Pure Nanowires Research Articles

Enhanced Photoelectrocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Nanowire Arrays via Copolymerized G-C3N4 Hybridization

Photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) oxidation is an advanced technology that combines photocatalytic oxidation (PC) and electrolytic oxidation (EC). PEC activity can be greatly enhanced by the PC and EC synergy effect. In this work, novel copolymerized g-C3N4 (denoted as CNx)/TiO2 core-shell nanowire arrays were prepared by chemical vapor deposition. CNx were deposited on the surface of TiO2 nanowire arrays using organic monomer 4,5-dicyanidazole and dicyandiamide as copolymerization precursor. TiO2 nanowire arrays provide a direct and fast electron transfer path, while CNx is a visible light responsive material. After CNx deposition, the light response range of TiO2 is broadened to 600 nm. The deposition of CNx shell effectively improves the PC efficiency and PEC efficiency of TiO2. Under visible light irradiation and 1 V bias potential, the rate constant k of PEC degradation of CNx/TiO2 core-shell nanowire arrays is 0.0069 min−1, which is 72% higher than that of pure TiO2 nanowires. The built-in electric field formed in the interface between TiO2 core and CNx shell would effectively promote photogenerated charge separation and PEC activity.

Low-threshold miniaturized core-shell GaAs/InGaAs nanowire/quantum-dot hybrid structure nanolasers

A core-shell GaAs/InGaAs nanowire/quantum dot hybrid structure nanolaser is proposed and studied by the finite-difference time-domain method. The results show that the coupled nanowire cavity-emitter system enables enhancement of the spontaneous radiation rate of quantum dots, resulting in a high Purcell factor of 15.5 at a diameter of 330 nm. Due to the quantum confinement and reduced propagation loss, the hybrid structure laser exhibits a threshold lower by 1–2 magnitudes than that of the pure nanowire laser. In addition, by incorporating multiple quantum dots, the lasing intensity is significantly enhanced at the expense of threshold. This work may pave the way for the development of ultra-small low-consumption near infrared lasers and related microsystems.

Electrodeposited nickel–zinc alloy nanostructured electrodes for alkaline electrolyzer

Over the last decade, as a consequence of the global decarbonization process, the interest towards green hydrogen production has drastically increased. In particular a substantial research effort has focused on the efficient and affordable production of carbon-free hydrogen production processes. In this context, the development of more efficient electrolyzers with low-cost electrode/electrocatalyst materials can play a key role. This work, investigates the fabrication of electrodes of nickel-zinc alloys with nanowires morphology cathode for alkaline electrolyzers. Electrodes are obtained by the simple method of template electrosynthesis that is also inexpensive and easily scalable. Through the analysis of the morphological and chemical composition of nanowires, it was found that the nanowires composition is dependent on the concentration of two metals in the deposition solution. Electrocatalytic tests were performed in 30% w/w potassium hydroxide aqueous solution at room temperature. In order to study the electrodes stability, mid-term galvanostatic test was also carried out. All electrochemical tests show that nanowires with about 44.4% of zinc have the best performances. Particularly, at −50 mAcm−2, these electrodes have an overpotential 50 mV lower than pure Ni nanowire. NiZn nanowires show also a good stability over time without noticeable signs of performance decay.

Degradation of rhodamine B photocatalyzed by Eu-doped CdS nanowires illuminated by visible radiation

CdS nanowires doped with different contents of Eu dopant were synthesized by solvothermal method. XRD, SEM, TEM and Raman analyses certified that the as-synthesized samples were hexagonal CdS uniform nanowires. The pure CdS nanowires were 1–3 ​μm long and 80 ​nm diameter with the 1st and 2nd order longitudinal phonon modes at 298 and 594 ​cm−1. The 3% Eu-doped CdS wires were 800 ​nm–2.5 ​μm long and 75 ​nm diameter with the 1st and 2nd order longitudinal phonon modes at 296 and 593 ​cm−1. CdS nanowires grew along the [001] direction due to the surface energy effect. The photocatalytic properties of CdS and Eu-doped CdS nanowires were investigated for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) illuminated by visible radiation. In this research, Eu dopant played the role in promoting the photocatalytic kinetics because Eu3+ ions act as an electron acceptor to promote charge separation and photocatalytic activity. Both ●OH and ●O2− were the main active radicals used to transform RhB molecules into CO2, H2O and other intermediates.

