ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Fabrication and Application of Photocatalytically Active Materials

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2698

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Szent Gellért tér 4, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: materials science; nanotechnology; analytical chemistry; thermal analysis; atomic layer deposition; nanocomposite; carbon nanomaterial; semiconductor oxide; photocatalysis; gas sensing; nanofluid; photonic crystal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Uncontrolled industrialization over the past few decades, the global economy and population growth are increasingly raising awareness of the threat of a global energy crisis due to the extremely rapid consumption of fossil fuels. For the sustainable development of society, the development of renewable green technologies and the decontamination of the environment are the most crucial tasks.

Photocatalytically active materials have been studied with increasing intensity since the 1970s, leading to significant advances in photocatalysis and energy applications. The overall photocatalytic activity of a material depends on a number of factors such as crystal phase composition, crystal planes, surface modification, morphology, doping with other elements, decoration with metals, (nano)composite formation, etc.

The current Special Issue aims to bring together qualitative studies on photocatalytically active materials. The collected articles should focus on summarizing the latest knowledge on the fabrication and potential application of materials used in the field of photocatalysis. Related studies on synthesis techniques, detailed characterization, theoretical–computational results and possible reaction mechanisms are also welcome.

We are pleased to invite you to submit manuscripts to this Special Issue on "Fabrication and Application of Photocatalytically Active Materials" in the form of original scientific research articles, comprehensive reviews, communications, case reports and letters. We look forward to your valued participation in this Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Dr. Imre Miklós Szilágyi
Guest Editor

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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • semiconductor oxides
  • photocatalysis
  • materials science
  • nanotechnology
  • activity
  • catalyst preparation
  • nanomaterials
  • environmental applications

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 18470 KiB  
Article
Photonic Band Gap Engineering by Varying the Inverse Opal Wall Thickness
by Dániel Attila Karajz, Levente Halápi, Tomasz Stefaniuk, Bence Parditka, Zoltán Erdélyi, Klára Hernádi, Csaba Cserháti and Imre Miklós Szilágyi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12996; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312996 - 3 Dec 2024
Viewed by 965
Abstract
We demonstrate the band gap programming of inverse opals by fabrication of different wall thickness by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The opal templates were synthesized using polystyrene and carbon nanospheres by the vertical deposition method. The structure and properties of the TiO2 [...] Read more.
We demonstrate the band gap programming of inverse opals by fabrication of different wall thickness by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The opal templates were synthesized using polystyrene and carbon nanospheres by the vertical deposition method. The structure and properties of the TiO2 inverse opal samples were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations. The photonic properties can be well detected by UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy, while diffuse reflectance spectroscopy appears to be less sensitive. The samples showed visible light photocatalytic properties using Raman microscopy and UV-Visible spectrophotometry, and a newly developed digital photography-based detection method to track dye degradation. In our work, we stretch the boundaries of a working inverse opal to make it commercially more available while avoiding fully filling and using cheaper, but lower-quality, carbon nanosphere sacrificial templates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fabrication and Application of Photocatalytically Active Materials)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4898 KiB  
Article
Ultrasonic-Assisted Conversion of Micrometer-Sized BiI3 into BiOI Nanoflakes for Photocatalytic Applications
by Tushar Kanti Das, Marcin Jesionek, Krystian Mistewicz, Bartłomiej Nowacki, Mirosława Kępińska, Maciej Zubko, Marcin Godzierz and Anna Gawron
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(19), 10265; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910265 - 24 Sep 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1380
Abstract
This work describes a novel method for converting bismuth triiodide (BiI3) microplates into bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) nanoflakes under ultrasonic irradiation. To produce BiOI nanoflakes with a high yield and high purity, the conversion process was carefully adjusted. Rapid reaction kinetics and [...] Read more.
This work describes a novel method for converting bismuth triiodide (BiI3) microplates into bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) nanoflakes under ultrasonic irradiation. To produce BiOI nanoflakes with a high yield and high purity, the conversion process was carefully adjusted. Rapid reaction kinetics and increased mass transfer are benefits of the ultrasonic-assisted approach that result in well-defined converted BiOI nanostructures with superior characteristics. The produced BiOI nanoflakes were examined utilizing a range of analytical methods, such as Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The progress in the ultrasonic conversion process with time was monitored through diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The outcomes demonstrated the effective conversion of BiI3 microplates into crystalline, homogeneous, high-surface-area BiOI nanoflakes. Additionally, the degradation of organic dyes (methylene blue) under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation was used to assess the photocatalytic efficacy of the produced BiOI nanoflakes. Because of their distinct morphology and electrical structure, the BiOI nanoflakes remarkably demonstrated remarkable photocatalytic activity, outperforming traditional photocatalysts. The ability of BiOI nanoflakes to effectively separate and utilize visible light photons makes them a viable option for environmental remediation applications. This work not only shows the promise of BiOI nanoflakes for sustainable photocatalytic applications but also demonstrates a simple and scalable approach to their manufacturing. The knowledge gathered from this work opens up new avenues for investigating ultrasonic-assisted techniques for creating sophisticated nanomaterials with customized characteristics for a range of technological uses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fabrication and Application of Photocatalytically Active Materials)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop