Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• ) melanin through a Schiff base reaction to form an adhesive layer, and Fmoc-ʟ-Lys/DOPA fiber simulated an antenna to capture light. As a photosensitizer, Sn(IV)tetrakis(4-pyridyl)porphyrin (SnTPyP) was combined with the photocatalyst Co3O4 NPs by coordination bonds and electrostatic interaction onto the

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

Nanoporous and nonporous conjugated donor–acceptor polymer semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen production

• Zhao-Qi Sheng,
• Yu-Qin Xing,
• Yan Chen,
• Guang Zhang,
• Shi-Yong Liu and
• Long Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 607–623, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.50

• and Honda [4] reported the first example of hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting in 1972, using TiO2 as the photocatalyst under ultraviolet-light irradiation. Since then, numerous semiconductors have been explored for photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) by water splitting, which

• , for example, La, Bi, and Ta, which are often rare, toxic, and expensive [6]. Also, expensive noble metal-based cocatalysts (e.g., Pt) are required to improve the photocatalytic performance. As such, an ideal photocatalyst for water splitting reaction should fit the following criteria: suitable bandgap

• photocatalyst (i.e., poly(p-phenylene)) for PHP was reported, but did not attract much attention due to the low hydrogen evolution rate (HER) [11]. In 2009, Wang et al. reported a novel metal-free polymeric photocatalyst (i.e., graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)), which could efficiently reduce protons to

Boosting of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via chlorine doping of polymeric carbon nitride

• Malgorzata Aleksandrzak,
• Michalina Kijaczko,
• Wojciech Kukulka,
• Daria Baranowska,
• Martyna Baca,
• Beata Zielinska and
• Ewa Mijowska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 473–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.38

• , Poland 10.3762/bjnano.12.38 Abstract Chlorine is found to be a suitable element for the modification of polymeric carbon nitride properties towards an efficient visible-light photocatalytic activity. In this study, chlorine-doped polymeric carbon nitride (Cl-PCN) has been examined as a photocatalyst in

• semiconductor polymer, as a metal-free and visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, has attracted dramatically growing attention in the field of visible-light-induced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It is characterized by facile synthesis, easy functionalization, attractive electronic band structure, and

• . studied the photoactivity of PCN doped with S in the CO2 reduction reaction. The yield of CH3OH over the unit area of the photocatalyst was almost 2.5 times higher than of pristine PCN [35]. Recently, co-doping of g-C3N4 with two non-metallic elements has been also studied. This strategy can enhance

Unravelling the interfacial interaction in mesoporous SiO₂@nickel phyllosilicate/TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for photocatalytic activity

• Bridget K. Mutuma,
• Xiluva Mathebula,
• Isaac Nongwe,
• Bonakele P. Mtolo,
• Boitumelo J. Matsoso,
• Rudolph Erasmus,
• Zikhona Tetana and
• Neil J. Coville

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1834–1846, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.165

• photocatalyst with a degradation efficacy of 93% after three cycles. The porous flake-like morphology of the nickel phyllosilicate acted as a suitable support for the TiO2 nanoparticles. Further, a coating of TiO2 on the mSiO2@NiPS surface greatly affected the surface features and optoelectronic properties of

• inertness, low cost, and non-toxicity, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used as a photocatalyst in the degradation of dyes in textile industries as well as in water-treatment systems [5][6]. There are three different phases of TiO2, namely anatase, rutile, and brookite. Compared to the rutile and

• support for TiO2 creating a photocatalyst with improved photoactivity due to the presence of more active sites for the adsorption of the MV dye molecules. Additionally, from the diffuse reflectance UV–vis data, an optical bandgap of approximately 2.05 eV was obtained for mSiO2@NiPS while that of mSiO2

Nanocasting synthesis of BiFeO₃ nanoparticles with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

• Thomas Cadenbach,
• Maria J. Benitez,
• A. Lucia Morales,
• Cesar Costa Vera,
• Luis Lascano,
• Francisco Quiroz,
• Alexis Debut and
• Karla Vizuete

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1822–1833, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.164

• photocatalytic activity [20]. Since the photocatalytic degradation of organic molecules using a metal oxide photocatalyst is a heterogeneous process, it is obvious that efficiency and overall catalytic performance are strongly correlated to the number of active sites on the catalyst surface area and, thus, to