Enhanced dielectric properties and energy storage density of Mg-doped SrTiO3 nanowire films

To improve dielectric properties of SrTiO3-based materials and meet their development requirements in various scientific and technology fields, Mg-doped SrTiO3 nanowire films (with 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2mol% Mg) were fabricated by liquid phase deposition (LPD) process. The results showed that structural and dielectric properties of the prepared samples can be effectively affected by Mg doping. Thus, the SrTiO3 nanowire film doped with 1.5mol% Mg has high dielectric constant of 594.2, a low dielectric loss of 0.0167 and the highest breakdown strength of 463.1 kV/cm at 1 kHz, therefore resulting in a high energy density of 5.64 J/cm3, which is about 3.9 times higher than that of the pure SrTiO3 nanowire films (1.44 J/cm3). Based on findings in this research, it was shown that improvement of dielectric properties of SrTiO3 ceramic systems can be obtained with formation of one-dimensional structures and selecting reasonable Mg content for doping.

High-Performance Laterally Oriented Nanowire Solar Cells with Ag Gratings

A laterally oriented GaAs p-i-n nanowire solar cell with Ag gratings is proposed and studied via coupled three-dimensional optoelectronic simulations. The results show that the gratings significantly enhance the absorption of nanowire for both TM and TE polarized light due to the combined effect of grating diffraction, excitation of plasmon polaritons, and suppression of carrier recombination. At an optimal grating period, the absorption at 650–800 nm, which is an absorption trough for pure nanowire, is substantially enhanced, raising the conversion efficiency from 8.7% to 14.7%. Moreover, the gratings enhance the weak absorption at long wavelengths and extend the absorption cutoff wavelength for ultrathin nanowires, yielding a remarkable efficiency of 13.3% for the NW with a small diameter of 90 nm, 2.6 times that without gratings. This work may pave the way toward the development of ultrathin high-efficiency nanoscale solar cells.

Enhanced catalytic activity of one-dimensional CdS @TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites for selective organic transformations under visible LED irradiation

In this study, we are interested in the photocatalytic activity under visible LED irradiation of one- dimensional (1D) CdS @TiO2 core–shell nanocomposites (CSNs) prepared through a facile and convenient method. For the synthesis of 1D CdS@TiO2 core/shell structure, titania source (Tetrabutyl titanate) was hydrolyzed by water vapor transmission on the surface of CdS nanowires (NWs) which were prepared via solvothermal method. The characterization of 1D CdS@TiO2 core–shell nanocomposites (CdS@TiO2 CSNs) was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The as-synthesized sample was utilized for the selective reduction of nitro compounds to benzimidazole and anilide, and also the reduction of benzophenones to alcohol under blue LED irradiation. The 1D CdS@TiO2 CSNs exhibited enhanced photoactivity compared with the pure TiO2, CdS nanowires and commercial TiO2-P25. The excellent reusability of the photocatalyst was examined for six runs. The results demonstrated that the prepared sample has the potential to provide a promising visible light-driven photocatalyst for other organic transformations.

Physicochemical properties and in vitro osteocompatibility of different titanium surfaces stored in a saline solution

Objective. The study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties of titanium surfaces with different morphologies stored in a saline solution and their effects on osteoblast behavior. Methods. Freshly prepared commercial pure titanium (cp-Ti), acid-etching titanium (SLA-Ti) and nanowire titanium (NW-Ti) were stored in 0.9% and 10% NaCl solutions, and exposure to air and double-distilled water were used as controls. After storage for two weeks, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical contact angle instrument, and optical profilometer were used to analyze the micro-morphology, elemental composition of the samples, contact angle and surface roughness. BCA protein kit was used to detect the protein adsorption capacity of the three titanium surfaces under the different storage conditions. MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells were cultured on the titanium surfaces. The proliferation, adhesion, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells were assessed using CCK-8, laser confocal microscope (CLSM), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, and western blotting. Results. SEM results indicated that the storage conditions did not affect the micromorphology of the titanium surfaces. The XPS and contact angle determination results suggested that cp-Ti, SLA-Ti, and NW-Ti stored in NaCl solutions showed less carbon contamination, higher hydrophilicity. The roughness results showed that the air groups and 10% NaCl had higher roughness. The protein adsorption capacity of the three titanium surfaces was significantly improved under storage in 0.9% NaCl. The proliferation activity of osteoblasts on the three titanium surfaces was not different from the control groups after storage in 0.9% NaCl solution. However, the results of the in vitro study suggested that the cell adhesion capacity and the expression of ALP and the osteogenic-related proteins Runx2, Osterix, and Osteocalcin improved after storage in 0.9% NaCl solution. Conclusions. The storage of the different types of titanium surfaces in 0.9% NaCl solution could effectively reduce carbon contamination, maintain good hydrophilicity, improve the roughness and make the environment conducive to the differentiation of osteoblasts.

