Ya-Fang Tu

Preparation of Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays and their photocatalytic activities under visible light

Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays have been prepared by the template-based liquid phase deposition method. Their morphologies, structures and optical properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under visible light. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays showed a red shift and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region compared to the undoped sample. The Fe-doped TiO{sub 2} nanotube arrays exhibited good photocatalytic activities under visible light irradiation, and the optimum dopant amount was found to be 5.9 at% in our experiments.

In Situ Fabrication of Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 Heterostructure Submicron Fibers for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

A facile two-step synthesis route combining electrospinning and hydrothermal techniques has been performed to obtain Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 heterostructured submicron fibers. Bi2Ti2O7 nanosheets were grown on the surface of TiO2 submicron fibers. The density of the nanosheets increased with higher precursor concentration of the Bi/Ti reaction raw materials. UV-visible (UV-vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy indicated that the absorption spectrum of the Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 composite extended into the visible-light region. Photocatalytic tests showed that the Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 heterostructures possess a much higher degradation rate of rhodamine B than the unmodified TiO2 submicron fibers under visible light. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the synergistic effect between improved visible-light absorption and the internal electric field created by the heterojunctions. The effective separation of photogenerated carriers driven by the photoinduced potential was demonstrated by the photoelectrochemical analysis.

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of the ZnO@SnO2 core–shell nanorod arrays

The ZnO@SnO2 core–shell nanorod arrays have been synthesized. As the cores, ZnO nanorod arrays were first prepared by aqueous chemical growth method. Then using a simple liquid-phase deposition method, SnO2 was deposited on the ZnO nanorod arrays. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the morphologies and structures of the products. Photoluminescence properties were also investigated. It was found that the ZnO@SnO2 core–shell nanorod arrays showed enhanced UV and green emissions when compared with the bare ZnO nanorod arrays.

Perovskite-Based Solar Cells: Materials, Methods, and Future Perspectives

A novel all-solid-state, hybrid solar cell based on organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite (CH3NH3PbX3) materials has attracted great attention from the researchers all over the world and is considered to be one of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs in 2013. The perovskite materials can be used not only as light-absorbing layer, but also as an electron/hole transport layer due to the advantages of its high extinction coefficient, high charge mobility, long carrier lifetime, and long carrier diffusion distance. The photoelectric power conversion efficiency of the perovskite solar cells has increased from 3.8% in 2009 to 22.1% in 2016, making perovskite solar cells the best potential candidate for the new generation of solar cells to replace traditional silicon solar cells in the future. In this paper, we introduce the development and mechanism of perovskite solar cells, describe the specific function of each layer, and focus on the improvement in the function of such layers and its influence on the cell performance. Next, the synthesis methods of the perovskite light-absorbing layer and the performance characteristics are discussed. Finally, the challenges and prospects for the development of perovskite solar cells are also briefly presented.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of In Situ Fabrication of Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 Heterostructure Submicron Fibers for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

(a) and (b) The morphology images of the composition BT1 and BT2, respectively; (c) The XRF quantitative analysis of the molar ratio of Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2 in the corresponding composition BT1 and BT2. Figure S2. (a) Degradation curves and (b) reaction rate correlation of solid catalysts with different concentration in RhB aqueous solution. Figure S3. The effects of active species (¡OH and ¡O2 â ) on the degradation of RhB during the photocatalytic process. Detail derivation process for the molar ratio of Bi2Ti2O7 to TiO2. (DOC 2.82 mb)