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Catalysts
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Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis
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Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 9154

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Roberto Comparelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NR-Istituto per i Processi Chimico Fisici (CNR-IPCF), SS Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: photocatalysis; visible light active photocatalysts; inorganic nanocrystals; hybrid nanocomposites; plasmonics nanoparticles; nanocrystal functionalization; solar energy conversion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ilaria De Pasquale

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council–Institute for Physical Chemical Processes (CNR-IPCF), Bari, Italy
Interests: microbiology; antimicrobial activity; food microbiology; photocatalysis; nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chiara Lo Porto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
Interests: photocatalysis; nanoparticles; visible light active photocatalysts; nanocomposite coatings; plasma processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanostructured materials with photocatalytic properties are being constantly studied and synthesized for their wide applicability, which can include abatement of plastics and organic pollutants in air and water, water splitting with production of H2 and O2, photoreforming, CO2 conversion, cultural heritage preservation, smart textiles, antimicrobial surfaces and materials, photochemical synthesis of chemicals and many others.

In particular, huge attention is being directed toward the synthesis of visible and solar light driven photocatalytic nanomaterials. Exploiting the entire solar light spectrum enables the use of a green renewable source of energy to activate processes from which the environment can further benefit. In other to achieve these results, the scientific community is focusing on the synthesis and optimization of new and higher performance nanostructured and nanocomposite materials.

We invite contributors to submit original research papers or reviews that account for recent advances in the field of nanostructured materials for solar and visible light driven photocatalysis.

Dr. Roberto Comparelli
Dr. Ilaria De Pasquale
Dr. Chiara Lo Porto
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • visible and solar light 
  • nanostructured photocatalysts 
  • water treatment 
  • gas phase pollutants 
  • antimicrobial materials 
  • water splitting 
  • H2 production 
  • CO2 conversion 
  • photoreforming 
  • smart textiles 
  • cultural heritage preservation 
  • photochemical synthesis of chemicals