• samples was evaluated using RhB as a model organic pollutant that is extremely stable under visible-light irradiation in the absence of a photocatalyst [28][51]. The photodegradation experiments clearly show that RhB has been degraded by the BiFeO3-0 5.5 nm catalyst as the intensity of the maximum

• × 10−3 min−1 (BiFeO3, 20 nm) and 4.61 × 10−3 (BiFeO3 5.5 nm@SBA, see below) to 1.34 × 10−2 (BiFeO3 5.5 nm) and with decreasing particle sizes and thus increasing surface area (Figure 8). The importance of the high surface area of the photocatalyst is also shown when the photodegradation of RhB is

Cu₂O nanoparticles for the degradation of methyl parathion

• Juan Rizo,
• David Díaz,
• Benito Reyes-Trejo and
• M. Josefina Arellano-Jiménez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1546–1555, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.137

• 4-nitrophenol (4-NPh) as the main product. While the P=S bond of MP becomes P=O, confirmed by 31P NMR. Although Cu2O is a widely known photocatalyst, the degradation of methyl parathion was associated to the surface basicity of Cu2O NPs. Indirect evidence for the basicity of Cu2O NPs was achieved

Atomic-resolution imaging of rutile TiO₂(110)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Daiki Katsube,
• Shoki Ojima,
• Eiichi Inami and
• Masayuki Abe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 443–449, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.35

• force microscopy; (1 × 2) reconstruction; rutile; surface structure; titanium dioxide (TiO2); Introduction Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a well-known photocatalyst and has been studied for applications in water splitting and the coating of materials [1]. To optimize the photocatalytic function, it is

• important to understand the reaction process, hence investigations of chemical and physical surface characteristics and the structure of the photocatalyst are necessary. The rutile TiO2(110) surface has often been the subject of atomic-level studies in the field of photocatalysis since the preparation of a

Synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance of 0D/2D CuO/tourmaline composite photocatalysts

• Changqiang Yu,
• Min Wen,
• Zhen Tong,
• Shuhua Li,
• Yanhong Yin,
• Xianbin Liu,
• Yesheng Li,
• Tongxiang Liang,
• Ziping Wu and
• Dionysios D. Dionysiou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 407–416, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.31

• functional mineral material for accepting the photogenerated e− due to its special electric field. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of the CuO/tourmaline composite photocatalyst with 0D/2D CuO geometric structure by a facile precipitation–hydrothermal process. This work firstly highlights a simple

• ., China. Photocatalyst synthesis A hydrothermal process was employed to synthesize the CuO/tourmaline composite. In detail, 0.50 g of the tourmaline powder and 40 mL of distilled water were added into a beaker followed by 20 min of magnetic stirring, and the obtained suspension was sonicated for 20 min to

• NANO ZS90 instrument (Malvern, UK). Photocatalytic activity evaluation The photocatalytic performance was examined by the degradation of MB with light irradiation simulated by a 300 W Xe lamp with a 420 nm cut-off filter. In detail, 0.05 g of the as-synthesized photocatalyst was added into 100 mL of

Air oxidation of sulfur mustard gas simulants using a pyrene-based metal–organic framework photocatalyst

• Ghada Ayoub,
• Mihails Arhangelskis,
• Xuan Zhang,
• Florencia Son,
• Timur Islamoglu,
• Tomislav Friščić and
• Omar K. Farha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2422–2427, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.232

• an active photocatalyst, where the pyrene-based linkers are expected to play the role of photosensitizers responsible for singlet oxygen production under UV irradiation, several control studies were performed to firmly establish the role of the linker. We explored the ability of pure linker precursor

• , 3.4 mg) of the MOF, no conversion of CEES was detected (Figure 2), confirming the role of NU-400 as a photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activity of NU-400 in air, without oxygen presaturation, is significantly higher compared to the previously explored mesoporous NU-1000 MOF, which is based on a

• different, tetratopic pyrene-based linker 4,4’,4’’,4’’’-(pyrene-1,3,6,8-tetrayl)tetrabenzoate (H4TBApy). Using 1 mol % (5.2 mg) NU-1000 as a photocatalyst enabled the full conversion of CEES into CEESO with a half-life of only 6.2 minutes under conditions of O2 saturation. However, the process was

