Excellent sun-light-driven photocatalytic activity by aurivillius layered perovskites, Bi₅-xLaxTi₃FeO₁₅ (x = 1, 2)

Dark-Light Tandem Catalytic Oxidation of Formaldehyde over SrBi2Ta2O9 Nanosheets

Formaldehyde (HCHO), as one of the main indoor toxic pollutions, presents a great threat to human health. Hence, it is imperative to efficiently remove HCHO and create a good indoor living environment for people. Herein, a layered perovskite material SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT), was studied for the first time and exhibited superior photocatalytic efficiency and stability compared to commercial TiO2 (P25). Furthermore, a unique dark-light tandem catalytic mechanism was constructed. In the dark reaction stage, HCHO (Lewis base) site was adsorbed on the terminal (Bi2O2)2+ layer (Lewis acid) site of SBT in the form of Lewis acid-base complexation and was gradually oxidized to CO32- intermediate (HCHO → DOM (dioxymethylene) → HCOO- → CO32-). Then, in the light reaction stage, CO32- was completely converted into CO2 and H2O (CO32- → CO2). Our study contributes to a thorough comprehension of the photocatalytic oxidation of HCHO and points out its potential for day-night continuous work applications in a natural environment.

Effectual visible light photocatalytic reduction of para-nitro phenol using reduced graphene oxide and ZnO composite

Removing wastewater pollutants using semiconducting-based heterogeneous photocatalysis is an advantageous technique because it provides strong redox power charge carriers under sunlight irradiation. In this study, we synthesized a composite of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO) called rGO@ZnO. We established the formation of type II heterojunction composites by employing various physicochemical characterization techniques. To evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized rGO@ZnO composite, we tested it for reducing a common wastewater pollutant, para-nitro phenol (PNP), to para-amino phenol (PAP) under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiances. The rGO_x@ZnO (x = 0.5-7 wt%) samples, comprising various weights of rGO, were investigated as potential photocatalysts for the reduction of PNP to PAP under visible light irradiation. Among the samples, rGO₅@ZnO exhibited remarkable photocatalytic activity, achieving a PNP reduction efficiency of approximately 98% within a short duration of four minutes. These results demonstrate an effective strategy and provide fundamental insights into removing high-value-added organic water pollutants.

Fortified relaxor ferroelectricity of rare earth substituted 4-layered BaBi3.9RE0.1Ti4O15 (RE = La, Pr, Nd, and Sm) Aurivillius compounds

In this report, the effect of rare-earth (RE3+) ion substitution on structural, microstructural, and electrical properties in barium bismuth titanate (BaBi4Ti4O15) (BBTO) Aurivillius ceramics has been investigated. The Rietveld refinements on X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm that all the samples have an orthorhombic crystal system with A21am space group. Meanwhile, temperature dependent synchrotron XRD patterns reveal that the existence of dual phase in higher temperature region. The randomly oriented plate-like grains are experimentally strived to confirm the distinctive feature of bismuth layered Aurivillius ceramics. The broad band dielectric spectroscopic investigation signifies a shifting of ferroelectric phase transition (Tm) towards low temperature region with a decrease of the RE3+-ionic radii in BBTO ceramics. The origin of diffuse ferroelectric phase transitions followed by stabilization of the relaxor ferroelectric nature at high frequency region is explained using suitable standard models. The temperature dependent ac and dc conductivity results indicate the presence of double ionized oxygen vacancies in BBTO ceramics, whereas the dominance of single ionized oxygen vacancies is observed in RE-substituted BBTO ceramics. The room temperature polarization vs. electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops are shown to be well-shaped symmetric for BBTO ceramics, whereas slim asymmetric ferroelectric characteristics developed at RE-substituted BBTO ceramics.

Reactive species specific RhB assisted collective photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotics with triple-layer Aurivillius perovskites

Triple-layer Aurivillius perovskites degrade tetracycline antibiotic and rhodamine B together in acidic aqueous solution. Primarily the superoxide radical generated via a semiconductor assisted dye sensitization process degrades the tetracycline.

