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

• ]. Although cellulose alone exhibits limited photocatalytic activity under UV or visible light irradiation, many semiconductor materials have been added to enhance the photocatalytic activity. Several research groups have demonstrated photocatalytic wastewater treatment using cellulose-based metal oxide

• nanostructures in the form of thin film, membrane, fibre and hybrid materials under UV and visible light irradiation. Nanocellulose–metal oxide (TiO2, ZnO, graphene oxide, and Fe2O3) composites have been used as photocatalysts to improve the degradation rate of organic pollutants as compared to individual

• ]. Mohamed et al. [121] reported that the optical properties of a transparent nanocellulose/TiO2 hybrid thin film were imperative for the UV or visible light irradiation. This led to the enhancement of the electron distribution and transfer to the surface of metal oxide. Consequently, the recombination rate

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

• heterostructures exhibited substantially improved performance in the removal of industrial dyes (rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO), and methyl blue (MB)), and the antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), compared with bare Bi2MoO6 and Ag2CO3 under visible-light irradiation. The enhancement of activity was

• . Photocatalytic test The photo-degradation of RhB, MO, TC and MB was carried out in a reactor containing 40 mg of sample, and 100 mL of RhB (10 mg·L−1), MO (10 mg·L−1), TC (20 mg·L−1) or MB (10 mg·L−1) under visible-light irradiation. A 300 W xenon lamp equipped with a UV-cutoff filter (λ > 400 nm) served as the

Electrospun one-dimensional nanostructures: a new horizon for gas sensing materials

• Muhammad Imran,
• Nunzio Motta and
• Mahnaz Shafiei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2128–2170, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.202

A visible-light-controlled platform for prolonged drug release based on Ag-doped TiO₂ nanotubes with a hydrophobic layer

• Caihong Liang,
• Jiang Wen and
• Xiaoming Liao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1793–1801, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.170

• electric field [33] and results in the generation of e− and h+ even under irradiation with lower energy light. Thus, doping with AgNPs has evidently enhanced the TiO2 photocatalysis under visible-light irradiation. However, after loading with the Zn2+-based drug and coating with the NDM layer, the

• release property. Conclusion AgNPs have been successfully decorated on the surface of TNTs (Ag-TNTs) to improve the photocatalysis properties of the TNTs under visible-light irradiation. Then, a NDM hydrophobic layer and ZnO were effectively loaded on the Ag-TNTs. Compared with samples without the

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

• 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

• light [34]. Another hypothesis regarding the exceptional activity of anatase and rutile P25 is that the presence of rutile crystallites generates a favorable structure in which rapid electron transfer from rutile to lower energy lattice trapping centers of anatase phase occurs under visible-light

• irradiation. This leads to a more stable charge separation and allows holes to reach the surface for redox reactions. In addition, the small band gap of the rutile phase extends the useful range of light energy into the visible light spectrum [20]. Although our TiO2-500 catalyst does not have the same

Cr(VI) remediation from aqueous environment through modified-TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reduction

• Rashmi Acharya,
• Brundabana Naik and
• Kulamani Parida

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1448–1470, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.137

• visible-light irradiation. The authors have also reported that •CO2− radicals (produced by the reaction of hVB+ with HCO2NH4) and eCB− are responsible for the reduction of 4-nitroaniline to p-phenylenediamine over CdS/TiO2 photocatalysts [56]. Photodegradation of pollutants The principle of photocatalysis

• conduction band electrons of g-C3N4 after visible light irradiation followed by transfer of electrons to Cr(VI) to produce Cr(III) [138]. Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) using CNT-modified TiO2 Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have also been shown to possess excellent electronic and conductive properties. Waldmann

• quantum efficiency and a largely enhanced photocatalytic performance. It also caused a drift of photogenerated electrons to the CB of TiO2 for reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and that of holes to the VB of Cu2O for oxidation of water to oxygen under visible-light irradiation. Since green colored

Ag₂WO₄ nanorods decorated with AgI nanoparticles: Novel and efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts for the degradation of water pollutants

• Shijie Li,
• Shiwei Hu,
• Wei Jiang,
• Yanping Liu,
• Yu Liu,
• Yingtang Zhou,
• Liuye Mo and
• Jianshe Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1308–1316, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.123

• various trapping agents on the RhB degradation efficiency under visible-light irradiation. When IPA was introduced, the RhB degradation efficiency slightly reduced from 91.3 % to 70.7%, suggesting that very little •OH was involved in the reaction. However, when benzoquinone (a superoxide radical (•O2

• ) were recorded on an UV–vis spectrophotometer (Shimadzu, UV-2600). Photocatalytic tests The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was evaluated by the removal of RhB, MO or 4-CP under visible-light irradiation. A 300 W Xe lamp with a cut-off filter (λ > 400 nm) was used as the light source

• . Schematic diagram of electron–hole pair separation and the possible reaction mechanism over the AgI/Ag2WO4 heterojunction under visible-light irradiation. Supporting Information Supporting Information File 84: Additional figure. Degradation of para-chlorophenol (4-CP) by 0.3AgI/Ag2WO4 under visible light

Noble metal-modified titania with visible-light activity for the decomposition of microorganisms

• Maya Endo,
• Zhishun Wei,
• Kunlei Wang,
• Baris Karabiyik,
• Kenta Yoshiiri,
• Paulina Rokicka,
• Bunsho Ohtani,
• Agata Markowska-Szczupak and
• Ewa Kowalska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 829–841, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.77

• albicans (C. albicans)) activity under visible-light irradiation and in the dark using disk diffusion, suspension, colony growth (“poisoned food”) and sporulation methods. It was found that silver-modified titania, besides remarkably high antibacterial activity (inhibition of bacterial proliferation

• ), could also decompose bacterial cells under visible-light irradiation, possibly due to an enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species and the intrinsic properties of silver. Gold-modified samples were almost inactive against bacteria in the dark, whereas significant bactericidal effect under visible

• , noble metals work as an electron pool retarding the recombination of charge carriers [41][42][43], whereas under visible-light irradiation titania is activated by the plasmonic properties of noble metals (“plasmonic photocatalysis”) [44][45]. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the combination of the

Facile synthesis of a ZnO–BiOI p–n nano-heterojunction with excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity

• Mengyuan Zhang,
• Jiaqian Qin,
• Pengfei Yu,
• Bing Zhang,
• Mingzhen Ma,
• Xinyu Zhang and
• Riping Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 789–800, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.72

• properties and band gap structures by tuning the Bi/Zn molar ratio to 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 to 0:1. The results of the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation demonstrate that the as-synthesized ZnO/BiOI heterostructured nanocomposites exhibit the superior photocatalytic

Surface-plasmon-enhanced ultraviolet emission of Au-decorated ZnO structures for gas sensing and photocatalytic devices

• T. Anh Thu Do,
• Truong Giang Ho,
• Thu Hoai Bui,
• Quang Ngan Pham,
• Hong Thai Giang,
• Thi Thu Do,
• Duc Van Nguyen and
• Dai Lam Tran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 771–779, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.70

• solution in the presence of these photocatalysts under visible-light irradiation were investigated. The results are shown in Figure 5a and Figures S2 and S3 (Supporting Information File 1). The changes in the PL spectra during photodegradation indicated that the PL peak position of RhB (561.5 nm) decreases

• ) Response–recovery characteristics and (d) the responses of all sensors for different target gases. (a) Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of aqueous RhB solution in the presence of as-deposited ZnO and Au NP/ZnO structures under visible-light irradiation. The inset shows the percentage of the PL quenching. (b

Perovskite-structured CaTiO₃ coupled with g-C₃N₄ as a heterojunction photocatalyst for organic pollutant degradation

• Ashish Kumar,
• Christian Schuerings,
• Suneel Kumar,
• Ajay Kumar and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 671–685, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.62

• gap of g-C3N4 lies between 2.4–2.8 eV and therefore it has the capability to absorb visible light irradiation [23]. However, the photocatalytic efficiency of bare g-C3N4 is truncated by the high recombination rate of photogenerated charges (electrons and holes), insufficient light absorption and low

• methylene blue (MB) and thiabendazole (TBZ) under visible light irradiation. Another attractive strategy for enhancement of photocatalytic performance is the coupling of a wide band gap material with a low band gap material, which allows the charge transfer via suitably arranged band edge positions in both

• ability tests were performed in a 50 mL glass conical flask by taking 25 mL of 1 × 10−5 M aqueous solution of RhB under UV light irradiation by using a Luzchem LZC 4V UV irradiation chamber equipped with 12 UV lamps (λ = 365 nm with intensity of approximately 32000 lux), under visible light irradiation by

Mechanistic insights into plasmonic photocatalysts in utilizing visible light

• Kah Hon Leong,
• Azrina Abd Aziz,
• Lan Ching Sim,
• Pichiah Saravanan,
• Min Jang and
• Detlef Bahnemann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 628–648, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.59

• broad LSPR absorption band at ≈630 nm [93]. The Ag@C nanocomposite exhibited excellent removal of aqueous rhodamine B and gaseous acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) under visible light irradiation. There have been some research reports on the combination of either Pd or Pt (considered to induce a reduced plasmonic

Fabrication and photoactivity of ionic liquid–TiO₂ structures for efficient visible-light-induced photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants in aqueous phase

• Anna Gołąbiewska,
• Marta Paszkiewicz-Gawron,
• Aleksandra Sadzińska,
• Wojciech Lisowski,
• Ewelina Grabowska,
• Adriana Zaleska-Medynska and
• Justyna Łuczak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 580–590, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.54

• photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning transmission microscopy (STEM) and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area method, whereas the photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of phenol in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation (λ > 420

• photocatalysts [12][13][36][37][38]. Interestingly, in all mentioned publications [12][13][36][37][38] the same ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]), was used. However, the proposed mechanisms were different. The photoactivity enhancement under visible-light irradiation was

• photocatalysts [38]. The only exception is our previous work [14], where three ILs composed of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation [BMIM] and bromide, hexafluorophosphate [PF6] and octylsulphate [OctSO4] anions were used. In contrast to [BMIM][BF4], the improved TiO2 photoactivity under visible-light irradiation

Influence of the preparation method on the photocatalytic activity of Nd-modified TiO₂

• Patrycja Parnicka,
• Paweł Mazierski,
• Tomasz Grzyb,
• Wojciech Lisowski,
• Ewa Kowalska,
• Bunsho Ohtani,
• Adriana Zaleska-Medynska and
• Joanna Nadolna

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 447–459, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.43

• visible light irradiation [8][9][10]. In recent years, the modification with rare earth (RE) metals has proven to be an efficient method to improve the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 and to broaden its absorption to the solar spectrum [8][11][12]. Various Lewis bases can form complexes with RE-modified

• ). Therefore, Nd3+ ions could absorb UV irradiation and emit energy in radiative transitions (luminescence). The photocatalytic properties of the as-prepared samples in the aqueous phase were also investigated under visible light irradiation (Figure 6b). The Nd-modified TiO2 has the ability to degrade

• zero for all samples. Based on the presented results it can be stated that the modification of TiO2 with Nd ions does not increase the production of hydroxyl radicals under visible light irradiation. According to our previous paper, the photodegradation of phenol under vis light irradiation occurs

Sugarcane juice derived carbon dot–graphitic carbon nitride composites for bisphenol A degradation under sunlight irradiation

• Lan Ching Sim,
• Jing Lin Wong,
• Chen Hong Hak,
• Jun Yan Tai,
• Kah Hon Leong and
• Pichiah Saravanan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 353–363, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.35

• acid [37] and rapeseed flower bee pollen [38] as precursors to produce CDs for the photocatalytic generation of H2 under visible light irradiation. In addition, Wang and co-workers used citric acid and urea as precursors to prepare N-doped CDs (NCDs). The NCD/g-C3N4 composite exhibited better

Facile synthesis of silver/silver thiocyanate (Ag@AgSCN) plasmonic nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic performance

• Xinfu Zhao,
• Dairong Chen,
• Abdul Qayum,
• Bo Chen and
• Xiuling Jiao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2781–2789, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.277