Amplification of strong coupling in the simulation system of perovskite nanowire coated by the metal film

In this work, we report an amplified strong coupling phenomenon in a hybridized nanowire. The hybridized nanowire structure is composed of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite nanowire coated by SiO2 film and silver film. Due to the existence of silver film, Rabi splitting in hybrid structure can reach 303.2 meV, while the Rabi splitting in a pure perovskite nanowire is only 236.4 meV. Also, thicknesses of SiO2 film and Ag film can control the Rabi splitting of hybridized structure: (i) the thicker the Ag film, the greater the Rabi splitting; (ii) the thinner the SiO2 film, the greater the Rabi splitting. Finally, index of SiO2 film shows a linear relation with Rabi splitting.

Construction of columnar cactus-like 2D/1D CdxCu1-xS@CuO shell-core structure photocatalyst for the reduction of CO2 to methanol

Nanostructure photocatalysts with unique and stable structure and high specific surface area are expected to be widely used in photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. In this paper, columnar cactus-like Cd x Cu 1-x S/CuO/CM composite catalyst was prepared by a simple method combining thermal oxidation with a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. The combination of Cd x Cu 1-x S nanosheets and CuO nanowires can significantly improve the specific surface area, capacity of light capture and absorption and separation of electrons and holes inside which were beneficial for efficiency of photocatalysis. Their complementary conduction band and valence band positions synergistically form p-n heterojunctions, achieving the effect of multi-level charge separation. The 2D/1D Cd x Cu 1-x S/CuO/CM have better photocatalytic activity than pure CuO nanowires in the production of methanol by using solar energy to reduce CO 2 . After 4 h of irradiation, the methanol yield of 2D/1D Cd x Cu 1-x S/CuO/CM reached 3.60 μmol g −1 cat, which was 2.81 times the yield of pure CuO/CM. This work has certain significance for the development of new energy and environmental protection. • The columnar cactus-like Cd x Cu 1-x S/CuO/CM was prepared by the thermal oxidation and SILAR technique. • The catalyst had regular morphology, more active sites, favorable visible light absorption capacity and stability. • The gas - liquid - solid three - phase reactor was used. • The yield of methanol was 3.60 μmol g −1 cat after 4 h irradiation.

Investigation of Interactions of Acetylene Molecules with an Iron Nanowire and Its Effects on Mechanical Tensile Properties

Understanding atomistic-scales complex interactions mechanisms of reactive acetylene (C2H2) molecules with reactive pure iron nanowires (Fe NWs) including its effects on the tensile mechanical properties of NWs is a crucial task in nanotechnology, especially having practical significance in the mechanical reliability, durability and stability. Therefore, we performed atomistic scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on ReaxFF reactive interatomic potential to investigate the interactions of C2H2 molecules with surfaces of cylindrical pure Fe NW and its fundamental effects on the tensile mechanical deformations properties of NWs at three different strain rates. Our results reveal that the chemical energetic reactions on the free surface of cylindrical Fe NW with C2H2 molecules in the gas phase form FexCyHz shell layer at temperature T=300 K. The presence of FexCyHz shell layer on the free surface of NW has a significant effect on the mechanical tensile deformation mechanism of the NWs.