Compositional Tuning of the Aurivillius Phase Material Bi5Ti3-2xFe1+xNbxO15 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) Grown by Chemical Solution Deposition and its Influence on the Structural, Magnetic, and Optical Properties of the Material

A series of Aurivillius phase materials, Bi₅Ti _{3 - 2x} Fe _{1 + x} Nb_xO₁₅ ( [Formula: see text], 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4), was fabricated by chemical solution deposition. The effects of aliovalent substitution for the successful inclusion of Fe ³⁺ and Nb ⁵⁺ by replacing Ti ⁴⁺ were explored as a potential mechanism for increasing magnetic ion content within the material. The structural, optical, piezoelectric, and magnetic properties of the materials were investigated. It was found that a limit of x = 0.1 was achieved before the appearance of secondary phases as determined by the X-ray diffraction. Absorption in the visible region increased with increasing values of x corresponding to the transition from the valence band to the conduction band of the Fe- [Formula: see text] energy level. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements demonstrated that the lateral piezoelectric response increased with increasing values of x . Magnetic measurements of Bi₅Ti_2.8Fe_1.1Nb_0.1O₁₅ exhibited a weak ferromagnetic response at 2, 150, and 300 K of 2.2, 1.6, and 1.5 emu/cm³ with H_c of  ∼ 40 , 36, and 34 Oe, respectively. The remanent magnetization M_R of this sample was found to be higher than the range of reported values for the Bi₅Ti₃Fe₁O₁₅ parent phase. Elemental analysis of this sample by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis did not provide any evidence for the presence of iron-rich secondary phases. However, it is noted that a series of measurements at varying sample volumes and instrument resolutions is still required in order to put a defined confidence level on the Bi₅Ti_2.8Fe_1.1Nb_0.1O₁₅ material being a single-phase multiferroic.

An electrochemical sensing of phenolic derivative 4-Cyanophenol in environmental water using a facile-constructed Aurivillius-structured Bi2MoO6

Harmful chemicals are always found in the environment and it is necessary to construct a viable sensor to detect those chemicals. In order to construct an electrochemical sensing platform, designing an electrode using bismuth mixed oxides are more important and which grabbed more attention due to its high electrocatalytic ability and conductivity. In this literature, we report a facile synthesis of thorn apple like structured pure bismuth molybdate (Bi₂MoO₆) using a simple hydrothermal assisted one-step calcination method and we report a facile method to sense 4-cyanophenol by electrochemical technique. Bi₂MoO₆ modified (Glassy Carbon electrode) GCE possess two linear ranges 0.1-39.1 µM and 46.6-110.1 µM with excellent detection limit 0.008297 µM and 0.01097 µM. Also, this novel sensor is steady with good stability, repeatability, and reproducibility. Successfully, the environmental water sample is analyzed as a real sample with a feasible and quantification results which were compared with HPLC analysis.

Progress and Perspectives on Aurivillius-Type Layered Ferroelectric Oxides in Binary Bi4Ti3O12-BiFeO3 System for Multifunctional Applications

Driven by potentially photo-electro-magnetic functionality, Bi-containing Aurivillius-type oxides of binary Bi4Ti3O12-BiFeO3 system with a general formula of Bin+1Fen−3Ti3O3n+3, typically in a naturally layered perovskite-related structure, have attracted increasing research interest, especially in the last twenty years. Benefiting from highly structural tolerance and simultaneous electric dipole and magnetic ordering at room temperature, these Aurivillius-phase oxides as potentially single-phase and room-temperature multiferroic materials can accommodate many different cations and exhibit a rich spectrum of properties. In this review, firstly, we discussed the characteristics of Aurivillius-phase layered structure and recent progress in the field of synthesis of such materials with various architectures. Secondly, we summarized recent strategies to improve ferroelectric and magnetic properties, consisting of chemical modification, interface engineering, oxyhalide derivatives and morphology controlling. Thirdly, we highlighted some research hotspots on magnetoelectric effect, catalytic activity, microwave absorption, and photovoltaic effect for promising applications. Finally, we provided an updated overview on the understanding and also highlighting of the existing issues that hinder further development of the multifunctional Bin+1Fen−3Ti3O3n+3 materials.

