Sheet-on-belt branched TiO₂(B)/rGO powders with enhanced photocatalytic activity

• Huan Xing,
• Wei Wen and
• Jin-Ming Wu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1550–1557, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.146

• TiO2(B) is usually adopted to construct phase junctions with anatase TiO2 for applications in photocatalysis to facilitate charge separation; its intrinsic photocatalytic activity, especially when in the form of one- or three-dimensional nanostructures, has been rarely reported. In this study, a sheet

• -on-belt branched TiO2(B) powder was synthesized with the simultaneous incorporation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The monophase, hierarchically nanostructured TiO2(B) exhibited a reaction rate constant 1.7 times that of TiO2(B)/rGO and 2.9 times that of pristine TiO2(B) nanobelts when utilized to

• assist the photodegradation of phenol in water under UV light illumination. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the significantly increased surface area and enhanced charge separation. Keywords: branched nanostructure; photocatalysis; reduced graphene oxide; TiO2(B); Introduction

Cathodoluminescence as a probe of the optical properties of resonant apertures in a metallic film

• Kalpana Singh,
• Evgeniy Panchenko,
• Babak Nasr,
• Amelia Liu,
• Lukas Wesemann,
• Timothy J. Davis and
• Ann Roberts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1491–1500, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.140

• resolution [52]. Dichroic-sensitive cathodoluminescence imaging has also been used to study the chiral nature of the gold split-ring resonators on a TiO2 substrate [53]. Most studies have focused on nanoparticles on silicon substrates that can have a significant impact on the optical resonances of plasmonic

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

• TiO2 as a photocatalyst and the importance of its modification for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) has also been addressed. In this review, the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 after modification with carbon-based advanced materials, metal oxides, metal sulfides and noble metals towards reduction of

• Cr(VI) was evaluated and compared with that of bare TiO2. The photoactivity of dye-sensitized TiO2 for reduction of Cr(VI) was also discussed. The mechanism for enhanced photocatalytic activity was highlighted and attributed to the resultant properties, namely, effective separation of photoinduced

• charge carriers, extension of the light absorption range and intensity, increase of the surface active sites, and higher photostability. Advantages and limitations for photoreduction of Cr(VI) over modified TiO2 are depicted in the Conclusion. The various challenges that restrict the technology from

Semi-automatic spray pyrolysis deposition of thin, transparent, titania films as blocking layers for dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells

• Hana Krýsová,
• Josef Krýsa and
• Ladislav Kavan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1135–1145, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.105

• electrons with the oxidized form of the redox mediator or with the hole-transporting medium can be avoided. In the present work, thin, transparent, blocking TiO2 films are prepared by semi-automatic spray pyrolysis of precursors consisting of titanium diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate) as the main

• -transfer reaction. Semi-automatic spraying resulted in the formation of transparent, homogeneous, TiO2 films, and the technique allows for easy upscaling to large electrode areas. The deposition temperature of 450 °C was necessary for the fabrication of highly photoactive TiO2 films. The blocking

• properties of the as-deposited TiO2 films (at 450 °C) were impaired by post-calcination at 500 °C, but this problem could be addressed by increasing the number of spray cycles. The modification of the precursor by adding acetylacetone resulted in the fabrication of TiO2 films exhibiting perfect blocking

Room-temperature single-photon emitters in titanium dioxide optical defects

• Kelvin Chung,
• Yu H. Leung,
• Chap H. To,
• Aleksandra B. Djurišić and
• Snjezana Tomljenovic-Hanic

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1085–1094, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.100

• emission. ZnO is the only metal oxide reported to host single-photon emitting defects at room temperature and was recently shown to exhibit stable fluorescence when uptaken into skin cells, making it a viable biomarker [11]. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a well-studied wide-bandgap semiconductor, its

• ][21]. TiO2 can be fabricated using many methods resulting in an abundance of nanostructures [22]. In nanoparticle form, TiO2 is a constituent of sunscreens [23][24]. Other applications also include elimination of environmental pollution [25][26][27][28], and energy [29] and sensing applications [30

• ][31][32]. Semiconductor defects have been touted as an promising platform for the development of a quantum computer in the solid state [33] in which the usage of TiO2 could be possible with further research into its quantum and physical properties. TiO2 crystallises into three main forms: anatase

Review on nanoparticles and nanostructured materials: history, sources, toxicity and regulations

• Jaison Jeevanandam,
• Ahmed Barhoum,
• Yen S. Chan,
• Alain Dufresne and
• Michael K. Danquah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1050–1074, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.98

