Qifang Lu

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of α-Fe2O3/Bi2WO6 heterostructured nanofibers prepared by electrospinning technique

One-dimensional α-Fe2O3/Bi2WO6 heterostructured nanofibers with the diameter of about 300–500 nm were successfully prepared by using a simple and straightforward protocol combining an electrospinning technique with a sintering process. The as-obtained products were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, BET and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was found that the construction of α-Fe2O3/Bi2WO6 heterostructures can effectively impede the recombination of photoelectrons and holes and α-Fe2O3/Bi2WO6 heterostructured nanofibers possess a superior photocatalytic activity compared to pure Bi2WO6 nanofibers for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye driven by visible light.

BiVO4/cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) nanofiber heterostructures: synthesis, characterization and application in photodegradation of methylene blue

BiVO4/cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) hierarchical nanostructures were prepared. The structural and photo-chemical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area test. The samples are well-defined hierarchical nanostructures, and their absorption was extended to the near-infrared region. The photocatalytic activities of the BiVO4/CoPc photocatalysts were evaluated by the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation and showed excellent visible light photocatalytic performances compared to BiVO4 nanofibers.

Facile Electrospinning of CeO2/Bi2WO6 Heterostructured Nanofibers with Excellent Visible-light-driven Photocatalytic Performance

One-dimensional (1D) CeO2 /Bi2 WO6 heterostructured nanofibers with a diameter of about 300 nm were successfully synthesized by using a straightforward strategy combining an electrospinning technique with a sintering process. The acquired products were characterized by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric (TG-DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The obtained CeO2 /Bi2 WO6 heterostructured nanofibers exhibited an excellent photocatalytic property for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye driven by visible light due to the promoted separation of photoelectrons and holes and the large contact area between the photocatalyst and organic pollutant.

Synthesis of a flower-like Co-doped Ni(OH)2 composite for high-performance supercapacitors

Flower-like architectures of a Co-doped Ni(OH)2 composite were prepared using Ni(NO3)2·6H2O, Co(NO3)2·6H2O and CO(NH2)2 as raw materials via a hydrothermal process. The as-prepared sample was characterized in detail by XRD, SEM, FT-IR and other techniques. The XRD and SEM analysis indicate the microarchitecture was accumulated by Ni(OH)2 nanorods with good crystallinity. The electrochemical properties of the Co-doped Ni(OH)2 composite was also investigated, and a three electrode system was used to test the electrochemical properties and the Co-doped Ni(OH)2 composite shown higher activity than pure Ni(OH)2 which was obtained by Ni(NO3)2·6H2O and CO(NH2)2 as raw materials via a hydrothermal process. The electrochemical properties could be seen in the CV curves, galvanostatic discharge curves and the specific capacitance based of the CV curves and discharge curves.

Synthesis and characterization of Bi(VO4)1−m(PO4)m nanofibers by electrospinning process with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light

Bi(VO4)1−m(PO4)m nanofibers were prepared by effective structural doping through an electrospinning method with subsequent calcination. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), Mott–Schottky analysis, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The diameter of the as-prepared fibers was about 200–400 nm. We found that the 0.5% P(molar ratio)-doped BiVO4 samples exhibited better photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB) than monoclinic BiVO4.

Graphene membrane encapsulated Co3O4 nanotubes with superior capacity and stability as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

The electrospun Co3O4 nanotubes encapsulated by graphene membrane are successfully synthesized via a novel and efficient method. The Co3O4 nanotubes with the diameter of ~200 nm are prepared by electrospinning combined with sintering process. Graphene is wrapped on the charge-modified surface of Co3O4 nanotubes by the mutual electrostatic interactions. The as-prepared graphene/Co3O4 nanotubes are applied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and show the improved rate capacities (up to 430.9 mAh g−1 at the current density of 1600 mA g−1) and excellent rechargeable stability (961.4 mAh g−1 at the current density of 100 mA g−1 after 80 cycles). The existence of graphene membrane not only decreases the lithium ion transport path due to serving as the additional transport channel, but also provides the elastic buffer to avoid the agglomeration of the Co3O4 nanotubes. The nanotubes located in the graphene could effectively prevent the agglomeration of graphene membranes, and consequently keep their high active surface area. The complementary and synergistic effect of Co3O4 nanotubes and graphene makes a great contribution to the outstanding electrochemical properties.Graphical AbstractThe graphene/Co3O4 nanotubes composites were applied as anode materials and shown excellent electrochemical performance.

