Liang An

Polyaniline Nanotube-ZnO Composite Materials: Facile Synthesis and Application

Polyaniline nanotubes and PANI-ZnO nanocomposites were prepared by the simplified Template-Free method. The experimental results indicated that the average diameter of Polyaniline nanotubes was approximately 150-200 nm. The average crystallite size of ZnO in PANI-ZnO composites was 27 nm. Moreover, the as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR spectroscopy(FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Photocatalytic properties of the obtained samples were investigated by the photodegradation analysis of orange II and methylene orange dye. The as-prepared PANIZnO nanocomposites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than pure PANI nanotubes. During 2 h photocatalytic courses under UV irradiation, the degradation ratios of Orange II and methyl orange using PANIZnO nanocomposites were 90.3% and 84.5%, respectively. Furthermore, this method can be extended to prepare other organic-inorganic semiconductor composites based composite catalysts.

Synthesis of CdS/ZnO nanocomposite and its enhanced photocatalytic activity in degradation of methyl orange

In this paper, a kind of CdS/ZnO nanocomposite components (CdS/ZnO) was synthesized via a two-step method. The crystal structures, chemical composition and microstructures of the resulting sample were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and fieldemission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The photocatalytic activity of the CdS/ZnO towards the degradation of methyl orange (MO) was investigated under visible light. The photocatalytic experiments with pure CdS nanoparticles (CdS) and blank test were also conducted CdS/ZnO exhibited the maximum photodegradation efficiency, which is found to be as high as 94.6% after 180 min of reaction. The reason for the enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the promoted separation of photogenerated charge carriers caused by the synergy between CdS and ZnO.

Preparation of polyaniline/TiO2 composite nanotubes for photodegradation of AZO dyes

Polyaniline (PANI) composite nanotubes (90–130 nm in diameter) containing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (about 10 nm in diameter) were synthesized through a self-assembly process in the presence of â-naphthalenesulfonic acid (â-NSA) as the dopant. It was found that PANI-TiO2 composites and PANI nanotubes both behaved with significant photocatalytic activities towards AZO dyes, during 2 h photocatalytic processes under natural light, the degradation ratio was 94.2% and 97.2% respectively (methyl orange and orange II). The morphology of such products was characterized by SEM. The specific surface area of such composite nanotubes was 14.7 m2/g compared to normal polyaniline which was 0.27 m2/g. IR and X-ray diffraction characterizations showed that the chemical chain of the composite nanotubes was identical to that of the doped PANI. It may provide a new way for photodegradation of organic contaminants by using conjugated polymer with dimensional structure.

Recyclable Fe3O4/ZnO/PPy composite photocatalyst: Fabrication and photocatalytic activity

In this work, a magnetically separable polypyrrole (PPy) modified Fe3O4/ZnO composite photo-catalyst was synthesized and its photocatalytic activity was tested. The as-prepared Fe3O4/ZnO/PPy nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Furthermore, three different photocatalysts including the Fe3O4/ZnO/PPy composite were tested using methyl orange (MO) degradation reaction under UV light irradiation. The relative results demonstrated that the Fe3O4/ZnO/PPy composite has the highest photochemical activity after 4 h photocatalytic experiment. It can be easily separated using an external magnetic field. This kind of composite photocatalysts with easiness of separation can have potential applications in the treatment of water contaminated by organic pollutants.

Preparation of Ag-loaded octahedral Bi2WO6 photocatalyst and its photocatalytic activity

In this work, an Ag-loaded octahedral Bi2WO6 photocatalyst has been successfully prepared by the hydrothermal method and photo deposition method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and ultra-violet adsorption spectrum (UV-Vis) were employed for characterization of the composite photocatalyst. Furthermore, two different photocatalysts including the obtained Ag-loaded octahedral Bi2WO6 were employed here for photodegradation of model contaminated water of Orange II (OII). Results show that Ag-loaded Bi2WO6 photocatalyst exhibits superior photocatalytic properties compared to the undoped Bi2WO6. The reasons for improvement in photocatalytic activity of the Ag-loaded octahedral Bi2WO6 were also discussed.

Hexagonal pencil-like CdS nanorods: Facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

In the present study, hexagonal pencil-like CdS nanorods have been successfully synthesized through a typical facile and economical one-step hydrothermal method without using any surfactant or template. The product was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX). The results revealed that the prepared CdS photocatalyst consisted of a large quantity of straight and smooth solid hexagonal nanorods and a few nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activities of CdS nanorods and commercial CdS powders were investigated by the photodegradation of Orange II (OII) in aqueous solution under visible light, and the CdS nanorods presented the highest photocatalytic activity. Its photocatalytic efficiency enhancement was attributed to the improved transmission of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in the CdS nanostructures. The present findings may provide a facile approach to synthesize high efficient CdS photocatalysts.