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Advances in Composite Photocatalysts
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Advances in Composite Photocatalysts

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Photochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 6301

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Md. Abu Hanif

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Institute of Carbon Technology, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea
Interests: nanocomposite synthesis; fabrication; characterization of novel nanomaterials; novel semiconductor photocatalysts; photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants; photocatalytic overall water splitting; electrochemical overall water splitting; wastewater treatment; photocatalytic VOCs degradation
Prof. Dr. M. Shaheer Akhtar

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
New & Renewable Energy Materials Development Center (NewREC), School of Chemical Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
Interests: nanomaterials; energy; characterization; nanoengineering; gas sensors; environmental remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental contamination has grown in recent years as a result of industrialization and the widespread use of chemicals, threatening both human health and aquatic life. Water bodies are immediately impacted by the pollutants that result from numerous industries, such as food coloring, dyeing, printing, and textiles, which contain a variety of untreated chemicals. These pollutants can cause severe disease in humans, including gastrointestinal pain, nausea, headache, ocular injuries, dizziness, and anemia, in addition to harming aquatic and other 

organisms. It is therefore essential to remove dangerous chemicals from wastewater before introducing it to the aquatic environment. However, the complex structure makes the removal quite difficult. For this reason, various research groups are looking for sustainable methods to resolve this serious issue. Regarding sustainability, the photocatalytic technique is the appropriate choice. Composite-based photocatalysts are currently being investigated in great detail in a number of disciplines, including the purification of wastewater, water splitting, supercapacitors, H2 production, CO2 reduction, and other applications. Due to their interesting properties, composite materials are receiving more and more attention.

The goal of this Special Issue is to address the current research focusing on “Advances in Composite Photocatalysts”. We welcome researchers to contribute original research papers, reviews, or communications that cover topics including but not limited to the following: the synthesis, fabrication, characterization, reaction mechanism, and photocatalytic applications of composite materials, nanocomposite materials, carbon-based materials, semiconductor composites, and metal–semiconductor composites; wastewater treatment; water splitting; organic pollutants; heterojunction; energy storage etc.

Dr. Md. Abu Hanif
Prof. Dr. M. Shaheer Akhtar
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • composite material
  • nanocomposite material
  • synthesis and characterization
  • photocatalysis
  • wastewater treatment
  • water splitting
  • organic pollutants
  • heterojunction

