Potentiostatic reversible photoelectrochromism: an effect appearing in nanoporous TiO2/Ni(OH)2 thin films

Carbon Black-Doped Anatase TiO2 Nanorods for Solar Light-Induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

In this work, C-doped TiO₂ nanorods were synthesized through doping carbon black into hydrothermally synthesized solid-state TiO₂ nanowires (NWs) via calcination. The effects of carbon content on the morphology, phase structure, crystal structure, and photocatalytic property under both UV and solar light by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) were explored. Besides, the photoelectrochemical property of C-TiO₂ was systematically studied to illustrate the solar light degradation mechanism. After doping with C, TiO₂ NWs were reduced into nanorods and the surface became rough with dispersed particles. Results showed that C has successfully entered the TiO₂ lattice, resulting in the lattice distortion, reduction of band gap, and the formation of C-Ti-O, which expands TiO₂ to solar light activation. Comparing with P25 and anatase TiO₂ NWs, doping with carbon black showed much higher UV light and solar light photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activity was characterized via the degradation of MB, showing that K _ap was 0.0328 min^-1 under solar light, while 0.1634 min^-1 under UV irradiation. The main free radicals involved in methylene blue degradation are H⁺ and OH^•-. Doping with carbon black led to the reduction of photocurrent in a long-term operation, while C-doping reduced the electron-hole recombination and enhanced the carrier migration.

Photoelectrocatalytic production of solar fuels with semiconductor oxides: materials, activity and modeling

Transition metal oxides keep on being excellent candidates as electrode materials for the photoelectrochemical conversion of solar energy into chemical energy.

Switchable Materials for Smart Windows

This article reviews the basic principles of and recent developments in electrochromic, photochromic, and thermochromic materials for applications in smart windows. Compared with current static windows, smart windows can dynamically modulate the transmittance of solar irradiation based on weather conditions and personal preferences, thus simultaneously improving building energy efficiency and indoor human comfort. Although some smart windows are commercially available, their widespread implementation has not yet been realized. Recent advances in nanostructured materials provide new opportunities for next-generation smart window technology owing to their unique structure-property relations. Nanomaterials can provide enhanced coloration efficiency, faster switching kinetics, and longer lifetime. In addition, their compatibility with solution processing enables low-cost and high-throughput fabrication. This review also discusses the importance of dual-band modulation of visible and near-infrared (NIR) light, as nearly 50% of solar energy lies in the NIR region. Some latest results show that solution-processable nanostructured systems can selectively modulate the NIR light without affecting the visible transmittance, thus reducing energy consumption by air conditioning, heating, and artificial lighting.