WO3-enhanced TiO2 nanotube photoanodes for solar water splitting with simultaneous wastewater treatment

The new method of ZnIn2S4 synthesis on the titania nanotubes substrate with enhanced stability and photoelectrochemical performance

In this work, ZnIn2S4 layers were obtained on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2NT) using a hydrothermal process as photoanodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Then, samples were annealed and the effect of the annealing temperature was investigated. Optimization of the deposition process and annealing of ZnIn2S4 layers made it possible to obtain an FTO-based material generating a photocurrent of 1.2 mA cm-2 at 1.62 V vs. RHE in a neutral medium. In contrast, the highest photocurrent in the neutral electrolyte obtained for the TiO2NT-based photoanode reached 0.5 mA cm-2 at 1.62 V vs. RHE. In addition, the use of a strongly acidic electrolyte allowed the generated photocurrent by the TiO2NT-based photoanode to increase to 3.02 mA cm-2 at 0.31 V vs. RHE. Despite a weaker photoresponse in neutral electrolyte than the optimized FTO-based photoanode, the use of TiO2NT as a substrate allowed for a significant increase in the photoanode's operating time. After 2 h of illumination, the photocurrent response of the TiO2NT-based photoanode was 0.21 mA cm-2, which was 42% of the initial value. In contrast, the FTO-based photoanode after the same time generated a photocurrent of 0.02 mA cm-2 which was only 1% of the initial value. The results indicated that the use of TiO2 nanotubes as a substrate for ZnIn2S4 deposition increases the photoanode's long-term stability in photoelectrochemical water splitting. The proposed charge transfer mechanism suggested that the heterojunction between ZnIn2S4 and TiO2 played an important role in improving the stability of the material by supporting charge separation.

Microbial fuel cells for remediation of environmental pollutants and value addition: Special focus on coupling diatom microbial fuel cells with photocatalytic and photoelectric fuel cells

With the advent of global industrialisation and adaptation of smart life there is rise in anthropogenic pollution especially in water. Remediation of the pollutants (such as metals, and dyes) present in industrial effluents is possible via microbes and algae present in the environment. Microbes are used in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) for remediation of various organic and inorganic pollutants. However, for industrial scale application coupling the MFCs with photocatalytic and photoelectric fuel cell has a potential in improving the output of power. It can also be used for remediation of pollutants more expeditiously, conserving fossil fuels, cleaning environment, hence making the coupled hybrid fuel cell to run economically. Furthermore, such MFC inbuilt with algae in living or powder form give additional value addition products like biofuel, polysaccharides, biopolymers, and polyhydroxy alkanoates etc. This review provides bird's eye view on the removal of environmental pollutants by different biological sources like bacteria and algae. The article is focussed on diatoms as potential algae since they are rich source of crude oil and high value added products in a hybrid photocatalytic MFC. It also covers bottle necks, challenges and future in this field of research.

Anodic titania nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles produced by laser-induced dewetting of thin metallic films

Herein, we combine titania layers with gold species in a laser-supported process and report a substantial change of properties of the resulting heterostructures depending on the major processing parameters. Electrodes were fabricated via an anodisation process complemented with calcination to ensure a crystalline phase, and followed by magnetron sputtering of metallic films. The obtained TiO2 nanotubes with deposited thin (5, 10 nm) Au films were treated with a UV laser (355 nm) to form Au nanoparticles on top of the nanotubes. It was proven that selected laser working parameters ensure not only the formation of Au nanoparticles, but also simultaneously provide preservation of the initial tubular architecture, while above-threshold laser fluences result in partial destruction (melting) of the top layer of the nanotubes. For almost all of the samples, the crystalline phase of the nanotubes observed in Raman spectra was maintained independently of the laser processing parameters. Enhanced photoresponse up to ca 6 mA/cm2 was demonstrated by photoelectrochemical measurements on samples obtained by laser annealing of the 10 nm Au coating on a titania support. Moreover, a Mott-Schottky analysis indicated the dramatically increased (two orders of magnitude) concentration of donor density in the case of a laser-treated Au-TiO2 heterojunction compared to reference electrodes.

The synergistic effect of biophoto anode for the enhancement of current generation and degradation

The demand for removal of refractory organic pollutants limits the application of microbial fuel cells. In this study, the synergistic effects of bioelectrochemical and photocatalysis methods were captured by constructing a biophoto anode from a combination of WO₃/TiO₂ and carbon felt. This biophoto electrode was able to decrease the aniline concentration from 63.3 ± 6.2 to 9.3 ± 5.5 mg/L. The structure of the benzene ring was broken through strong oxidation by photocatalysis. Electrochemical analysis showed that photocatalysis also enhanced the extracellular electron transfer of microorganisms and reduced the resistance of the anode from 136.9 Ω to 69.9 Ω. In addition, the maximum current output increased by 28.5% under the composite biophoto electrode. Further analysis of the microbial community indicated that the biophoto electrode promoted the enrichment of Geobacter in the anode. This biophoto electrode provided a method for overcoming the disadvantages of anaerobic degradation of refractory organics.