Improved adsorption and degradation performance by S-doping of (001)-TiO₂

• Xiao-Yu Sun,
• Xian Zhang,
• Xiao Sun,
• Ni-Xian Qian,
• Min Wang and
• Yong-Qing Ma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2116–2127, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.206

• -pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) were determined on a Bruker EMX plus 10/12 (equipped with Oxford ESR910 Liquid Helium cryostat). For detection of the superoxide radicals (•O2−) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH), 2.5 mg of the photocatalyst was dispersed in 1 mL DMPO/methyl alcohol solution or DMPO/H2O solution. The

Direct observation of oxygen-vacancy formation and structural changes in Bi₂WO₆ nanoflakes induced by electron irradiation

• Hong-long Shi,
• Bin Zou,
• Zi-an Li,
• Min-ting Luo and
• Wen-zhong Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1434–1442, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.141

• photocatalyst was dispersed into 100 mL of 10 mg/L MB solution. Then the suspensions were magnetically stirred for 1 h in the dark to ensure the establishment of an adsorption–desorption equilibrium between photocatalyst and MB. Then the solution was exposed to visible-light irradiation under magnetic stirring

BiOCl/TiO₂/diatomite composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B

• Minlin Ao,
• Kun Liu,
• Xuekun Tang,
• Zishun Li,
• Qian Peng and
• Jing Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1412–1422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.139

• Abstract A BiOCl/TiO2/diatomite (BTD) composite was synthesized via a modified sol–gel method and precipitation/calcination method for application as a photocatalyst and shows promise for degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater upon visible-light irradiation. In the composite, diatomite was used as

• , low-cost and ease of application, which are superior to other approaches of environmental remediation [8][9]. However, the application of photocatalysis is still hindered due to the agglomeration of photocatalyst particles, the difficulty of photocatalyst recovery and low photocatalytic performance

• organic pollutant degradation [15]. However, according to previous studies, one limitation to its photocatalytic activity is that the photocatalytic process mainly occurs on the surface of the photocatalyst, which is a problem because the TiO2 nanoparticles readily agglomerate [10]. According to the

Construction of a 0D/1D composite based on Au nanoparticles/CuBi₂O₄ microrods for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

• Weilong Shi,
• Mingyang Li,
• Hongji Ren,
• Feng Guo,
• Xiliu Huang,
• Yu Shi and
• Yubin Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1360–1367, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.134

• photocatalyst consisting of Au nanoparticles (NPs) and CuBi2O4 microrods (Au/CBO) was designed and prepared by a simple thermal reduction–precipitation approach. It shows excellent photocatalytic performance in the degradation of tetracycline (TC). The maximum photocatalytic degradation rate constant for Au/CBO

• affect the SPR of Au NPs. The Au NPs promote the rapid separation of charge carriers of semiconductor [10][26][27]. Thus, we attempt to use 0D Au NPs to decorate 1D CuBi2O4 (CBO) microrods to obtain a new type of efficient 0D/1D composite photocatalyst. Herein, 0D/1D Au NP/CBO microrod composites were

• separated by centrifuged with distilled water, dried at 60 °C for 12 h to obtain the final Au/CBO composite photocatalyst. The mass ratios between Au nanoparticles and CBO microrods were 1%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5% and 5%, named as 1 wt % Au/CBO, 1.5 wt % Au/CBO, 2.5 wt % Au/CBO, 3.5 wt % Au/CBO and 5 wt % Au/CBO

Imaging the surface potential at the steps on the rutile TiO₂(110) surface by Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Masato Miyazaki,
• Huan Fei Wen,
• Quanzhen Zhang,
• Yuuki Adachi,
• Jan Brndiar,
• Ivan Štich,
• Yan Jun Li and
• Yasuhiro Sugawara

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1228–1236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.122

• steps in the catalytic reaction. Keywords: catalyst; Kelvin probe force microscopy; Smoluchowski effect; step; titanium dioxide; Introduction Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has attracted considerable interest for its promising applications as a photocatalyst and as catalyst support, as well as in gas sensors

A highly efficient porous rod-like Ce-doped ZnO photocatalyst for the degradation of dye contaminants in water