• production methods for these carbon-based materials fabrication (except carbon black) [8]. (ii) Inorganic-based nanomaterials: These NMs include metal and metal oxide NPs and NSMs. These NMs can be synthesized into metals such as Au or Ag NPs, metal oxides such as TiO2 and ZnO NPs, and semiconductors such as

• creating enhanced Earth-based astronomical telescopes with adaptive optics and magnetic mirrors with the shape-shifting capability made up of ferrofluids [38][39]. TiO2 NPs are commercially used in solar cells with dye-sensitization ability [40]. In summer 2012, Logitech brought an external iPad keyboard

• ], TiO2 NPs [86] and hydroxyapatites [87] are present in commercial cosmetics, sporting goods, sunscreen and toothpaste. Thus, these synthetic NPs are a new genre of NPs that may induce adverse environmental and human health effects. Nanoparticles from diesel and engine exhaust: In cosmopolitan cities and

Comparative study of antibacterial properties of polystyrene films with TiO_x and Cu nanoparticles fabricated using cluster beam technique

• Vladimir N. Popok,
• Cesarino M. Jeppesen,
• Peter Fojan,
• Anna Kuzminova,
• Jan Hanuš and
• Ondřej Kylián

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 861–869, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.80

• organic cells. Because of these toxic properties the films and nanostructures of such metals or metal compounds are widely used as antibacterial and antimicrobial agents. Among them are Ag, Cu, Au, CuO, ZnO, Fe3O4, Al2O3 and TiO2, to name just a few [1][2][3]. They all exhibit bactericidal properties

• ], and they are also cheaper compared to silver. These particles mainly show bactericidal effects through mechanisms (i) and (iii). Among the metal oxides, TiO2 is the best-known and most widely used semiconductor material with a wide band gap that under UV illumination generates electron–hole pairs

• affecting in a destructive way the cell components but rendering innocuous products (mechanism ii) [5][6]. Thus, both Cu and TiO2 nanoparticles are excellent candidates for the formation of composites with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. For more convenience in use and extended applications, NPs

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

• ), Ag(I) and Ag(II)), as shown in Figure 3. All modified titania samples were coloured due to LSPR of NMNPs. Gold-modified samples were violet (light violet for larger titania and gold NPs (Au/TiO2(ST41), Au/TiO2(FP6)) and dark violet for smaller particle sizes (Au/TiO2(TIO12), Au/TiO2(ST01)), and

• reaching 15.4%, 16.4% and 23.7% of mortality after 45 min of treatment with TiO2(ST01), TiO2(ST41) and TiO2(TIO6) samples, respectively. Under irradiation with visible light, an increase in antibacterial properties was noticed reaching 23.2%, 25.8% and 27.9%, respectively. Under UV irradiation, significant

• bacterial cells in titania suspension with simultaneous measurements of evolved carbon dioxide was studied for bare and modified titania with gold or silver. Our preliminary studies on TiO2(ST41) photocatalyst showed that although inactivation of bacterial cells was similar for bare and silver-modified

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

• degradation [3][4][5][6], nitrogen fixation [7][8], to solar fuel production [9]. The metal oxides, such as CdO [10], Al2O3 [11], and CuO [12][13], has attracted a lot of interest in photocatalytic applications. And among all of these metal oxides, it is titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (TiO2 and ZnO) that are

• oxide to a p-type BiOX to form a p–n heterojunction is an effective method to optimize the photocatalytic activity (summarized in Table S1, Supporting Information File 1). By now, several works have been published in this area. In 2009, Zhang et al. reported a low-temperature route to prepare TiO2/BiOI

• photocatalysts which showed higher activity than single-phase BiOI or TiO2 and 50% BiOI possessed the best performance [32]. Jiang and co-workers used a chemical bath to produce ZnO/BiOI heterostructures. By tuning the ratio of Zn/Bi, they could rationally control the morphology, constituents and optical

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

• investigated for photocatalytic activity as reported previously [8][20]. The photocatalytic activity of the Pt/ZnO hybrid nanocomposite under photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was higher compared to commercial TiO2 [21]. Here, it is quite reasonable to note that the plasmonic metal NP/metal-oxide

A review of carbon-based and non-carbon-based catalyst supports for the selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide

• Shahreen Binti Izwan Anthonysamy,
• Syahidah Binti Afandi,
• Mehrnoush Khavarian and
• Abdul Rahman Bin Mohamed

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 740–761, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.68