Electron diffraction study of the space group of Bi5Ti3FeO15 multiferroic ceramic

Bi₅Ti₃FeO₁₅ (pentabismuth trititanium iron pentadecaoxide), which is a multiferroic four-layer Aurivillius phase compound, has received much attention in recent years. However, three mutually inconsistent orthorhombic space groups, i.e. A2₁am, Fmm2 and Pnn2, have been reported for the room-temperature phase of Bi₅Ti₃FeO₁₅ by X-ray and neutron diffraction investigations. Here, electron diffraction results are presented and discussed for the first time to unambiguously clarify the room-temperature space group of ceramic Bi₅Ti₃FeO₁₅. It has been found that all the observed reflections from the ceramic agree with those expected in A2₁am, while the observed reflections 011, 013 and 015 should be forbidden in the case of Fmm2, and no 107 and 109 reflections were observed although allowed for Pnn2. The present study has demonstrated that the space group of Bi₅Ti₃FeO₁₅ ceramic is A2₁am rather than Fmm2 or Pnn2, an identification that proved to be a challenge for X-ray diffraction. On the basis of the space group A2₁am, the lattice parameters of the Bi₅Ti₃FeO₁₅ ceramic were calculated from its X-ray diffraction data.

Novel layered Bi3MoMTO9 (MT = Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) thin films with tunable multifunctionalities

Bi3MoMTO9 (BMoMTO; MT, transition metals of Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) thin films with a layered supercell structure have been deposited on LaAlO3 (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Microstructural analysis suggests that pillar-like domains with higher transition metal concentration (e.g., Mn, Fe, Co and Ni) are embedded in the Mo-rich matrix with layered supercell structures. The layered supercell structure of the BMoMTO thin films accounts for the anisotropic multifunctionalities such as the magnetic easy axis along the in-plane direction, and the anisotropic optical properties. Ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism have been demonstrated in the thin films at room temperature, which confirms the multiferroic nature of the system. By varying the transition metal MT in the film, the band gaps of the BMoMTO films can be effectively tuned from 2.44 eV to 2.82 eV, while the out-of-plane dielectric constant of the thin films also varies. The newly discovered layered nanocomposite systems present their potential in ferroelectrics, multiferroics and non-linear optics.

Coupled-substituted double-layer Aurivillius niobates: structures, magnetism and solar photocatalysis

Heterovalent coupled-substituted double-layer Aurivillius niobates, LaBi₂Nb_1.5M_0.5O₉ (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co), show interesting structural and magnetic characteristics in addition to sunlight-driven photocatalytic activity.

Ag-Bridged Z-Scheme 2D/2D Bi5FeTi3O15/g-C3N4 Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalysis: Mediator-Induced Interfacial Charge Transfer and Mechanism Insights

Heterojunction photocatalysts have attracted widespread interest in photocatalysis because of their high-efficiency interfacial charge-transfer characteristics of nanoarchitectures. In this study, Ag-bridged 2D/2D Bi₅FeTi₃O₁₅/ultrathin g-C₃N₄ Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with powerful interfacial charge transfer has been synthesized via a facile ultrasound method coupled with a photoreduction strategy for efficient photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics. The morphology analysis displays that the bridged Ag nanoparticles were anchored on the interface of layered Bi₅FeTi₃O₁₅ and ultrathin g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. Owing to its unique 2D/2D ternary heterostructure, the Bi₅FeTi₃O₁₅/2%Ag/10% ultrathin g-C₃N₄ composite exhibited the best tetracycline degradation performance under visible-light and simulated solar irradiation. Meanwhile, the intermediates and degradation pathways were proposed by a liquid-phase mass spectrometry system. Characterizations and density functional theory studies together verify that the matched band structure of Bi₅FeTi₃O₁₅ and g-C₃N₄ could induce a superfast Z-scheme interfacial charge-transfer path. More importantly, bridged Ag nanoparticles in the 2D/2D heterojunction extended the light absorption range and prolonged the lifetime of photogenerated electron-holes induced by Bi₅FeTi₃O₁₅. This work affords a promising approach for designing multicomponent Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for highly efficient photocatalytic application.

