Peng Gao

Graphene oxide–CdS composite with high photocatalytic degradation and disinfection activities under visible light irradiation

Graphene oxide (GO)-CdS composites were synthesized via a novel two-phase mixing method successfully. CdS nanoparticles were uniformly self-assembled on GO sheets at water/toluene interface. The photocatalytic degradation (photodegradation) and disinfection activities of GO-CdS composites were investigated thoroughly. The results show that GO-CdS composites exhibit higher efficiency in photodegradation of various water pollutants than pure CdS nanoparticles under visible light irradiation. In addition, the interactions between GO sheets and CdS nanoparticles inhibit the photo-corrosion of CdS and leaching of Cd(2+). Only 3.5 wt% Cd(2+) of GO-CdS was leached out after photodegradation, while 38.6 wt% Cd(2+) of CdS was lost into aqueous solution. Furthermore, the disinfection activity of GO-CdS composites was investigated for the first time. Nearly 100% of both Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) were killed within 25 min under visible light irradiation. The excellent performances of GO-CdS composites can be attributed to that (1) effective charge transfer from CdS to GO reduces the recombination rate of photo-generated electron-hole pairs; (2) uniform deposition of CdS on GO sheets eliminates aggregation of CdS nanoparticles; and (3) the strong interactions between GO and CdS enhancing the durability of GO-CdS composites. Finally, the mechanism behind these excellent performances was verified by transient photocurrent measurement and further confirmed by ESR technique as well as employing a radical scavenging species - dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

High quality graphene oxide-CdS-Pt nanocomposites for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution†

Graphene oxide–CdS–Pt (GO–CdS–Pt) nanocomposites with different amounts of Pt nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via the formic acid reduction process followed by a two-phase mixing method. The morphology, crystal phase and optical properties of obtained composites were well characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The photocatalytic activity of GO–CdS–Pt composites for hydrogen generation was investigated. The results show that the GO–CdS–Pt composite containing 0.5 at% of Pt exhibits the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 123 mL h−1 g−1 with strong photostability, which is about 2.5 times higher than that of GO–CdS and 10.3 times higher than that of CdS. The increased photocatalytic hydrogen generation efficiency is attributed to the effective charge separation and decreased anti-recombination with the addition of GO and Pt, as well as the low overpotential of Pt for water splitting. Our findings pave a way to design multi-component graphene-based composites for highly efficient H2 generation and other applications.

Highly Efficient and Flexible Electrospun Carbon–Silica Nanofibrous Membrane for Ultrafast Gravity-Driven Oil–Water Separation

A novel free-standing and flexible electrospun carbon-silica composite nanofibrous membrane is newly introduced. The characterization results suggest that the electrospun composite nanofibers are constructed by carbon chains interpenetrated through a linear network of 3-dimensional SiO2. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the presence of insulating silica further improve the thermal resistance of the membrane. Additionally, the mechanical strength test shows that the membranes toughness and flexibility can be enhanced if the concentration of SiO2 is maintained below 2.7 wt %. Thermal and chemical stability test show that the membranes wettability properties can be sustained at an elevated temperature up to 300 °C and no discernible change in wettability was observed under highly acidic and basic conditions. After surface-coating with silicone oil for 30 mins, the composite membrane exhibits ultra-hydrophobic and superoleophilic properties with water and oil contact angles being 144.2 ± 1.2° and 0°, respectively. The enhanced flexibility and selective wetting property enables the membrane to serve as an effective substrate for separating free oil from water. Lab-scale oil-water separation test indicates that the membrane possesses excellent oil-water separation efficiency. In addition, its inherent property of high porosity allows oil-water separation to be performed in a gravity-driven process with high-flux. We anticipate that this study will open up a new avenue for fabrication of free-standing carbonaceous composite membrane with tunable flexibility for energy efficient and high-throughput production of clean water.

Sulfonated graphene oxide-ZnO-Ag photocatalyst for fast photodegradation and disinfection under visible light.