• (ZSM-5), TiO2, and Al2O3 supported materials, were identified as the most up-to-date and recently used catalysts for the removal of NO gas. The main focus of this review is the study of catalyst preparation methods, as this is highly correlated to the behaviour of NO removal. The general mechanisms

• oxygen also contributes to this occurrence. According to results from the literature, NH3 is the most practical reducing agent in the SCR of NO, as it results in high NO removal. The catalyst plays an important role in enhancing NO-SCR technology. The most widely used catalyst is V2O5–WO3/TiO2 due to its

• /TiO2 catalysts. They concluded that NO2 is vital for attaining faster reoxidation of the vanadium sites. There are two surface reactions that are usually involved in the NO removal system: the Langmuir–Hinshelwood and Eley–Rideal mechanisms [9]. It is believed that NH3 is first adsorbed by both Lewis

Synthesis and characterization of two new TiO₂-containing benzothiazole-based imine composites for organic device applications

• Anna Różycka,
• Agnieszka Iwan,
• Krzysztof Artur Bogdanowicz,
• Michal Filapek,
• Natalia Górska,
• Damian Pociecha,
• Marek Malinowski,
• Patryk Fryń,
• Agnieszka Hreniak,
• Jakub Rysz,
• Paweł Dąbczyński and
• Monika Marzec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 721–739, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.67

• ratio (3:0, 3:1, 3:2, 3:3) showed a lower energy gap and HOMO–LUMO energy levels compared to pure TiO2. This implies that TiO2 provides not only a larger surface area for sensitizer adsorption and good electron collection, but also causes a shift of the imine energy levels resulting from intermolecular

• interaction. Also the temperature of the phase transition was slightly affected with the increase of TiO2 concentration in imine-based composites. The changes observed in the Fourier transform middle-infrared absorption (FT-MIR) spectra confirmed the significant influence of TiO2 on structural properties of

• both investigated imines. Similar interactions of oxygen vacancies existing on the TiO2 surface with SP1 and SP2 were observed. The imine:TiO2 mixtures showed good air stability and reusability, which demonstrates its potential for organic device applications. Keywords: azomethines; composites; HOMO

Combined pulsed laser deposition and non-contact atomic force microscopy system for studies of insulator metal oxide thin films

• Daiki Katsube,
• Hayato Yamashita,
• Satoshi Abo and
• Masayuki Abe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 686–692, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.63

• not required. The performance of the combined system is demonstrated for the preparation and high-resolution NC-AFM imaging of atomically flat thin films of anatase TiO2(001) and LaAlO3(100). Keywords: atomic resolution; frequency modulation atomic force microscopy; insulator thin film; pulsed laser

• with NC-AFM. Finally, we demonstrate atomic resolution NC-AFM imaging of anatase TiO2(001) and LaAlO3(100). Both materials are important in the field of materials science, and it has been challenging to form and image atomically flat and clean surfaces of these two oxides thus far. Experimental Figure

• determining the sample preparation conditions of anatase TiO2(001) is shown in Figure 3 [56]. Referring to previous studies [52][53], we started the PLD with the following sample parameters: temperature Ts = 700 °C, oxygen partial pressure PO ≈ 1 × 10−3 Pa, laser density I = 1.0 J/cm2, and laser repetition

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

• of a wide band gap material with a low band gap material [30]. Natarajan et al. have demonstrated the enhanced degradation of isoniazid (a pharmaceutical pollutant) over the g-C3N4–TiO2 nanocomposite via a direct Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism [31]. The enhanced photocatalytic activity has been

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

• where they successfully improved the harvesting potential of visible light for Pd NPs with a particle size in the range of ≈80 nm [25]. Similar results were also obtained by Kwak et al. where Pd NPs particles of ≈15 nm diameter were integrated onto TiO2 [26]. The plasmon-assisted physico-chemical

• are quite a number of ways to synthesize plasmonic photocatalysts. The most important step in their fabrication is the incorporation or deposition of noble metals onto the surface of a semiconductor. The most commonly studied semiconductor is TiO2, which exhibits superior photocatalysis efficiency

• . Moreover, researchers have proven the possibility of using direct sunlight as an alternative to artificial UV light for such noble metal deposition. In a study by Leong and co-workers, they successfully achieved the deposition of Ag and Pd onto the surface of TiO2 via this renewable route. They also used

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

• photoactivity of TiO2, a series of TiO2 microspheres have been synthesized via a solvothermal method assisted by 1-methyl-3-octadecylimidazolium chloride ([ODMIM][Cl]) and 1-methyl-3-tetradecylimidazolium chloride ([TDMIM][Cl]). All as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray

• nm). The highest photoefficiency (four times higher than pristine TiO2) was observed for the TiO2 sample obtained in the presence of [TDMIM][Cl] for a IL to TiO2 precursor molar ratio of 1:3. It was revealed that interactions between the ions of the ionic liquid and the surface of the growing

• titanium dioxide spheres results in a red-shift of absorption edge for the IL–TiO2 semiconductors. In this regard, the direct increase of the photoactivity of IL–TiO2 in comparison to pristine TiO2 was observed. The active species trapping experiments indicated that O2•− is the main active species, created

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

• Poznan, 60-780 Poznan, Poland Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences,01-224 Warsaw, Poland Institute for Catalysis, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan 10.3762/bjnano.9.43 Abstract Nd-modified TiO2 photocatalysts have been obtained via hydrothermal (HT) and sol–hydrothermal

• synthesized samples was evaluated by the degradation of phenol in aqueous solution under irradiation with UV–vis (λ > 350 nm) and vis (λ > 420 nm) light, as well as by the degradation of gaseous toluene under irradiation with vis (λmax = 415 nm) light. It was found that Nd-modified TiO2 is an efficient

• photocatalytic efficiency of phenol and toluene degradation under vis irradiation in the presence of 0.25% Nd-TiO2(HT) reached 0.62 and 3.36 μmol·dm−1·min−1, respectively. Photocatalytic activity tests in the presence of Nd-TiO2 and scavenger confirm that superoxide radicals were responsible for the visible

Photocatalytic and adsorption properties of TiO₂-pillared montmorillonite obtained by hydrothermally activated intercalation of titanium polyhydroxo complexes

• Mikhail F. Butman,
• Nikolay L. Ovchinnikov,
• Nikita S. Karasev,
• Nataliya E. Kochkina,
• Alexander V. Agafonov and
• Alexandr V. Vinogradov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 364–378, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.36

• of Sciences, Akademicheskaya St. 1, Ivanovo 153045, Russian Federation ITMO University, Lomonosova St. 9, St. Petersburg 197101, Russian Federation 10.3762/bjnano.9.36 Abstract We report on a new approach for the synthesis of TiO2-pillared montmorillonite, where the pillars exhibit a high degree of

• , and liquefied nitrogen adsorption/desorption. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2-pillared materials was studied using the degradation of anionic (methyl orange, MO) and cationic (rhodamine B, RhB) dyes in water under UV irradiation. The combined effect of adsorption and photocatalysis resulted in

• removal of 100% MO and 97.5% RhB (with an initial concentration of 40 mg/L and a photocatalyst-sorbent concentration of 1 g/L) in about 100 minutes. The produced TiO2-pillared montmorillonite showed increased photocatalytic activity as compared to the commercially available photocatalyst Degussa P25

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

• absorption spectra after titanium dioxide (TiO2) loading [28] and acid treatment [29], the incorporation of CDs into g-C3N4 consistently red-shifted the absorption spectra towards the visible and NIR region. However, the photocatalytic performance of the composites is possibly limited under NIR light

• the enhancement of BPA degradation. It is notable that the photosensitizing effect of CDs serves as a dominant factor for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of CD/g-C3N4 composites since the degradation rate of BPA is well consistent with the UV DRS results. Unlike CDs, TiO2 in combination with g

Synthesis and characterization of electrospun molybdenum dioxide–carbon nanofibers as sulfur matrix additives for rechargeable lithium–sulfur battery applications

• Ruiyuan Zhuang,
• Shanshan Yao,
• Maoxiang Jing,
• Xiangqian Shen,
• Jun Xiang,
• Tianbao Li,
• Kesong Xiao and
• Shibiao Qin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 262–270, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.28

• materials including SiO2 [9], TiO2 [10], MnO2 [11], Mg0.6Ni0.4O [12], TiS2 [13], CoS2 [14], and FeS2 [15] were found to be more highly effective in binding with sulfur species than carbon substrates, and were found to significantly improve the cycling behavior of Li–S batteries. However, these metal oxide

BN/Ag hybrid nanomaterials with petal-like surfaces as catalysts and antibacterial agents

• Konstantin L. Firestein,
• Denis V. Leybo,
• Alexander E. Steinman,
• Andrey M. Kovalskii,
• Andrei T. Matveev,
• Anton M. Manakhov,
• Irina V. Sukhorukova,
• Pavel V. Slukin,
• Nadezda K. Fursova,
• Sergey G. Ignatov,
• Dmitri V. Golberg and
• Dmitry V. Shtansky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 250–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.27