New Assembly-Free Bulk Layered Inorganic Vertical Heterostructures with Infrared and Optical Bandgaps

In principle, a nearly endless number of unique van der Waals heterostructures can be created through the vertical stacking of two-dimensional (2D) materials, resulting in unprecedented potential for material design. However, this widely employed synthetic method for generating van der Waals heterostructures is slow, imprecise, and prone to introducing interlayer contaminants when compared with synthesis methods that are scalable to industrially relevant scales. Herein, we study the properties of a new class of layered bulk inorganic materials that has recently been reported that we call assembly-free bulk layered inorganic heterostructures, wherein the individual layers are of dissimilar chemical composition, distinguishing them from commonly studied layered materials. We find that these bulk materials exhibit properties similar to vertical heterostructures but without the complex and unscalable stacking process. Using state-of-the-art computational approaches, we study the electronic properties of livingstonite (HgSb₄S₈), a naturally occurring mineral that is a bulk lattice-commensurate heterostructure. We find that isolated bilayers of livingstonite have an intralayer HSE-06 band gap of 2.08 eV. This is the first report of a naturally occurring van der Waals heterostructure with a calculated band gap in the visible spectrum. We also studied the electronic properties of tetragonal Ti₃Bi₄O₁₂, Sm₂Ti₃Bi₂O₁₂, orthorhombic Ti₃Bi₄O₁₂, Nb₃Bi₅O₁₅, LaTiNbBi₂O₉, and AgPbBrO and found some of them are potentially well-suited for photovoltaic applications. We also provide characterization of the electronic structure of the isolated bilayer and monolayer subcomponents of the bulk heterostructures. The report of the properties of these materials significantly enhances the library of known van der Waals heterostructures.

Aurivillius Bi7Fe3−xNixTi3O21 nanostructures as recyclable photocatalysts

Multiferroic Bi₇Fe_3−xNi_xTi₃O₂₁ nanosheets have been prepared, where the substitution of Ni for Fe leads to improved ferromagnetism and photocatalytic performance.

Alkyd resin based hydrophilic self-cleaning surface with self-refreshing behaviour as single step durable coating

Herein, we reported the photo-catalytic degradation/anti-bacterial property of Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles (SDZO Nps) prepared by a facile gel-combustion technique and its self-cleaning/self-refreshing/self-disinfectant behaviour while on impregnating as pigment into the alkyd resin based coating. The influence of doping Ag (1% & 2%) with ZnO has been evaluated in terms of crystal structure, morphology, optical properties, etc. using X-ray diffraction analysis, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, UV-Vis analysis, and Photoluminescence spectra. The photo-catalytic degradation of crystal violet solution by SDZO Nps is spectroscopically followed employing UV-Vis spectroscopy. From the obtained results, the rate of degradation of 1% SDZO Nps is found higher than that of other samples under sunlight illumination; degrading 1 mg of crystal violet in 30 min. Thus, implementing the synergic effect of nano ZnO and the doped Ag provides a suitable pathway for the development of high efficient photo-catalyst. Further, alkyd resin based self-cleaning coating is formulated using 1% SDZO Nps as pigment along with other additives; the contents are milled to form a homogeneous mixture by high energy ball milling technique. Crystal violet solution coated over dried alkyd coating gets decolorized on exposure to sunlight indicating the mineralization of pollutants and proves the fact that the as obtained coating possess self-cleaning nature. Besides the self-cleaning property, the coating exhibits self-refreshing property which is essential for the long lasting self-cleaning activity. Further, the disinfectant properties of 1% SDZO Nps and 1% SDZO Nps impregnated coating have been evaluated against gram negative Escherichia coli bacterial strain. The acquired experimental outcomes suggest the potential use of self-cleaning coating to keep the environment clean and hygienic economically.

pH-Mediated Collective and Selective Solar Photocatalysis by a Series of Layered Aurivillius Perovskites