Evaluating the Effect of WO3 on Electrochemical and Corrosion Properties of TiO2-RuO2-Coated Titanium Anodes with Low Content of RuO2

The electrochemical and corrosion characterization of Ti0.97Ru0.03O2/Ti electrodes modified with WO3 was reported. Modification of Ti0.97Ru0.03O2/Ti electrodes with WO3 was previously described as improving the effectiveness of an azo dye degradation in a photoelectrochemical treatment. Thus, the effect of WO3 introduction to oxide film on electrode surface on electrochemical behaviour and stability of the modified electrodes was investigated. Moreover, corrosion behaviour of Ti0.97Ru0.03O2/Ti electrodes modified with WO3 was evaluated with the application of potentiodynamic polarization sweep method and open circuit potential measurement. Electrodes modified with WO3 revealed higher anodic and cathodic peak currents in K4[Fe(CN)6] solution (by 35% for 6%WO3 content) indicating higher electroactive surface area and faster electron transfer reaction. An increase in WO3 amount in the oxide layer caused an increase in the number of active sites determined in Na2SO4 and most of them (more than 80%) were located in the outer and more accessible surface. The investigation of the tested electrodes at high potentials at which oxygen evolution is observed, allowed their classification in the following order showing an increase in their activity towards oxygen evolution reaction: Ti0.97Ru0.03O2/Ti < Ti0.94Ru0.03O2-W0.03O3/Ti < Ti0.91Ru0.03O2-W0.06O3/Ti. Although the electrode modification with WO3 resulted in lower resistance to corrosion in Na2SO4 solution regarding corrosion potential, corrosion current densities were clearly lower in comparison with the non-modified electrode, especially after longer immersion in the solution. ASTs showed that even a small addition of WO3 increased the lifetime of the electrodes. The Ti0.97Ru0.03O2/Ti electrode modification with WO3 seemed to be advantageous for their application in electrochemical and photoelectrochemical degradation of organic pollutants.

Semiconductor Electrode Materials Applied in Photoelectrocatalytic Wastewater Treatment—an Overview

Industrial sources of environmental pollution generate huge amounts of industrial wastewater containing various recalcitrant organic and inorganic pollutants that are hazardous to the environment. On the other hand, industrial wastewater can be regarded as a prospective source of fresh water, energy, and valuable raw materials. Conventional sewage treatment systems are often not efficient enough for the complete degradation of pollutants and they are characterized by high energy consumption. Moreover, the chemical energy that is stored in the wastewater is wasted. A solution to these problems is an application of photoelectrocatalytic treatment methods, especially when they are coupled with energy generation. The paper presents a general overview of the semiconductor materials applied as photoelectrodes in the treatment of various pollutants. The fundamentals of photoelectrocatalytic reactions and the mechanism of pollutants treatment as well as parameters affecting the treatment process are presented. Examples of different semiconductor photoelectrodes that are applied in treatment processes are described in order to present the strengths and weaknesses of the photoelectrocatalytic treatment of industrial wastewater. This overview is an addition to the existing knowledge with a particular focus on the main experimental conditions employed in the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of various pollutants with the application of semiconductor photoelectrodes.

Synthesis of Ag2O decorated hierarchical TiO2 templated by double comb copolymers for efficient solar water splitting

Preparation of Ag₂O decorated hierarchical TiO₂ templated using a double comb copolymer.

Heterojunctions of mixed phase TiO2 nanotubes with Cu, CuPt, and Pt nanoparticles: interfacial band alignment and visible light photoelectrochemical activity

Anodically formed, vertically oriented, self-organized cylindrical TiO₂ nanotube arrays composed of the anatase phase undergo an interesting morphological and phase transition upon flame annealing to square-shaped nanotubes composed of both anatase and rutile phases. This is the first report on heterojunctions consisting of metal nanoparticles (NPs) deposited on square-shaped TiO₂ nanotube arrays (STNAs) with mixed rutile and anatase phase content. A simple photochemical deposition process was used to form Cu, CuPt, and Pt NPs on the STNAs, and an enhancement in the visible light photoelectrochemical water splitting performance for the NP-decorated STNAs was observed over the bare STNAs. Under narrow band illumination by visible photons at 410 nm and 505 nm, Cu NP-decorated STNAs performed the best, producing photocurrents 80% higher and 50 times higher than bare STNAs, respectively. Probing the energy level structure at the NP-STNA interface using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy revealed Schottky barrier formation in the NP-decorated STNAs, which assists in separating the photogenerated charge carriers, as also confirmed by longer charge carrier lifetimes in NP-decorated STNAs. While all the NP-decorated STNAs showed enhanced visible light absorption compared to the bare STNAs, only the Cu NPs exhibited a clear plasmonic behavior with an extinction cross section that peaked at 550 nm.