• Binjing Hu,
• Qiang Sun,
• Chengyi Zuo,
• Yunxin Pei,
• Siwei Yang,
• Hui Zheng and
• Fangming Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1157–1165, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.115

• , Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia 10.3762/bjnano.10.115 Abstract A mild and simple method was developed to synthesize a highly efficient photocatalyst comprised of Ce-doped ZnO

• microstructure. The computational results showed that the dipole-like field covers the entire surface of the rod-like Ce-doped ZnO photocatalyst and is present over the entire range of wavelengths considered. The optimum degradation conditions were determined by orthogonal tests and range analysis, including the

• ) = 10 mg/L, concentration (catalyst) = 0.7 g/L, pH 9.0 and T = 50 °C. These optimum conditions supply a helpful reference for large-scale wastewater degradation containing the common water contaminant RhB. Keywords: Ce-doped ZnO; photocatalyst; rhodamine B; solar degradation; surface shape

Photoactive nanoarchitectures based on clays incorporating TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles

• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Marwa Akkari,
• Nithima Khaorapapong and
• Makoto Ogawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1140–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.114

• NPs immobilization as well as on the structural stability during the photocatalytic reactions. In addition, the immobilization of NPs on clay surfaces is a key advantage for the easier recovery of the photocatalyst from the reaction medium compared to bare NPs [88][89][90][91][92][93]. Clay-based

• 2.25 eV, corresponding to a light wavelength of 550 nm suitable for a photocatalyst responsive to visible light was reported. The co-doping of N and S [149] and Cu, Ag, and Fe on TiO2@bentonite has also been reported [150]. Other authors also reported the modification of the photoactivity

• additional of ZnO providing a higher photocatalytic activity to the starting clay or the TiO2@clay nanoarchitecture. Related ZnO–TiO2@clay materials based on commercially available expanded clay aggregates (LECA), apparently belonging to the smectite family, have been also positively tested as photocatalyst

Synthesis of novel C-doped g-C₃N₄ nanosheets coupled with CdIn₂S₄ for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

• Jingshuai Chen,
• Chang-Jie Mao,
• Helin Niu and
• Ji-Ming Song

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 912–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.92

• photogenerated holes and electrons. Yang et al. designed and constructed a 2D/2D nanocomposite photocatalyst through the in situ generation of ZnIn2S4 nanoleaf structures on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets by a facile one-step solvothermal method with surfactant, which exhibited distinct high-speed charge

• the CCN surface, resulting in close contact (Figure 4c,d). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was utilized to study the surface elemental composition of the representative composite photocatalyst CISCCN3. The survey XPS spectrum of Figure 5a shows that the CISCCN3 composite is mostly composed of C

• over CISCCN3 composites is remarkably facilitated. In addition, a further decrease in the PL emission intensity in the CISCCN3 hybrid photocatalyst can be observed. This result demonstrates that the construction of a heterogeneous interface can improve the separation and transfer of photogenerated

Reduced graphene oxide supported C₃N₄ nanoflakes and quantum dots as metal-free catalysts for visible light assisted CO₂ reduction

• Md Rakibuddin and
• Haekyoung Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 448–458, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.44

• promising for CO2 photoreduction because of their excellent activity and environmental sustainability. Keywords: CO2 reduction; metal-free hybrid; nanoflakes; photocatalyst; quantum dots; Introduction The solar-light-assisted photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into useful chemicals, such as HCOOH, HCHO, CH4

• of photo-induced electron–hole pairs and insufficient adsorption of CO2 at the catalyst surface are crucial problems preventing effective catalyst performance and CO2 reduction [11]. An ideal photocatalyst for CO2 conversion should possess a narrow bandgap and good light-harvesting properties, proper

Development of an anti-pollution coating process technology for the application of an on-site PV module

• Sejin Jung,
• Wonseok Choi,
• Jung Hyun Kim and
• Jang Myoun Ko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 332–336, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.32

• natural water will significantly improve the economic efficiency of the maintenance of solar power generation systems [7]. Although a self-cleaning coating technique using a photocatalyst has been developed, the durability is poor due to low adhesion and hardness. Also, production is very difficult, an

Graphene-enhanced metal oxide gas sensors at room temperature: a review

• Dongjin Sun,
• Yifan Luo,
• Marc Debliquy and
• Chao Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2832–2844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.264