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 10188 KiB  
Article
The Comparison of Metal Doped TiO2 Photocatalytic Active Fabrics under Sunlight for Waste Water Treatment Applications
by Kang Hoon Lee, Ume Arfa, Zafar Arshad, Eui-Jong Lee, Mubark Alshareef, Marwah M. Alsowayigh, Kinza Shahid, Raghisa Shahid and N. Hamad
Catalysts 2023, 13(9), 1293; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13091293 - 13 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1283
Abstract
The release of toxic effluents and microfibers during the frequent washings of textiles poses a major threat to the environment. On the one hand, the detrimental effluents from detergents pose a threat to marine biota in peril, and on the other, microplastics have [...] Read more.
The release of toxic effluents and microfibers during the frequent washings of textiles poses a major threat to the environment. On the one hand, the detrimental effluents from detergents pose a threat to marine biota in peril, and on the other, microplastics have even been found in breastmilk. According to this study, functionalized metal-doped TiO2 nanoparticles can be immobilized to create fabrics that are hygienic and antibacterial. There is a need to reduce the amount of different detergents, surfactants and chemicals used to remove stains. The manufacture of pristine and Cu-, Ag- and Zn-doped TiO2 nanoparticles having trace molar ratios of dopant chosen with a simple sol–gel approach using pad–dry–cure silane coupling agents, firstly with the functionalization and then the immobilization of nanoparticles, was successfully performed on cotton fabric. The as-obtained fabrics were evaluated for their crystallinity, chemical functionalities, surface morphologies and elemental compositions. The photodegradation potentials of unfunctionalized materials were assessed in ambient sunshine against five commercial colors. Within three hours of sunshine exposure, according to color strength analysis and antibactericidal activities, 95–98% of the dye was degraded from the functionalized fabric surface. Additionally, the treated content kept its mechanical and comfort qualities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis)
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19 pages, 3397 KiB  
Article
Highly Stable Photocatalytic Dry and Bi-Reforming of Methane with the Role of a Hole Scavenger for Syngas Production over a Defective Co-Doped g-C3N4 Nanotexture
by Muhammad Tahir, Azmat Ali Khan, Abdullah Bafaqeer, Naveen Kumar, Mohammad Siraj and Amanullah Fatehmulla
Catalysts 2023, 13(7), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13071140 - 22 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1272
Abstract
Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with CH4 through the dry reforming of methane (DRM) is an attractive approach to recycling greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals and fuels; however, this process is quite challenging. Although there is growing interest in designing efficient photocatalysts, [...] Read more.
Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with CH4 through the dry reforming of methane (DRM) is an attractive approach to recycling greenhouse gases into valuable chemicals and fuels; however, this process is quite challenging. Although there is growing interest in designing efficient photocatalysts, they are less stable, and have lower photoactivity when employed for DRM reactions. Herein, we developed a noble metal-free hierarchical graphitic carbon nitride (HC3N4) loaded with cobalt (Co) for highly efficient and stable photocatalytic dry reforming of methane to produce synthesis gases (CO and H2). The performance of the newly designed Co/HC3N4 composite was tested for different reforming systems such as the dry reforming of methane, bi-reforming of methane (BRM) and reforming of CO2 with methanol–water. The performance of HC3N4 was much higher compared to bulk g-C3N4, whereas Co/HC3N4 was found to be promising for higher charge carrier separation and visible light absorption. The yield of CO and H2 with HC3N4 was 1.85- and 1.81-fold higher than when using g-C3N4 due to higher charge carrier separation. The optimized 2% Co/HC3N4 produces CO and H2 at an evolution rate of 555 and 41.2 µmol g−1 h−1, which was 18.28- and 1.74-fold more than using HC3N4 during photocatalytic dry reforming of methane (DRM), with a CH4/CO2 feed ratio of 1.0. This significantly enhanced photocatalytic CO and H2 evolution during DRM was due to efficient charge carrier separation in the presence of Co. The CH4/CO2 feed ratio was further investigated, and a 2:1 ratio was best for CO production. In contrast, the highest H2 was produced with a 1:1 feed ratio due to the competitive adsorption of the reactants over the catalyst surface. The performance of the composite was further investigated for bi-reforming methane and methanol. Using photocatalytic CO2 reduction with CH4/H2O, the production of CO and H2 was reduced, whereas significantly higher CO and H2 evolved using the BRM process involving methanol. Using methanol with CO2 and H2O, 10.77- and 1.39-fold more H2 and CO efficiency was achieved than when using dry reforming of methane. The composite was also very stable for continuous synthesis gas production during DRM in consecutive cycles. Thus, a co-assisted g-C3N4 nanotexture is promising for promoting photocatalytic activity and can be further explored in other solar energy applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis)
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19 pages, 3202 KiB  
Article
Effect of Calcination Temperature of SiO2/TiO2 Photocatalysts on UV-VIS and VIS Removal Efficiency of Color Contaminants
by Aleksandra Babyszko, Agnieszka Wanag, Ewelina Kusiak-Nejman and Antoni Waldemar Morawski
Catalysts 2023, 13(1), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13010186 - 13 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1760
Abstract
This paper presents the effect of fumed silica modification and calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of photocatalysts and their activity under the UV-VIS and VIS light range. The materials were obtained by hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) combined with a calcination step. [...] Read more.