One-dimensional TiO2 Nanotube Photocatalysts for Solar Water Splitting

Hydrogen production from water splitting by photo/photoelectron-catalytic process is a promising route to solve both fossil fuel depletion and environmental pollution at the same time. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes have attracted much interest due to their large specific surface area and highly ordered structure, which has led to promising potential applications in photocatalytic degradation, photoreduction of CO2, water splitting, supercapacitors, dye-sensitized solar cells, lithium-ion batteries and biomedical devices. Nanotubes can be fabricated via facile hydrothermal method, solvothermal method, template technique and electrochemical anodic oxidation. In this report, we provide a comprehensive review on recent progress of the synthesis and modification of TiO2 nanotubes to be used for photo/photoelectro-catalytic water splitting. The future development of TiO2 nanotubes is also discussed.

TiO2–WO3 nanostructured systems for photoelectrochemical applications

The success of TiO₂/WO₃ as photoanode is assessed; the charge transfer mechanism is explained.

Joint Effects of Photoactive TiO2 and Fluoride-Doping on SnO2 Inverse Opal Nanoarchitecture for Solar Water Splitting

Inverse opal (IO) films of tin dioxide (SnO2) were fabricated on polystyrene (PS) beads (diameter=350 nm (±20 nm) with a spin coating method. To compensate for the large band gap (Eg=3.8 eV), a thin TiO2 shell was deposited on the SnO2-IO films with atomic layer deposition (ALD), which produced shells with thicknesses of 10-40 nm. The morphological changes and crystalline properties of the SnO2 and TiO2-coated SnO2 (herein after referred to as TiO2/SnO2) IO films were investigated with field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) behavior of the samples was tested in a 0.1 M KOH solution under 1 sun illumination (100 mW/cm2 with an AM 1.5 filter). The highest PEC performance was obtained with the TiO2(10 nm)/SnO2 IO films, which produced a photocurrent density (Jsc) of 4.67 mA/cm2 at 0.5 V (vs NHE) and was sequentially followed by the TiO2(20 nm)/SnO2-IO, TiO2(30 nm)/SnO2-IO, TiO2 (40 nm)/SnO2-IO and SnO2 IO films. Overall, the thin TiO2 shell covered on the SnO2-IO core enhanced Jsc by 3 orders of magnitude, which in turn the PEC activity. This is mainly ascribed to the extremely low charge-transfer resistance (Rct) in the photoelectrode/electrolyte and at the TiO2/SnO2 interface, as well as the contribution of the photoactive TiO2 layer, which has an Eg of 3.2 eV. Moreover, to improve the electrical conductivity of the core SnO2 IO film, the films were doped with 10 mol % of F. The F- doped films were labeled as the FTO IO film. The Rct of the FTO-IO films decreased because of the improved electronic conductivity, enhancing the PEC performance of the TiO2(10 nm)/FTO-IO films by approximately 20%. The core-shell nanowire mesh nanoarchitecture is therefore suggested to provide an insight for designing the peculiar structure based on the material's properties and the engineering of their band gap energy for highly efficient PEC performance.

Photocatalytic H2 Production Using Semiconductor Nanomaterials via Water Splitting – An Overview

Heterogeneous semiconductor based photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production by water splitting is one of the widely recognized promising sustainable technologies to deliver clean energy for future energy demands. The present review article mainly focus on the overview of principle of water splitting, different semiconductor nanomaterials used for photocatalytic water splitting in the presence of UV and solar light irradiation, role of sacrificial reagents, simultaneous degradation of pollutants and H2 production reaction, strategy for development of efficient photocatalyst for H2 production. Further the flaws associated with present photocatalytic system like recombination rate of electron–hole pairs, low visible-light response, use of hazardous irradiation sources and surface area of photocatalyst etc. has also been discussed. Recently the use of energy efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs) as an irradiation source for H2 production is highly attracted due to its unique characteristics. Recent literature on LED source based photocatalytic system for H2 production has also been summarized and highlighted. At last, the future prospects and challenges towards the designing of better photocatalytic system for H2 production have also been discussed. From the literature survey, it is concluded that construction of efficient photocatalytic system for simultaneous degradation of pollutants and H2 production under energy efficient irradiation source offer clean and simple system for solving the futuristic environmental concerns and energy crisis.