• only improve the colloidal stability of Ag NPs but also improve their antibacterial characteristics. A wide range of materials, such as graphene oxide [30][31], carbon nanotubes [32], SiO2 [33], Fe3O4 [34], ZnO [35], CuO [36], TiO2 [37] and others, have been tested as the supports for Ag NPs. Compared

Anchoring of a dye precursor on NiO(001) studied by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Sara Freund,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Nathalie Marinakis,
• Edwin C. Constable,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 242–249, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.26

• photovoltaics such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) [1][2][3][4]. In the latter field, the wide band gap n-type semiconductor TiO2 has become one of the most common metal oxides for the design of classical n-type DSSCs, and is therefore a widely studied material, in particular in the field of scanning

• probe microscopy (SPM) [5]. Through the adsorption of a large variety of dye molecules, the ability of sensitized TiO2 to absorb light can be triggered and tuned. Thus, the possibility of designing photoactive devices with anodes consisting of nanostructured and functionalized TiO2 leads to numerous

• nor any contrast inversion, as for example in measurements on TiO2 [51], and considering that Ni vacancies are supposed to occur more frequently in NiO [52], it can be assumed that the protrusions are related to oxygen atoms. This is also in agreement with earlier experimental studies on NiO where

Al₂O₃/TiO₂ inverse opals from electrosprayed self-assembled templates

• Arnau Coll,
• Sandra Bermejo,
• David Hernández and
• Luís Castañer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 216–223, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.23

• opals is challenging, requiring large size, three-dimensional ordered layers of high dielectric constant ratio. In this article, alumina/TiO2–air inverse opals with a 98.2% reflectivity peak at 798 nm having an area of 2 cm2 and a thickness of 17 µm are achieved using a sacrificial self-assembled

• structure of large thickness, which was produced with minimum fabrication errors by means of an electrospray technique. Using alumina as the first supporting layer enables the deposition of TiO2 at a higher temperature, therefore providing better optical quality. Keywords: electrospray; metamaterials

• material deposition process with the maximum temperature that the polymeric nanoparticles can sustain, which is typically below 90–100 °C. This low temperature reduces the choices of materials that have suitable optical properties for a given application [35][36]. As an example, TiO2 deposited at <150 °C

Bombyx mori silk/titania/gold hybrid materials for photocatalytic water splitting: combining renewable raw materials with clean fuels

• Stefanie Krüger,
• Michael Schwarze,
• Otto Baumann,
• Christina Günter,
• Michael Bruns,
• Christian Kübel,
• Dorothée Vinga Szabó,
• Rafael Meinusch,
• Verónica de Zea Bermudez and
• Andreas Taubert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 187–204, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.21

• Giessen, Germany Department of Chemistry and CQ-VR, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Pt-5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal 10.3762/bjnano.9.21 Abstract The synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic water splitting performance of two new titania (TiO2)/gold(Au)/Bombyx mori silk hybrid materials are

• reported. All materials are monoliths with diameters of up to ca. 4.5 cm. The materials are macroscopically homogeneous and porous with surface areas between 170 and 210 m2/g. The diameter of the TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) – mainly anatase with a minor fraction of brookite – and the Au NPs are on the order

• the limitations of H2 is the efficient and sustainable H2 production. Currently, H2 is mainly produced by steam reforming of gas and oil, by catalytic reforming, or by water electrolysis [3][4]. In 1972 Fujishima and Honda reported that TiO2 is able to split water [5], a seminal discovery that has led

Review on optofluidic microreactors for artificial photosynthesis

• Xiaowen Huang,
• Jianchun Wang,
• Tenghao Li,
• Jianmei Wang,
• Min Xu,
• Weixing Yu,
• Abdel El Abed and
• Xuming Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 30–41, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.5

• energy could be offered by external light. In principle, a semiconductor photocatalyst (e.g., TiO2, C3N4) absorbs the appropriate photon (hν ≥ E0, where E0 is the bandgap of the semiconductor photocatalyst) to excite an electron in the conduction band, leaving a hole in the valence band. The electron

• technology by use of the microreactors. Water splitting In the early studies on optofluidic-based water splitting, the optofluidic device often employed sol–gel catalysts on planar channels. For example, Erickson et al. demonstrated a planar setup with TiO2–Pt to process the water splitting reaction [73

• and better hydrogen production rate than the conventional ones. CO2 reduction Optofluidic microreactors have been firstly applied for water purification [50], water splitting [73], photocatalytic fuel cells [75] and then CO2 reduction [76]. Chen et al. combined the optofluidics with the TiO2/carbon