• dioxide (TiO2), as a wide-bandgap semiconductor, has been widely used as photocatalyst, and in solar cells and gas sensors [70][71][72]. In general, its operating temperature is over 200 °C, so scholars try to prepare composites with graphene to reduce its operating temperature. However, the stability of

Nanocellulose: Recent advances and its prospects in environmental remediation

• Katrina Pui Yee Shak,
• Yean Ling Pang and
• Shee Keat Mah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2479–2498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.232

• by the action of bacteria. In this review, some invigorating perspectives on the challenges, future direction, and updates on the most relevant uses of nanocellulose in environmental remediation are discussed. The reported applications and properties of nanocellulose as an adsorbent, photocatalyst

• in an effort to improve the development and efficient use of nanocellulose in environmental remediation. Keywords: adsorbent; environmental remediation; membrane; nanocellulose; nanomaterials; photocatalyst; Review Introduction The rampant emergence of advanced, new nanomaterials is redefining many

• nanocellulose-based materials used in various applications under the category of environmental remediation, including past achievements, current advances, and potential directions. The recent developments of nanocellulose used as an adsorbent, photocatalyst, flocculant or membrane for various applications in

Hierarchical heterostructures of Bi₂MoO₆ microflowers decorated with Ag₂CO₃ nanoparticles for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of toxic pollutants

• Shijie Li,
• Wei Jiang,
• Shiwei Hu,
• Yu Liu,
• Yanping Liu,
• Kaibing Xu and
• Jianshe Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2297–2305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.214

• regarded as a promising visible-light-driven (VLD) photocatalyst because of its good activity, chemical stability and nontoxicity [15][16][17]. However, the low carrier-separation rate and narrow photo-response range of Bi2MoO6 substantially lower its photocatalytic performance [18][19]. To overcome this

• degradation. Conclusion We synthesized a novel photocatalyst of Bi2MoO6 microflowers covered with Ag2CO3 nanoparticles by a facile procedure. The Ag2CO3/Bi2MoO6 heterostructures, especially ACO/BMO-30, showed a substantially enhanced photocatalytic performance in the removal of pollutants (RhB, MO, MB and TC

• efficient VLD photocatalyst with promising applications in environmental remediation. Experimental Materials Bi(NO3)3·5H2O, NaHCO3, NH3·H2O, Na2MoO4·2H2O, rhodamine B (RhB), methyl blue (MB), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), methyl orange (MO), isopropanol (IPA), AgNO3, p-benzoquinone (BQ), and ammonium

Controllable one-pot synthesis of uniform colloidal TiO₂ particles in a mixed solvent solution for photocatalysis

• Jong Tae Moon,
• Seung Ki Lee and
• Ji Bong Joo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1715–1727, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.163

• Honda and Fujishima [12]. Over the past decade, there have been many attempts to fabricate highly active TiO2-based photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic efficiency [13][14][15][16][17]. It is well-known that photocatalysis over a semiconductor photocatalyst occurs in the following sequential steps

• . First, the semiconductor photocatalyst can absorb photon energy that is greater than its band gap and electrons in the valance band can be exited to the conduction band, resulting in photoexcited electron–hole pairs. Then, the photo-exited electron–hole can move to the surface of the photocatalyst

• photocatalyst must be narrow in order to facilitate the facile adsorption of the low energy photon and high harvesting efficiency under visible-light irradiation conditions [11]. To enhance charge separation efficiency and extend the lifetime of photoexcited electron–hole pairs, properties such as a crystalline

Sulfur-, nitrogen- and platinum-doped titania thin films with high catalytic efficiency under visible-light illumination

• Boštjan Žener,
• Lev Matoh,
• Giorgio Carraro,
• Bojan Miljević and
• Romana Cerc Korošec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1629–1640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.155

• rather there exists an optimal particle size for pure nanocrystalline TiO2 [19]. This is due to surface recombination of electron–hole pairs in samples with particle sizes smaller than 6 nm. One of the main drawbacks of using TiO2 as a photocatalyst is the width of its band gap (3.2 eV), which means the

• the form of a thin film significantly reduces some of the drawbacks of the practical application of heterogeneous photocatalysis; for instance, the need to separate the photocatalyst from the suspension after the photocatalytic reaction, or the tendency of the particles to agglomerate in aqueous