Composite WO3/TiO2 nanostructures for high electrochromic activity

A composite material consisting of TiO2 nanotubes (NT) with WO3 electrodeposited on its surface has been fabricated, detached from its Ti substrate, and attached to a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) film on glass for application to electrochromic (EC) reactions. Several adhesion layers were tested, finding that a paste of TiO2 made from commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles creates an interface for the TiO2 NT film to attach to the FTO glass, which is conductive and does not cause solution-phase ions in an electrolyte to bind irreversibly with the material. The effect of NT length and WO3 concentration on the EC performance were studied. The composite WO3/TiO2 nanostructures showed higher ion storage capacity, better stability, enhanced EC contrast, and longer memory time compared with the pure WO3 and TiO2 materials.

Co3O4-modified TiO2 nanotube arrays via atomic layer deposition for improved visible-light photoelectrochemical performance

Composite Co3O4/TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTs) were fabricated via atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Co3O4 thin film onto well-aligned anodized TiO2 NTs. The microscopic morphology, composition, and interfacial plane of the composite structure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that the ultrathin Co3O4 film uniformly coat onto the inner wall of the high aspect ratio (>100:1) TiO2 NTs with film thickness precisely controlled by the number of ALD deposition cycles. The composite structure with ∼4 nm Co3O4 coating revealed optimal photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance in the visible-light range (λ > 420 nm). The photocurrent density reaches as high as 90.4 μA/cm(2), which is ∼14 times that of the pristine TiO2 NTs and 3 times that of the impregnation method. The enhanced PEC performance could be attributed to the finely controlled Co3O4 coating layer that enhances the visible-light absorption, maintains large specific surface area to the electrolyte interface, and facilitates the charge transfer.

Tuning of the crystal engineering and photoelectrochemical properties of crystalline tungsten oxide for optoelectronic device applications

WO₃crystals with {002} or {111} facets primarily exposed, WO₃films with dominant orientations, doping and heterostructuring are highlighted.

Comparison of photocatalytic and transport properties of TiO2 and ZnO nanostructures for solar-driven water splitting

Water splitting interfacial reaction kinetics and charge transport of four TiO₂- and ZnO-based nanostructures with similar thickness are investigated.

Synthesis, characterization and performance of ternary doped Cu–Ce–B/TiO2 nanotubes on the photocatalytic removal of nitrogen oxides

A series of doped TiO₂ nanotubes with Cu, Ce and B has been successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method assisted by cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide.

H₂ mapping on Pt-loaded TiO₂ nanotube gradient arrays

We describe a rapid screening technique for determining the optimal characteristics of nanophotocatalysts for the production of H2 on a single surface. Arrays of TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) with a gradient in length and diameter were fabricated by bipolar anodization, and a perpendicular gradient of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) was generated by the toposelective decoration of the TiO2 NTs. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was locally triggered with a UV laser beam, and the arrays were screened in the x and y directions for spatially resolved kinetic measurements and the mapping of the optimal hydrogen production. By using this technique, we demonstrate the time-efficient and straightforward determination of the tube dimensions and Pt loading for optimized H2 production. The concept holds promise for generally improving the study of many photoreactions as a function of the physicochemical characteristic of nanophotocatalysts, which renders it highly attractive for the optimization of various important chemical processes.

A facile low-temperature approach to designing controlled amorphous-based titania composite photocatalysts with excellent noble-metal-free photocatalytic hydrogen production

A microporous amorphous-based titania composite photocatalysts has been fabricated using a facile low-temperature (120 °C) synthetic method. Notably, we have successfully prepared the various stages of the amorphous/crystalline heterostructure by simply adjusting the pH value. The high-pH sample favors the formation of amorphous based titania composite structure. Additionally, the BET surface area of the sample increases with the increasing of the pH value, reaching a maximum of 358 m(2) g(-1) when the pH value is 12. Unexpectedly, the H2 productivity of amorphous-based composite photocatalyst without noble metal co-catalyst increases significantly with the increasing pH value, which is attributed to the quickly increasing amorphous, and the highly active catalytic centers created by the synergistic effect between crystalline TiO2 and amorphous ZnO. This study demonstrates that it is possible to improve the properties of the amorphous-based composite photocatalyst by properly modifying the synthesis conditions. The approach presented herein can be applied to the research of controlled amorphous-based composite photocatalytic systems.