Semiconductor photocatalysis under natural sunlight is an emergent area in contemporary materials research, which has attracted considerable attention toward the development of catalysts for environmental remediation using solar energy. A series of five-layer Aurivillius-phase perovskites, Bi₅ATi₄FeO₁₈ (A = Ca, Sr, and Pb), are synthesized for the first time. Rietveld refinements of the powder X-ray diffraction data indicated orthorhombic structure for the Aurivillius phases with Fe largely occupying the central octahedral layer, whereas the divalent cations (Ca, Sr, and Pb) are statistically distributed over the cubo-octahedral A-sites of the perovskite. The compounds with visible-light-absorbing ability (E _g ranging from ∼2.0 to 2.2 eV) not only exhibit excellent collective photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B-methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B-rhodamine 6G mixture at pH 2 but also show almost 100% photocatalytic selective degradation of MB from the rhodamine B-MB mixture at pH 11 under natural solar irradiation. The selectivity in the alkaline medium is believed to originate from the combined effect of the photocatalytic degradation of MB by the Aurivillius-phase perovskites and the photolysis of MB. Although a substantial decrease in MB adsorption from the mixed dye solution (MB + RhB) together with slower MB photolysis at the neutral pH makes the selective MB degradation sluggish, the compounds showed excellent photocatalytic degradation activity and chemical oxygen demand removal efficacy toward individual RhB (at pH 2) and MB (at pH 11) under sunlight irradiation. The catalysts are exceptionally stable and retain good crystallinity even after five successive cyclic runs without any noticeable loss of activity in both the acidic and alkaline media. The present work provides an important insight into the development of layered perovskite photocatalysts for collective degradation of multiple pollutants and selective removal of one or multiple pollutants from a mixture. The later idea may open up new possibilities for recovery/purification of useful chemical substances from the contaminated medium through selective photocatalysis.

Extended Near-Infrared Photoactivity of Bi₆Fe1.9Co0.1Ti₃O18 by Upconversion Nanoparticles

Bi₆Fe_1.9Co_0.1Ti₃O₁₈ (BFCTO)/NaGdF₄:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ (NGF) nanohybrids were successively synthesized by the hydrothermal process followed by anassembly method, and BFCTO-1.0/NGF nanosheets, BFCTO-1.5/NGF nanoplates and BFCTO-2.0/NGF truncated tetragonal bipyramids were obtained when 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 M NaOH were adopted, respectively. Under the irradiation of 980 nm light, all the BFCTO samples exhibited no activity in degrading Rhodamine B (RhB). In contrast, with the loading of NGF upconversion nanoparticles, all the BFCTO/NGF samples exhibited extended near-infrared photoactivity, with BFCTO-1.5/NGF showing the best photocatalytic activity, which could be attributed to the effect of {001} and {117} crystal facets with the optimal ratio. In addition, the ferromagnetic properties of the BFCTO/NGF samples indicated their potential as novel, recyclable and efficient near-infrared (NIR) light-driven photocatalysts.

Morphology effect on photocatalytic activity in Bi3Fe0.5Nb1.5O9

In this work, the Aurivillius-phase ferroelectric Bi₃Fe_0.5Nb_1.5O₉ were synthesized by hydrothermal (BFNO-H) and solid state methods (BFNO-S), respectively. The BFNO-H shows a hierarchical morphology, which is stacked by intersecting single-crystal nanosheets with {001} and {110} exposed facets, while the BFNO-S shows disorganized micron-scale morphology. BFNO-H shows a much stronger photodegradation activity (10.4 times and 9.8 times) than BFNO-S in the visible-light photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and salicylic acid. The higher photodegradation activity of BFNO-H was firstly ascribed to the hierarchical structure and the larger specific surface area (16.586 m² g^-1) because a large specific surface area can increase reactive sites and shorten photogenerated carrier migration distance. However, after being normalized by the specific surface area, BFNO-H still performs better than BFNO-S, implying that the specific surface area is not the only factor that determines the photocatalytic activity. Considering that the built-in electric field originating from spontaneous polarization in Bi₃Fe_0.5Nb_1.5O₉ has existed in both ab plane and c direction, it matches well with the {001} and {110} exposed facets of BFNO-H nanosheets. This appropriate matching in BFNO-H nanosheets may improve the separation and transmission of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and further enhance its photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the trapping experiments reveals that holes (h ⁺) are the main active species and hole-derived oxidation is the main redox reaction during photodegradation of organic pollutions.