• visible-light irradiation. In addition to the microstructure and high specific surface area, the enhanced photocatalytic activity was mainly caused by the surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles, and the high stability of AgSCN resulted in the long-term stability of the photocatalyst product

• and environmental friendlessness. For example, as a typical semiconductor, TiO2 exhibits high photocatalytic degradation performance against a large number of organic pollutants [5][6][7]. However, it is difficult to obtain a high photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation with TiO2 as a

• surface (Figure 5d). The composition of Ag, S, C, N in M2 hardly changed in the EDS analysis (see Supporting Information File 1, Figure S5), indicating that AgSCN cannot be reduced in this period of time under visible-light irradiation. Elemental analysis of the Ag@AgSCN after cyclic experiments were also

CdSe nanorod/TiO₂ nanoparticle heterojunctions with enhanced solar- and visible-light photocatalytic activity

• Fakher Laatar,
• Hatem Moussa,
• Halima Alem,
• Lavinia Balan,
• Emilien Girot,
• Ghouti Medjahdi,
• Hatem Ezzaouia and
• Raphaël Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2741–2752, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.273

• the narrow bandgap of CdSe NRs serves to increase the photoresponse of CdSe/TiO2 composites until ≈725 nm. The CdSe (2 wt %)/TiO2 composite exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous solution under simulated sunlight or visible light irradiation. The

• of rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution. Our results demonstrate that the composite containing 2 wt % CdSe NRs exhibits the optimal photocatalytic activity under solar or visible light irradiation. Moreover, the photocatalytic response was maintained after ten cycles in simulated sunlight. A

• simulated solar light source (light intensity = 5 mW/cm2). A polycarbonate filter was added for experiments conducted under visible light irradiation (light intensity = 10 mW/cm2). In a typical experiment, 50 mg of the CdSe/TiO2 composite were dispersed in 50 mL of aqueous solution of RhB (10 mg/L) in a 70

Application of visible-light photosensitization to form alkyl-radical-derived thin films on gold

• Rashanique D. Quarels,
• Xianglin Zhai,
• Neepa Kuruppu,
• Jenny K. Hedlund,
• Ashley A. Ellsworth,
• Amy V. Walker,
• Jayne C. Garno and
• Justin R. Ragains

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1863–1877, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.187

• Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson, TX, 75080, USA Department of Materials Science, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson, TX, 75080, USA 10.3762/bjnano.8.187 Abstract Visible-light irradiation of phthalimide esters in the presence of the photosensitizer [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and

• ), species that are synthesized in one step from carboxylic acids [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40] and which have been used to address a number of difficult problems in organic synthesis [36][37][38][39][40]. Therefore (Scheme 1), visible-light irradiation (e.g., with blue LEDs) of the photosensitizer [Ru

• ][40], it has not been used for the deposition of thin films. Benefits of such an approach include mild visible-light irradiation with safe and inexpensive light sources, use of phthalimide ester precursors 6 with high functional group tolerance, and avoidance of radical oxidation under reducing

Two-dimensional carbon-based nanocomposites for photocatalytic energy generation and environmental remediation applications

• Suneel Kumar,
• Ashish Kumar,
• Ashish Bahuguna,
• Vipul Sharma and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1571–1600, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.159

• photocatalytic activity in water splitting reactions under visible light irradiation. Ammonia-modified GO (NGO) shows n-type conductivity due to the introduction of nitrogen functionality. The band gap of NGO is narrowed due to the removal of various epoxy and carboxyl groups and it further acts as a promising

• materials and upon visible light irradiation, the electrons in the upper VB of graphene can be excited to the CB of titania. As TiO2 is inactive under visible light irradiation, the photoactivity was mainly attributed to the photosensitizer, graphene, which absorbs light to generate the charge carriers

• al. fabricated TiO2–graphene binary nanocomposites by a simple hydrothermal method and demonstrated the high visible-light-based H2 evolution from water [131]. Herein, they claimed graphene as the photosensitizer and efficient interfacial charge transfer was observed upon visible light irradiation

Synthesis of graphene–transition metal oxide hybrid nanoparticles and their application in various fields

