Jie Jin

Fabrication of the ternary heterojunction Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UIO-66@g-C3N4 for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and degradation of organic pollutants

A novel ternary heterojunction Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UIO-66@g-C3N4 (Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UCN) has been prepared by the in situ hydrothermal and precipitation approach, which exhibits superior photocatalytic activity for H2 generation and MO degradation under visible-light irradiation. The Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UCN30 composite shows the maximum photocatalytic H2 production rate (1281.1 μmol h−1 g−1) that is about 32.9 and 2.7 times higher than UIO-66@g-C3N4 and pristine Cd0.5Zn0.5S, respectively. Besides, the Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UCN30 heterojunction indicates the superior degradation efficiency of MO (82%) in 120 min. The improved photocatalytic activity of the Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UCN heterostructure can be assigned to its large surface area, enhanced visible-light absorption ability and high-efficiency separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which are proved by the results of photocurrent and EIS analyses. Moreover, the photocatalytic mechanism based on the ternary heterojunction Cd0.5Zn0.5S@UCN is discussed and the transfer and separation process of photogenerated electron–hole pairs is also proposed. This work demonstrates that a novel ternary noble-metal-free photocatalytic system could provide a scientific basis for the application in the field of energy production and pollution removal.

Hydrothermal fabrication of α-SnWO4/g-C3N4 heterostructure with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

The novel α-SnWO4/g-C3N4 composites have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The crystalline structure, physicochemical property and morphology of the as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, UV–vis and PL. Compared to the pristine α-SnWO4 and g-C3N4, the α-SnWO4/g-C3N4 heterostructure exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity toward the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation, which can be attributed to the effective electrons/holes transfer and separation, due to the heterojunction formed between α-SnWO4 and g-C3N4. Moreover, the α-SnWO4/g-C3N4 demonstrated good recyclability properties which were beneficial for its practical application. The photocatalytic mechanism of the α-SnWO4/g-C3N4 was also discussed.

Controlling the size of connecting windows in three-dimensionally ordered macroporous TiO 2 for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Herein, for the first time, three-dimensionally ordered macroporous TiO2 (3DOM-TiO2) with well-tuned sizes of connecting windows were synthesized by regulation the driving force of the self-assembly process. 3DOM-TiO2 materials exhibit a clear relationship between photocatalytic activities and connecting window sizes, which provides a new perspective on the connecting window size effect. The possible mechanism of 3DOM-TiO2 with window-size dependent effect is also proposed, and it would guide further design and synthesis of highly efficient photocatalysts with controllable inverse opal structures.