Quasi-polymeric construction of stable perovskite-type LaFeO3/g-C3N4 heterostructured photocatalyst for improved Z-scheme photocatalytic activity via solid p-n heterojunction interfacial effect

Materials of perovskite-type structure have attracted considerable attention for their applications in photocatalysis. In this study, a novel composite of p-type LaFeO₃ microsphere coated with n-type nanosized graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets was constructed by the quasi-polymeric calcination method with the aid of electrostatic self-assembly interaction. Results indicate that the LaFeO₃/g-C₃N₄p-n heterostructured photocatalyst obtained, in contrast to the pure constituents, enabled improved visible-light absorption, and more efficient separation and migration of charge carriers via solid p-n heterojunction interfacial effect. Correspondingly, the LaFeO₃/g-C₃N₄ composite allowed for higher visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Brilliant Blue, which was 16.9 and 7.8 times that of pristine g-C₃N₄ and LaFeO₃, respectively. The photocatalytic degradation of Brilliant Blue was ascribed to the combined contributions of the photogenerated holes (h⁺), superoxide radicals (O₂^-) and hydroxyl radicals (OH). Based on solid p-n heterojunction interfacial interaction, a Z-scheme charge carrier transfer pathway integrated with the dye-sensitization effect is proposed as the underlying mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction process. Therefore, we believe that the perovskite-type LaFeO₃/g-C₃N₄ Z-scheme photcatalyst promotes the development of photocatalysis and holds much promise for environmental remediation.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Heterostructured Ferroelectric BaTiO3/α-Fe2O3 and the Significance of Interface Morphology Control

We have used a ferroelectric BaTiO₃ substrate with a hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanostructured surface to form a heterogeneous BaTiO₃/α-Fe₂O₃ photocatalyst. In this study we show that varying the mass ratio of α-Fe₂O₃ on BaTiO₃ has a significant influence on photoinduced decolorization of rhodamine B under simulated sunlight. The highest photocatalytic activity was obtained for BaTiO₃-Fe₂O₃-0.001M, with the lowest mass ratio of α-Fe₂O₃ in our study. This catalyst exhibited a 2-fold increase in performance compared to pure BaTiO₃ and a 5-fold increase when compared to the higher-surface-area pure α-Fe₂O₃. The increases in performance become more marked upon scaling for the lower surface area of the heterostructured catalyst. Performance enhancement is associated with improved charge-carrier separation at the interface between the ferroelectric surface, which exhibits ferroelectric polarization, and the hematite. Increasing the mass ratio of hematite increases the thickness of this layer, lowers the number of triple-point locations, and results in reduced performance enhancement. We show that the reduced performance is due to a lack of light penetrating into BaTiO₃ and to relationships between the depolarization field from the ferroelectric and carriers in the hematite. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to use the built-in electric field of a ferroelectric material to promote charge-carrier separation and boost photocatalytic efficiency.

Iron–manganese–titanium (1 : 1 : 2) oxide composite thin films for improved photocurrent efficiency

Fe₂MnTi₃O₁₀–MnTiO₃ composite thin films with a photocurrent density of 1.88 mA cm⁻² at 0.2 V have been deposited through AACVD.

Inorganic perovskite photocatalysts for solar energy utilization

This review specifically summarizes the recent development of perovskite photocatalysts and their applications in water splitting and environmental remediation.

Quaternary semiconductor Cu2ZnSnS4 loaded with MoS2 as a co-catalyst for enhanced photo-catalytic activity

Quaternary Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) loaded with 1% MoS₂ shows excellent photo-catalytic activity for water oxidation, leading to efficient H₂ generation (AQY 22.67%), as well as in the degradation of an organic pollutant.

Efficient visible light photocatalytic activity and enhanced stability of BiOBr/Cd(OH)2 heterostructures

The BiOBr/Cd(OH)₂ heterojunction formation decreased the charge recombination phenomenally and imparted significant visible light response.

Optimizing the photocatalysis in ferromagnetic Bi6Fe1.9Co0.1Ti3O18 nanocrystal by morphology control

Optimizing the photocatalysis in ferromagnetic Bi₆Fe_1.9Co_0.1Ti₃O₁₈ (BFCTO) nanocrystals by adjusting alkaline concentration in hydrothermal method.

Tailoring the photocatalytic activity of layered perovskites by opening the interlayer vacancy via ion-exchange reactions

The photocatalytic activity of the layered perovskite K₂La₂Ti₃O₁₀ was regulated by an ion-exchange reaction with a series of cations – Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺. The underlying mechanism of the improved performance and an effective model for designing the photocatalyst were discussed.