Structurally and Elementally Promoted Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis

Tian-Yi Ma,Lei Liu,Zhan-Ying Zhang,Luminita Andronic,Yong Ma,Jian-Liang Cao

doi:10.1155/2014/356864

Abstract

1 School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia 2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan 454000, China 3 Centre of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Transilvania University of Brasov, Eroilor 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania 4College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Food Safety, Bohai University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121013, China 5 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266590, China

Highlights

In the research articles, different synthetic strategies were employed to construct delicate semiconductor nanostructures for photocatalysis, that is, synthesis of hierarchically porous α-FeOOH, macroporous TiO2, and mesoporous TiO2-SnO2 nanocomposites via a polystyrene microspheretemplating route for high-performance photodegradation of organic dyes, sonochemical preparation of mesoporous Ndoped TiO2 nanoparticles for Rhodamine B photodegradation, solvothermal synthesis of Zn2SnO4 nanocrystals with high methyl orange depredating property, and fabrication of flower-like Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoflakes through a microwaveassisted solvothermal pathway with a direct band gap of 1.52 eV for efficient photoresponse
The photoenergy, the solar energy, represents the ultimate energy source to sustain all lives on our planet and is the energy source of the fossil fuels that are driving our technology
The direct harvest and conversion of solar energy into usable energy format are urgently required and considerably meet the requirements for the current issues on environment and energy, in which photocatalysis process initiated on nanomaterials is a crucial element, due to its inexpensive and clean nature by using abundant, cheap, and environmental friendly chemical reagents, energy source, and catalysts without secondary pollution [1]

Summary

Introduction

Different synthetic strategies were employed to construct delicate semiconductor nanostructures for photocatalysis, that is, synthesis of hierarchically porous α-FeOOH, macroporous TiO2, and mesoporous TiO2-SnO2 nanocomposites via a polystyrene microspheretemplating route for high-performance photodegradation of organic dyes, sonochemical preparation of mesoporous Ndoped TiO2 nanoparticles for Rhodamine B photodegradation, solvothermal synthesis of Zn2SnO4 nanocrystals with high methyl orange depredating property, and fabrication of flower-like Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoflakes through a microwaveassisted solvothermal pathway with a direct band gap of 1.52 eV for efficient photoresponse. The direct harvest and conversion of solar energy into usable energy format are urgently required and considerably meet the requirements for the current issues on environment and energy, in which photocatalysis process initiated on nanomaterials is a crucial element, due to its inexpensive and clean nature by using abundant, cheap, and environmental friendly chemical reagents, energy source, and catalysts without secondary pollution [1].

Results

Conclusion