Improvement of Photocatalytic Performance using Near-Infrared Upconversion Nanoparticles

A near-infrared magnetic aptasensor for Ochratoxin A based on near-infrared upconversion nanoparticles and magnetic nanoparticles

Adjacent Mn site boosts photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of MnXCd1-XS solid solution through a dual-metal-site design

Near-infrared upconversion nanoparticles for bio-applications

Ce2S3/PMo3W9/polypyrrole ternary nanocomposit: Facile synthesis, photoelectric characteristics and photocatalytic applications

Enhanced efficiency of low-temperature fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells by incorporating upconversion nanoparticles

To develop a fluorescent bioprobe for high-contrast deep tissue fluorescence imaging, monochromatic 800 nm upconversion emissions based on NaYF4: Yb3+, Tm3+ upconversion nanoparticles are investigated. The ratio of I800 to I470, which is used to describe the monochromaticity, showing exponential growth with the increase of Tm3+ doping concentration in NaYF4: Yb3+, Tm3+ nanoparticles, can reach as high as 757 at 4% Tm3+. At such a doping level, the absolute quantum efficiency can reach 3.9 × 10–3 as measured by a calibrated integrating sphere, which is sufficient for fluorescence imaging. High-contrast fluorescence phantom imaging was obtained by adjusting monochromaticity of 800 nm upconversion emission under the excitation of a 980 nm diode laser.

Luminescence nanomaterial-based lateral flow assay (LFA) is promising for point-of-care tests. However, the detection sensitivity and accuracy are often affected by the interferences of autofluorescence and photon scattering from nitrocellulose membrane and colored plasma. Here, we describe a near-infrared to near-infrared upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) immunolabeled LFA for background-free chromatographic detection of sepsis biomarker procalcitonin (PCT) in clinical human plasma. This upconversion immunolabeling enables both light excitation (at ∼980 nm) and anti-Stokes emission (at 800 nm) to be adopted within the first biological window (700-1000 nm), which eliminates background autofluorescence as well as photon scattering interferences, empowering a high-sensitivity detection without complicated procedures. After optimization, the described assay presented a limit of detection reaching down to 0.03 ng/mL, lower than the normal level (0.05 ng/mL), while having a detection range of 0.03-50 ng/mL that covers the clinical PCT level of interest (0.5-10 ng/mL). The assay recoveries in human serum samples were evaluated to be about 95-110%, whereas the inter- and intra-assay coefficient variations were both determined to be below 15%. Importantly, measured PCT concentrations in clinical samples are in good correlation with that of the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Roche) widely applied in large clinical settings. This near-infrared to near-infrared upconversion immunolabeling approach has direct implications for ultrasensitive and background-free point-of-care detection of other serum biomarkers in resource-limited clinical settings.

With multiphoton excited upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as energy transducer, ultraviolet (UV) light responsive titanium dioxide (TiO2) can be triggered indirectly by near-infrared (NIR) light for deep-tissue photodynamic therapy (PDT) through the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) strategy. Compared to pristine TiO2, absorption of hydrogenated black TiO2 (H-TiO2) in visible (vis) and NIR regions presents a marked improvement in performance, which leads H-TiO2 to enhance its overall activity. Owing to the light absorption enhancement, the single component H-TiO2 can be served as vis-driven photosensitizers (PSs) for PDT as well as NIR-triggered photothermal agents (PTAs) for photothermal therapy (PTT) simultaneously. Herein, H-TiO2 decorated Nd3+-sensitized-UCNPs (Nd:UCNPs@H-TiO2) nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized by Nd:Y3Al5O12 (Nd:YAG) pulsed-laser irradiation of Nd:UCNPs@TiO2 precursors in suspended aqueous solution. Pulsed-laser modified synthesis is the optimum selection for prepar...

Enhancing charge separation by lattice coherency engineering in heterojunction photocatalysis

The Cu2+doped porous CdIn2S4 microspheres (Cu@CdIn2S4) with better photocatalytic performance were prepared by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-assisted hydrothermal technology. The Cu@CdIn2S4 were characterized by SEM, XPS, XRD and DRS. The effects of Cu2+ doping amount on the morphology, structure and photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of CdIn2S4 were studied. The porous Cu@CdIn2S4 microspheres were flower shape of a average diameter of 3-5 μm and their maximum absorption edge was up to 700 nm. The Cu2+ doping was good for the improvement of photocatalytic performance. Cu@CdIn2S4 with 0.3wt% Cu2+doping amount possessed the highest hydrogen production rate of 1248.1 μmol/(h·g), much more than that of pure CdIn2S4.

CoNi bimetallic alloy cocatalyst-modified TiO2 nanoflowers with enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation and H2 evolution performance of N CDs/S-C3N4 S-scheme heterojunction constructed by π-π conjugate self-assembly

From titania nanoparticles to decahedral anatase particles: Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/zeolite hybrids for VOCs oxidation

Pure TiO2 and 3% Y-doped TiO2 (3% Y-TiO2) were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. Reduced TiO2 (TiO2-H2) and 3% Y-TiO2 (3% Y-TiO2-H2) were obtained through the thermal conversion treatment of Ar-H2 atmosphere at 500 °C for 3 h. By systematically comparing the crystalline phase, structure, morphological features, and photocatalytic properties of 3% Y-TiO2-H2 with pure TiO2, 3% Y-TiO2, and TiO2-H2, the synergistic effect of Y doping and reduction of TiO2 was obtained. All samples show the single anatase phase, and no diffraction peak shift is observed. Compared with single-doped TiO2 and single-reduced TiO2, 3% Y-TiO2-H2 exhibits the best photocatalytic performance for the degradation of RhB, which can be totally degraded in 20 min. The improvement of photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of Y doping and reduction treatment. Y doping broadened the range of light absorption and reduced the charge recombination rates, and the reduction treatment caused TiO2 to be enveloped by disordered shells. The remarkable feature of reduced TiO2 by H2 is its disordered shell filled with a limited amount of oxygen vacancies (OVs) or Ti3+, which significantly reduces the Eg of TiO2 and remarkably increases the absorption of visible light. The synergistic effect of Y doping, Ti3+ species, and OVs play an important role in the improvement of photocatalytic performances. The discovery of this work provides a new perspective for the improvement of other photocatalysts by combining doping and reduction to modify traditional photocatalytic materials and further improve their performance.

Remarkably enhanced visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and antibiotic degradation over g-C3N4 nanosheets decorated by using nickel phosphide and gold nanoparticles as cocatalysts