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5119 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Active Z-Scheme Sr2MgSi2O7: Eu2+, Dy3+/COF Photocatalyst for Round-the-Clock Efficient Removal of Total Cr
by Meng Xu, Junshu Wu, Mupeng Zheng and Jinshu Wang
Molecules 2024, 29(18), 4327; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184327 - 12 Sep 2024
Viewed by 224
Abstract
Photoreduction is recognized as a desirable treatment method for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). However, it has been limited by the intermittent solar flux and limited light absorption. In this work, a novel Z-scheme photocatalyst combining a covalent organic framework (COF) with Eu2+, [...] Read more.
Photoreduction is recognized as a desirable treatment method for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). However, it has been limited by the intermittent solar flux and limited light absorption. In this work, a novel Z-scheme photocatalyst combining a covalent organic framework (COF) with Eu2+, Dy3+ co-doped Sr2MgSi2O7 (Sr2MgSi2O7:Eu2+, Dy3+) is synthesized, which shows the high spectral conversion efficiency and works efficiently in both light irradiation and dark for Cr(VI) reduction. Sr2MgSi2O7:Eu2+, Dy3+ serves as both an electron transfer station and active sites for COF molecule activation, thus resulting in 100% photoreduction of Cr(VI) (50 mL, 10 mg/L) with high light stability and over 1 h dark activity. Moreover, the XPS and FT-IR analyses reveal the existence of functional groups (Si-OH on Sr2MgSi2O7:Eu2+, Dy3+, and -NH- on COFTP-TTA) on the composited catalyst as active sites to adsorb the resultant Cr(III) species, demonstrating a synergistic effect for total Cr removal. This work provides an alternative method for the design of a round-the-clock photocatalyst for Cr(VI) reduction, allowing a versatile solid surface activation for establishing a more energy efficient and robust photocatalysis process for Cr pollution cleaning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Composite Photocatalysts)
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15 pages, 4627 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance under Ultraviolet and Visible Light Illumination of ZnO Thin Films Prepared by Modified Sol-Gel Method
by Radka Gegova-Dzhurkova, Diana Nesheva, Irina Stambolova, Katerina Zaharieva, Valeri Dzhurkov and Ilko Miloushev
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4005; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174005 - 24 Aug 2024
Viewed by 430
Abstract
Semiconductor oxides are frequently used as active photocatalysts for the degradation of organic agents in water polluted by domestic industry. In this study, sol-gel ZnO thin films with a grain size in the range of 7.5–15.7 nm were prepared by applying a novel [...] Read more.
Semiconductor oxides are frequently used as active photocatalysts for the degradation of organic agents in water polluted by domestic industry. In this study, sol-gel ZnO thin films with a grain size in the range of 7.5–15.7 nm were prepared by applying a novel two-step drying procedure involving hot air treatment at 90–95 °C followed by conventional furnace drying at 140 °C. For comparison, layers were made by standard furnace drying. The effect of hot air treatment on the film surface morphology, transparency, and photocatalytic behavior during the degradation of Malachite Green azo dye in water under ultraviolet or visible light illumination is explored. The films treated with hot air demonstrate significantly better photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet irradiation than the furnace-dried films, which is comparable with the activity of unmodified ZnO nanocrystal powders. The achieved percentage of degradation is 78–82% under ultraviolet illumination and 85–90% under visible light illumination. Multiple usages of the hot air-treated films (up to six photocatalytic cycles) are demonstrated, indicating improved photo-corrosion resistance. The observed high photocatalytic activity and good photo-corrosion stability are related to the hot air treatment, which causes a reduction of oxygen vacancies and other defects and the formation of interstitial oxygen and/or zinc vacancies in the films. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Composite Photocatalysts)
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13 pages, 3465 KiB  
Article
Facilitated Unidirectional Electron Transmission by Ru Nano Particulars Distribution on MXene Mo2C@g-C3N4 Heterostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution
by Qiuyu Chen, Zonghan Huang, Meng Liu, Xiaoping Li, Yuxuan Du, Xiaobao Chen, Dahu Ding, Shengjiong Yang, Yang Chen and Rongzhi Chen
Molecules 2024, 29(7), 1684; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29071684 - 8 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 971
Abstract
Precious metals exhibit promising potential for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but their limited abundance restricts widespread utilization. Loading precious metal nanoparticles (NPs) on 2D/2D heterojunctions has garnered considerable interest since it saves precious metal consumption and facilitates unidirectional electron transmission from semiconductors [...] Read more.
Precious metals exhibit promising potential for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but their limited abundance restricts widespread utilization. Loading precious metal nanoparticles (NPs) on 2D/2D heterojunctions has garnered considerable interest since it saves precious metal consumption and facilitates unidirectional electron transmission from semiconductors to active sites. In this study, Ru NPs loaded on MXenes Mo2C by an in-site simple strategy and then formed 2D/2D heterojunctions with 2D g-C3N4 (CN) via electrostatic self-assembly were used to enhance photocatalytic H2 evolution. Evident from energy band structure analyses such as UV-vis and TRPL, trace amounts of Ru NPs as active sites significantly improve the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction. More interestingly, MXene Mo2C, as substrates for supporting Ru NPs, enriches photoexcited electrons from CN, thereby enhancing the unidirectional electron transmission. As a result, the combination of Ru-Mo2C and CN constructs a composite heterojunction (Ru-Mo2C@CN) that shows an improved H2 production rate at 1776.4 μmol∙g−1∙h−1 (AQE 3.58% at 400 nm), which is facilitated by the unidirectional photogenerated electron transmission from the valence band on CN to the active sites on Ru (CN→Mo2C→Ru). The study offers fresh perspectives on accelerated unidirectional photogenerated electron transmission and saved precious metal usage in photocatalytic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Composite Photocatalysts)
