a much lower pH 1.5, the polyanion of 5 was obtained, two triangular-shaped {W36} subunits were bridged by the cerium(III) ions, resulting in the largest lanthanide-containing iso-polyoxotungstates known to date.

TiO2-based gas sensor: a possible application to SO2

Fixation of SO2 molecules on anatase TiO2 surfaces with defects have been investigated by first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations and in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) surface spectroscopy on porous TiO2 films. Intrinsic oxygen-vacancy defects, which are formed on TiO2(001) and TiO2(101) surfaces by ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation and at elevated temperatures, are found to be most effective in anchoring the SO2 gas molecules to the TiO2 surfaces. Both TiO2(101) and TiO2(001) surfaces with oxygen vacancies are found to exhibit higher SO2 adsorption energies in the DFT calculations. The adsorption mechanism of SO2 is explained on the basis of electronic structure, charge transfer between the molecule and the surface, and the oxidation state of the adsorbed molecule. The theoretical findings are corroborated by FTIR experiments. Moreover, the (001) surface with oxygen vacancies is found to bind SO2 gas molecules more strongly, as compared to the (101) surface. Higher concentration of oxygen vacancies on the TiO2 surfaces is found to significantly increase the adsorption energy. The results shed new insight into the sensing properties of TiO2-based gas sensors.

Improvement of activity and SO₂ tolerance of Sn-modified MnOx-CeO₂ catalysts for NH₃-SCR at low temperatures

The performances of fresh and sulfated MnOx-CeO₂ catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH₃ (NH₃-SCR) in a low-temperature range (T < 300 °C) were investigated. Characterization of these catalysts aimed at elucidating the role of additive and the effect of sulfation. The catalyst having a Sn:Mn:Ce = 1:4:5 molar ratio showed the widest SCR activity improvement with near 100% NOx conversion at 110-230 °C. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that Sn modification significantly increases the concentration of oxygen vacancies that may facilitate NO oxidation to NO₂. NH₃-TPD characterization showed that the low-temperature NH₃-SCR activity is well correlated with surface acidity for NH3 adsorption, which is also enhanced by Sn modification. Furthermore, as compared to MnOx-CeO₂, Sn-modified MnOx-CeO₂ showed remarkably improved tolerance to SO₂ sulfation and to the combined effect of SO₂ and H₂O. In the presence of SO₂ and H₂O, the Sn-modified MnOx-CeO₂ catalyst gave 62% and 94% NOx conversions as compared to 18% and 56% over MnOx-CeO₂ at temperatures of 110 and 220 °C, respectively. Sulfation of SnO₂-modified MnOx-CeO₂ may form Ce(III) sulfate that could enhance the Lewis acidity and improve NO oxidation to NO₂ during NH₃-SCR at T > 200 °C.