• Arpita Jana,
• Elke Scheer and
• Sebastian Polarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 688–714, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.74

Photocatalysis applications of some hybrid polymeric composites incorporating TiO₂ nanoparticles and their combinations with SiO₂/Fe₂O₃

• Andreea Laura Chibac,
• Tinca Buruiana,
• Violeta Melinte and
• Emil C. Buruiana

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 272–286, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.30

• phenol, hydroquinone and dopamine in aqueous solution under UV or visible-light irradiation. The best results were obtained for the films with TiO2/Fe2O3 or TiO2/SiO2/Fe2O3 NPs. The degradation of the mentioned model pollutants varied between 71% and 100% (after 250 min of irradiation) depending on the

• performed. As expected, S1 exhibited a very low photodegradation activity (Figure 7a), only 10% of phenol being reduced after 250 min of visible-light irradiation. The UV–vis absorption spectra measured in the presence of S4 hybrid (Figure 7b) show that phenol is decomposed with increasing irradiation time

• ]. Therefore, the hydroquinone photodecomposition in visible light takes place only in the presence of S3 and S4 catalysts incorporating the TiO2/Fe2O3 and TiO2/SiO2/Fe2O3, respectively. The two catalysts have almost the same activity (Figure 9a), and after 90 min of visible-light irradiation the hydroquinone

Optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ nanoplumes

• Viviana Scuderi,
• Massimo Zimbone,
• Maria Miritello,
• Giuseppe Nicotra,
• Giuliana Impellizzeri and
• Vittorio Privitera

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 190–195, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.20

• Ti films as an easy, rapid, and low-cost method to synthesize hydrogenated TiO2 nanoplumes with significant photocatalytic properties under UV and visible light irradiation. Here we report the optical properties of the TiO2 nanoplumes and their correlation with the efficiency of UV photodegradation

Role of RGO support and irradiation source on the photocatalytic activity of CdS–ZnO semiconductor nanostructures

• Suneel Kumar,
• Rahul Sharma,
• Vipul Sharma,
• Gurunarayanan Harith,
• Vaidyanathan Sivakumar and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1684–1697, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.161

• solution of MO (10−5 M). Initially, the suspension was magnetically stirred in the dark for 30 min to attain adsorption–desorption equilibrium. Subsequently, the suspension was continuously stirred under visible light irradiation. For one set of experiments, a solar simulator (OAI Trisol, AM 1.5, 100 mW·cm

• performance The photocatalytic performance of CdS–ZnO binary and CdS–ZnO–RGO ternary nanocomposites is evaluated by measuring the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO), as model dye, under visible light irradiation from a solar simulator or under natural sun light. Prior to illumination, the suspension was

• visible light irradiation from a solar simulator. The enhanced performance of the nanocomposites can be attributed to the fact that the natural sun light has both UV and visible light components in it, so both of the semiconductor materials (CdS NP and ZnO NR) are active and electron–hole pair formation

High performance Ce-doped ZnO nanorods for sunlight-driven photocatalysis

• Bilel Chouchene,
• Tahar Ben Chaabane,
• Lavinia Balan,
• Emilien Girot,
• Kevin Mozet,
• Ghouti Medjahdi and
• Raphaël Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1338–1349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.125

• experiments conducted under visible light irradiation, a polycarbonate filter was used to cut off any light radiation below the wavelength of 400 nm. Characterization TEM images were taken by placing a drop of the particles dispersed in water onto a carbon film-supported copper grid. Samples were studied

Transformation of hydrogen titanate nanoribbons to TiO₂ nanoribbons and the influence of the transformation strategies on the photocatalytic performance

• Melita Rutar,
• Nejc Rozman,
• Matej Pregelj,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Romana Cerc Korošec,
• Andrijana Sever Škapin,
• Aleš Mrzel,
• Srečo D. Škapin and
• Polona Umek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 831–844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.86

• TiO2 [22] in which the nitrogen atoms occupy substitutional and interstitial sites in the TiO2 and thus affect the photocatalytic activity of titania for reactions performed under visible-light irradiation [3][5][23][24]. On the other hand, transformation under wet-chemical or hydrothermal conditions