Synthesis of efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst is urgent but challenging for environmental remediation. In this work, for the first time, the hierarchical plasmonic sulfonated graphene oxide-ZnO-Ag (SGO-ZnO-Ag) composites were prepared through nanocrystal-seed-directed hydrothermal method combining with polyol-reduction process. The results indicated that SGO-ZnO-Ag exhibited much faster rate in photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and disinfection of Escherichia coli (E. coli), than ZnO, SGO-ZnO and ZnO-Ag. SGO-ZnO-Ag totally degraded RhB dye and kill 99% of E. coli within 20 min under visible light irradiation. The outstanding performances of SGO-ZnO-Ag were attributed to the synergetic merits of SGO sheets, ZnO nanorod arrays and Ag nanoparticles. Firstly, the light absorption ability of SGO-ZnO-Ag composite in the visible region was enhanced due to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag. In addition, the hierarchical structure of SGO-ZnO-Ag composite improved the incident light scattering and reflection. Furthermore, SGO sheets facilitated charge transfer and reduce electron-hole recombination rate. Finally, the tentative mechanism was proposed and verified by the photoluminescence (PL) measurement as well as the theoretical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation. In view of above, this work paves the way for preparation of multi-component plasmonic composites and highlights the potential applications of SGO-ZnO-Ag in photocatalytic wastewater treatment field.

Hierarchical TiO2/CdS “spindle-like” composite with high photodegradation and antibacterial capability under visible light irradiation

Novel hierarchical TiO(2)/CdS spindle-like composites with uniform distribution of CdS nanocrystals on nanoporous TiO(2) mesocrystals were successfully prepared by hydrothermal and hot-injection methods. In this work, the optimal mass ratio of Ti/Cd is determined to be 2 of as-synthesized TiO(2)/CdS composites. This TiO(2)/CdS composite exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity in the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and photocatalytic reaction constant is 10 times higher than that of TiO(2), 3.5 times higher than that of CdS and higher than other TiO(2)/CdS composites with different amount of Ti/Cd mass ratio. In addition, TiO(2)/CdS with optimal amount of CdS kills 99.9% of Escherichia coli in 10 min under visible-light irradiation, which shows significant higher efficiency than pure TiO(2), CdS and other TiO(2)/CdS composites. The excellent performances of this hierarchical composite are ascribed to its outstanding properties, including large specific surface area (BET), high crystallinity of oriented single-crystal-like nanoporous TiO(2) mesocrystals for charge transfer, retarded recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs via isolating electrons and holes in two different materials, and extended photo response of this hierarchical composite to the visible region. Considering all these superior properties and abilities, this hierarchical TiO(2)/CdS spindle-like composite will show great potential for applications in the water purification field.

Effects of various TiO2 nanostructures and graphene oxide on photocatalytic activity of TiO2

The nanostructures of TiO2 significantly affect its photocatalytic activity. In this work, various TiO2 nanostructures have been successfully synthesized, including one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanotube, 1D TiO2 nanowire, three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 sphere assembled by nanoparticles (TiO2 sphere-P) and 3D TiO2 sphere assembled by nanosheets (TiO2 sphere-S). The results of photodegradation activity towards acid orange 7 (AO7) indicate that the photodegradation efficiency of TiO2 sphere-S is the highest among the investigated TiO2 nanostructures, even though the specific surface area of TiO2 sphere-S is lower than that of TiO2 nanotube. The best photodegradation activity of TiO2 sphere-S can be attributed to the highest light harvesting capacity resulted from multiple reflections of light, and hierarchical mesoporous structure. In addition, the combination of TiO2 sphere-S with graphene oxide (GO) sheets can further enhance the photodegradation efficiency of AO7 and disinfection activity of Escherichia coli (E. coli) under solar light, which is more energy efficient. The promising photocatalytic activity of GO-TiO2 composites is originated from the enhanced light absorption and efficient charge separation. Hence, this study paves a way for improving the performance of other photocatalysts.