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17 pages, 7171 KiB  
Article
Achieving Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution through the Construction of g-C3N4@PdS@Pt Nanocomposites
by Ligang Ma, Chao Lin, Wenjun Jiang, Shun Yan, Huilin Jiang, Xiang Song, Xiaoqian Ai, Xiaoxiao Cao and Yihuan Ding
Molecules 2024, 29(2), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29020493 - 19 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1112
Abstract
Selective supported catalysts have emerged as a promising approach to enhance carrier separation, particularly in the realm of photocatalytic hydrogen production. Herein, a pioneering exploration involves the loading of PdS and Pt catalyst onto g-C3N4 nanosheets to construct g-C3 [...] Read more.
Selective supported catalysts have emerged as a promising approach to enhance carrier separation, particularly in the realm of photocatalytic hydrogen production. Herein, a pioneering exploration involves the loading of PdS and Pt catalyst onto g-C3N4 nanosheets to construct g-C3N4@PdS@Pt nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of nanocomposites was evaluated under visible light and full spectrum irradiation. The results show that g-C3N4@PdS@Pt nanocomposites exhibit excellent properties. Under visible light irradiation, these nanocomposites exhibit a remarkable production rate of 1289 μmol·g−1·h−1, marking a staggering 60-fold increase compared to g-C3N4@Pt (20.9 μmol·g−1·h−1). Furthermore, when subjected to full spectrum irradiation, the hydrogen production efficiency of g-C3N4@PdS@Pt-3 nanocomposites reaches an impressive 11,438 μmol·g−1·h−1, representing an eightfold enhancement compared to g-C3N4@Pt (1452 μmol·g−1·h−1) under identical conditions. Detailed investigations into the microstructure and optical properties of g-C3N4@PdS catalysts were conducted, shedding light on the mechanisms governing photocatalytic hydrogen production. This study offers valuable insights into the potential of these nanocomposites and their pivotal role in advancing photocatalysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Composite Photocatalysts)
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16 pages, 4165 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Photoelectrocatalytic TiO2-Co3O4/Co(OH)2 Materials Prepared from Bio-Based Surfactants for Water Splitting
by Fanny Duquet, Valérie Flaud, Christina Villeneuve-Faure, Matthieu Rivallin, Florence Rouessac and Stéphanie Roualdès
Molecules 2023, 28(22), 7599; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227599 - 15 Nov 2023
Viewed by 998
Abstract
The development of new photoanode materials for hydrogen production and water treatment is in full progress. In this context, hybrid TiO2-Co3O4/Co(OH)2 photoanodes prepared using the sol–gel method using biosurfactants are currently being developed by our group. [...] Read more.
The development of new photoanode materials for hydrogen production and water treatment is in full progress. In this context, hybrid TiO2-Co3O4/Co(OH)2 photoanodes prepared using the sol–gel method using biosurfactants are currently being developed by our group. The combination of TiO2 with a cobalt-based compound significantly enhances the visible absorption and electrochemical performance of thin films, which is mainly due to an increase in the specific surface area and a decrease in the charge transfer resistance on the surface of the thin films. The formation of these composites allows for a 30-fold increase in the current density when compared to cobalt-free materials, with the best TiO2-CoN0.5 sample achieving a current of 1.570 mA.cm−2 and a theoretical H2 production rate of 0.3 µmol.min−1.cm−2 under xenon illumination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Composite Photocatalysts)
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18 pages, 12675 KiB  
Article
Selectivity of Sol-Gel and Hydrothermal TiO2 Nanoparticles towards Photocatalytic Degradation of Cationic and Anionic Dyes
by Md. Torikul Islam, Md. Nahid Parvez Roni, Md. Yunus Ali, Md. Robiul Islam, Md. Shamim Hossan, M. Habibur Rahman, A. A. S. Mostofa Zahid, Md. Nur E Alam, Md. Abu Hanif and M. Shaheer Akhtar
Molecules 2023, 28(19), 6834; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28196834 - 27 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1386
Abstract
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles have been extensively studied for catalyzing the photo-degradation of organic pollutants, the photocatalyst being nonselective to the substrate. We, however, found that TiO2 nanoparticles prepared via the sol-gel and hydrothermal synthetic routes each possess a definite [...] Read more.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles have been extensively studied for catalyzing the photo-degradation of organic pollutants, the photocatalyst being nonselective to the substrate. We, however, found that TiO2 nanoparticles prepared via the sol-gel and hydrothermal synthetic routes each possess a definite specificity to the charge of the substrate for photodegradation. The nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, TGA, and UV-visible spectra, and the photocatalytic degradation under UV-B (285 nm) irradiation of two model compounds, anionic methyl Orange (MO) and cationic methylene blue (MB) was monitored by a UV-visible spectrophotometer. Untreated sol-gel TiO2 nanoparticles (Tsg) preferentially degraded MO over MB (90% versus 40% in two hours), while after calcination at 400 °C for two hours (Tsgc) they showed reversed specificity (50% MO versus 90% MB in one hour). The as-prepared hydrothermal TiO2 nanoparticles (Tht) behaved in the opposite sense of Tsg (41% MO versus 91% MB degraded in one and a half hours); calcination at 400 °C (Thtc) did not reverse the trend but enhanced the efficiency of degradation. The study indicates that TiO2 nanoparticles can be made to degrade a specific class of organic pollutants from an effluent facilitating the recycling of a specific class of pollutants for cost-effective effluent management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Composite Photocatalysts)
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