This paper presents the effect of fumed silica modification and calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of photocatalysts and their activity under the UV-VIS and VIS light range. The materials were obtained by hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) combined with a calcination step. The obtained nanomaterials were characterized using analytical methods such as X-ray diffraction XRD, FT-IR/DRS infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis/DRS spectroscopy and SEM scanning electron microscopy. BET specific surface area and zeta potential were also measured. It was observed that SiO2 modification inhibited the transformation phase of anatase to rutile and the increase in crystallite size during calcination. The calcination process contributed to a change in the surface character of photocatalysts under study from positively to negatively charged. The photocatalytic activity of samples was identified by determining the methylene blue decomposition under UV-VIS and VIS light. Experimental results showed that the addition of SiO2 and the calcination process increased the photoactivity. The obtained materials showed higher activity compared to the reference samples. It was found that the degree of dye removal increased along with increased calcination temperature. The highest activity was observed for photocatalyst SiO2(11.1%)/TiO2_600. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis)
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20 pages, 5902 KiB  
Article
In Situ Assembly of Well-Defined MoS2 Slabs on Shape-Tailored Anatase TiO2 Nanostructures: Heterojunctions Role in Phenol Photodegradation
by Rosangela Santalucia, Paolo Negro, Tiziano Vacca, Francesco Pellegrino, Alessandro Damin, Federico Cesano and Domenica Scarano
Catalysts 2022, 12(11), 1414; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12111414 - 11 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1173
Abstract
MoS2/TiO2-based nanostructures have attracted extensive attention due to their high performance in many fields, including photocatalysis. In this contribution, MoS2 nanostructures were prepared via an in situ bottom-up approach at the surface of shape-controlled TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO [...] Read more.
MoS2/TiO2-based nanostructures have attracted extensive attention due to their high performance in many fields, including photocatalysis. In this contribution, MoS2 nanostructures were prepared via an in situ bottom-up approach at the surface of shape-controlled TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 nanosheets and bipyramids). Furthermore, a multi-technique approach by combining electron microscopy and spectroscopic methods was employed. More in detail, the morphology/structure and vibrational/optical properties of MoS2 slabs on TiO2 anatase bipyramidal nanoparticles, mainly exposing {101} facets, and on TiO2 anatase nanosheets exposing both {001} and {101} facets, still covered by MoS2, were compared. It was shown that unlike other widely used methods, the bottom-up approach enabled the atomic-level growth of well-defined MoS2 slabs on TiO2 nanostructures, thus aiming to achieve the most effective chemical interactions. In this regard, two kinds of synergistic heterojunctions, namely, crystal face heterojunctions between anatase TiO2 coexposed {101} and {001} facets and semiconductor heterojunctions between MoS2 and anatase TiO2 nanostructures, were considered to play a role in enhancing the photocatalytic activity, together with a proper ratio of (101), (001) coexposed surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis)
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15 pages, 5709 KiB  
Article
Sn(IV) Porphyrin-Based Ionic Self-Assembled Nanostructures and Their Application in Visible Light Photo-Degradation of Malachite Green
by Nirmal Kumar Shee and Hee-Joon Kim
Catalysts 2022, 12(7), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12070799 - 20 Jul 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1651
Abstract
A series of porphyrin-based ionic complexes were prepared through the reaction of two porphyrin precursors, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(2-pyridyl)phenyl)porphyrin H2TPhPyP (1) and trans-dihydroxo [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(2-pyridyl)phenyl)porphyrinato]tin(IV) Sn(OH)2TPhPyP (2), with various acids (HCl, HNO3, CF3COOH, H [...] Read more.
A series of porphyrin-based ionic complexes were prepared through the reaction of two porphyrin precursors, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(2-pyridyl)phenyl)porphyrin H2TPhPyP (1) and trans-dihydroxo [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(2-pyridyl)phenyl)porphyrinato]tin(IV) Sn(OH)2TPhPyP (2), with various acids (HCl, HNO3, CF3COOH, H2SO4, H2CO3, and H3PO4). The complexes were characterized via elemental analysis, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Each compound exhibited different results for UV-visible, fluorescence, FT-IR, and FE-SEM studies depending on the counter anions. The complexes possessed different self-assembled nanostructures based on electronic interactions between the cations of compounds 1 and 2 with different counter anions. These aggregated species are stabilized by electrostatic forces and the π-π stacking interactions between the two porphyrin rings, in which the counter anions play an important bridging role. The counter anions also play an important role in controlling the morphology and photocatalytic properties of the as-developed materials. The complexes were then used for the photocatalytic degradation of the malachite green (MG) dye in aqueous media under visible light irradiation for up to 70 min. A morphology-dependent photocatalytic degradation of the MG dye was observed for all the ionic complexes, with efficiencies ranging from 50% to 95%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis)
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14 pages, 6939 KiB  
Article
Heterogeneous Nanoplasmonic Amplifiers for Photocatalysis’s Application: A Theoretical Study
by Chawki Awada, Thameur Hajlaoui, Noura Al Suliman and Chahinez Dab
Catalysts 2022, 12(7), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12070771 - 12 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1330
Abstract
The higher cost of Ag and Au and their resonance frequency shift limitation opened the way to find an alternative solution by developing new nanohybrid antenna based on silicon and silicon dioxide coated with metallic nanoparticles. The latter has been recently solicited as [...] Read more.
The higher cost of Ag and Au and their resonance frequency shift limitation opened the way to find an alternative solution by developing new nanohybrid antenna based on silicon and silicon dioxide coated with metallic nanoparticles. The latter has been recently solicited as a promising configuration for more large-scale plasmonic utilisation. This work reports a multitude of fascinating new phenomenon on LSPR on silicon antenna wires coated with core-shell nanospheres and the studying of the nanoplasmonics amplifiers to control optical and electromagnetic properties of materials. The LSPR modes and their interaction with the silicon nanowires are studied using numerical methods. The suggested configuration offers resonance covering the UV-visible and NIR regions, making them an adaptable addition to the nanoplasmonics toolbox. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis)
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