The synergetic effect of sulfonated graphene and silver as co-catalysts for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production of ZnO nanorods

Hydrogen as a renewable clean energy has attracted much attention, while synthesizing highly efficient materials for photocatalytic hydrogen production remains a great challenge. In this study, we report a new sulfonated graphene (SG)/ZnO/Ag composite as a highly efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production for the first time. SG/ZnO/Ag composites were prepared through a step-wise approach, including growth of ZnO nanorods on SG sheets by the nanocrystal-seed-directed hydrothermal method and deposition of Ag nanoparticles by the polyol-reduction process. The results show that SG/ZnO/Ag composites achieve a significant high hydrogen evolution rate of 2.36 mmol h−1 g−1, which is around 20 times, 3 times and 2.5 times faster than that of pure ZnO rods, ZnO/Ag and SG/ZnO, respectively. The outstanding hydrogen production activity of SG/ZnO/Ag can be attributed to the positive synergetic effects between SG sheets and Ag nanoparticles, which enhance the light absorption ability and facilitate the charge separation activity. Hence, this study highlights that appropriate combination of co-catalysts with photocatalysts can greatly improve the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance.

The efficient separation of surfactant-stabilized oil–water emulsions with a flexible and superhydrophilic graphene–TiO2 composite membrane

It is a worldwide challenge to efficiently separate surfactant-stabilized oil–water emulsions. The existing separation membranes are prone to fouling or are incapable of proper separation. This study is the first to realize the efficient separation of surfactant-stabilized oil–water emulsions via the delicate design and fabrication of a hierarchically nanostructured graphene–TiO2 membrane. During the oil–water separation process, this membrane demonstrates the combined advantages of high oil rejection rate and ultralow membrane fouling because of its interconnected three-dimensional nanoscale network, underwater superoleophobic interface, and self-cleaning function. Furthermore, the mechanical flexibility of this membrane endows it with great potential for wide industrial applications.

Multifunctional nanostructured membrane for clean water reclamation from wastewater with various pH conditions

The development of clean water production heavily relies on membrane technology. In this study, a novel flexible nanostructured membrane consisting of hierarchical mesoporous TiO2 sphere and sulfonated graphene oxide (GO–SO3H) was successfully designed and fabricated for the first time. This membrane shows enhanced strength and flexibility compared with a pure inorganic membrane due to the special GO–SO3H/TiO2 heterojunctions. In addition, the strong coordination bonds between the sulfonic group (–SO3H) of GO–SO3H and Ti4+ center of TiO2 endow this membrane with excellent adaptability in various wastewater conditions. This membrane possesses a high efficiency for concurrent photodegradation and water filtration without an organic fouling problem. Hence, this newly developed membrane has a bright future in water purification to solve the looming water crisis.

A Hierarchical Nanostructured Carbon Nanofiber–In2S3 Photocatalyst with High Photodegradation and Disinfection Abilities Under Visible Light

Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants under visible light provides a new door to solve the water contamination problem by utilizing free and renewable sunlight. The search for highly efficient photocatalysts with hierarchical nanostructures remains crucial for accessing this new door. In this work, a new hierarchical nanostructured photocatalyst is designed and synthesized, for the first time, by anchoring In2S3 flower-like nanostructures on non-woven carbon nanofiber (CNF). The nanostructures of these CNF-In2S3 composites were fine-tuned, with the aim of achieving the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light. The formation mechanism of the hierarchical nanostructure is also investigated. The results indicate that the optimized hierarchical CNF-In2S3 photocatalyst is superior in photodegradation and disinfection efficiency to that of pure In2S3 under visible-light irradiation. The prominent photocatalytic activities of these hierarchical CNF-In2S3 photocatalysts can be attributed to the excellent properties of enhanced light absorption, large surface area, and efficient charge separation, which are all derived from the special three-dimensional hierarchical nanostructures. Therefore, this work presents the great potential of this hierarchical nanostructured CNF-In2S3 photocatalyst in practical environmental remediation fields.