FeVO4 nanobelts: controllable synthesis by electrospinning and visible-light photocatalytic properties

In the present work, one-dimensional FeVO4 nanobelts with the width of about 400 nm have been successfully prepared by a simple electrospinning process followed by the subsequent calcination process. The prepared products are characterized by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and total organic carbon. The results indicated that the as-prepared FeVO4 nanobelts belonging to the triclinic crystal system presented the one-dimensional belts structure. In addition, the morphologies, crystallite size and surface area of FeVO4 nanobelts were distinctly affected by the calcination temperature. And the FeVO4 nanobelts calcined at 600 °C for 2 h owned an excellent photocatalytic properties for the degradation of rhodamine B solution under the visible light irradiation.Graphical abstractSchematic representation of electrospinning process and morphology evolution of FeVO4 nanobelts during calcination process.

Fabrication of nylon-6/POMs nanofibrous membranes and the degradation of mustard stimulant research

Four types of nylon-6/POMs (H3+nPMo12−nVnO40·xH2O and H3PW12O40·xH2O) composite nanofibrous membranes were fabricated by electrospinning the mixed solution of nylon-6 and POMs using HCOOH and water as solvents. The membranes were composed of randomly arranged nylon-6/POMs composite nanofibers with diameter range from 50 to 100 nm. Thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) characterizations indicate high thermal stability of the membranes. The degradation ability of the composite fibrous membranes toward mustard (HD) was investigated. The results showed that the membrane has a good degradation performance toward HD with the degradation percentage as high as 41.55%. The degradation rates of HD by the four types of nanofibrous membranes are in the order of nylon-6/PMoV3 > nylon-6/PMoV2 > nylon-6/PW > nylon-6/PMoV1. The nanofibrous membrane simultaneously exhibit good filtration performance toward aerosol. The fabricated composite nanofibrous membranes show potential application in the in situ degradation of HD, and may be applied as a protecting cloth.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance of One-Dimensional In2O3 Nanofibers, CuO Microfibers and CuO/In2O3 Heterostructured Nanofibers by Electrospinning Process

One-dimensional (1D) CuO/In2O3 heterostructured nanofibers with the diameter of about 300 nm were successfully prepared through combining a facile single-capillary electrospinning with sintering process, and investigated by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques, etc. The photocatalytic activities were examined by degrading methylene blue (MB) under 500W xenon lamp, halogen lamp and mercury lamp irradiation, respectively. The heterostructured nanofibers exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity than P25-TiO2 under 500W xenon lamp irradiation due to the enhanced absorption for visible light and the efficient electron–hole separation and transportation. The single CuO microfibers and In2O3 nanofibers were also prepared as the control groups by the same method.

ZnO/γ-Bi 2 MoO 6 heterostructured nanotubes: electrospinning fabrication and highly enhanced photoelectrocatalytic properties under visible-light irradiation

ZnO/γ-Bi2MoO6 heterostructured nanotubes consisting of external shell of ZnO and γ-Bi2MoO6 with the outer diameter of about 400–500 nm and wall thickness of around 90 nm have been successfully fabricated by a combination of electrospinning and calcination strategy and characterized by TG-DSC, FT-IR, SEM, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, UV–Vis DRS, PL spectra, EIS, and TOC analysis. The photocatalytic activities of resulting nanotubes are evaluated through the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and measurements of photocurrent (PC) under visible-light irradiation. The results reveal that ZnO/γ-Bi2MoO6 nanotubes possess the exceptional photocatalytic and recycling properties. The enhanced degradation performance could be attributed to the positive synergistic effect of the well-established ZnO/γ-Bi2MoO6 hererostructures in promoting the transfer and separation of photogenerated carriers.Graphical abstractSchematic diagram of electron-hole separation mechanism for ZnO/γ-Bi2MoO6 nanotubes.