Synergistic effect between CeO2 nanowires and gold NPs over the activity and selectivity in the oxidation of thioanisole

Gold nanoparticles incorporated on ceria nanowires have been employed as efficient nanocatalysts for the selective oxidation of thioanisole. The control of both physical and chemical parameters as well as metal–support interactions are important factors that determine their performances. Considering their one-dimensional morphology with large surface area, thin diameters, high concentration of oxygen vacancies, and small Au NPs uniformly on the entire CeO2 surface with a high fraction of oxidized gold species, these characteristics make them favorable nanocatalysts for oxidation transformations. The CeO2-Au nanowires displayed improved performances towards the oxidation of thioanisole when compared to the pure CeO2 nanowires and commercial CeO2-Au catalysts. The CeO2-Au nanowires catalyzed the selective synthesis of methyl phenyl sulfoxide with up to 100 % of selectivity and high conversion. The impact of solvent and temperature during the catalytic reaction was also experimentally and theoretically investigated by DFT calculations, indicating a key role in the observed activities.

Metamorphoses of Cesium Lead Halide Nanocrystals.

ConspectusFollowing the impressive development of bulk lead-based perovskite photovoltaics, the “perovskite fever” did not spare nanochemistry. In just a few years, colloidal cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals have conquered researchers worldwide with their easy synthesis and color-pure photoluminescence. These nanomaterials promise cheap solution-processed lasers, scintillators, and light-emitting diodes of record brightness and efficiency. However, that promise is threatened by poor stability and unwanted reactivity issues, throwing down the gauntlet to chemists.More generally, Cs–Pb–X nanocrystals have opened an exciting chapter in the chemistry of colloidal nanocrystals, because their ionic nature and broad diversity have challenged many paradigms established by nanocrystals of long-studied metal chalcogenides, pnictides, and oxides. The chemistry of colloidal Cs–Pb–X nanocrystals is synonymous with change: these materials demonstrate an intricate pattern of shapes and compositions and readily transform under physical stimuli or the action of chemical agents. In this Account, we walk through four types of Cs–Pb–X nanocrystal metamorphoses: change of structure, color, shape, and surface. These transformations are often interconnected; for example, a change in shape may also entail a change of color.The ionic bonding, high anion mobility due to vacancies, and preservation of cationic substructure in the Cs–Pb–X compounds enable fast anion exchange reactions, allowing the precise control of the halide composition of nanocrystals of perovskites and related compounds (e.g., CsPbCl3 ⇄ CsPbBr3 ⇄ CsPbI3 and Cs4PbCl6 ⇄ Cs4PbBr6 ⇄ Cs4PbI6) and tuning of their absorption edge and bright photoluminescence across the visible spectrum. Ion exchanges, however, are just one aspect of a richer chemistry.Cs–Pb–X nanocrystals are able to capture or release (in short, trade) ions or even neutral species from or to the surrounding environment, causing major changes to their structure and properties. The trade of neutral PbX2 units allows Cs–Pb–X nanocrystals to cross the boundaries among four different types of compounds: 4CsX + PbX2 ⇄ Cs4PbBr6 + 3PbX2 ⇄ 4CsPbBr3 + PbX2 ⇄ 4CsPb2X5. These reactions do not occur at random, because the reactant and product nanocrystals are connected by the Cs+ cation substructure preservation principle, stating that ion trade reactions can transform one compound into another by means of distorting, expanding, or contracting their shared Cs+ cation substructure.The nanocrystal surface is a boundary between the core and the surrounding environment of Cs–Pb–X nanocrystals. The surface influences nanocrystal stability, optical properties, and shape. For these reasons, the dynamic surface of Cs–Pb–X nanocrystals has been studied in detail, especially in CsPbX3 perovskites. Two takeaways have emerged from these studies. First, the competition between primary alkylammonium and cesium cations for the surface sites during the CsPbX3 nanocrystal nucleation and growth governs the cube/plate shape equilibrium. Short-chain acids and branched amines influence that equilibrium and enable shape-shifting synthesis of pure CsPbX3 cubes, nanoplatelets, nanosheets, or nanowires. Second, quaternary ammonium halides are emerging as superior ligands that extend the shelf life of Cs–Pb–X colloidal nanomaterials, boost their photoluminescence quantum yield, and prevent foreign ions from escaping the nanocrystals. That is accomplished by combining reduced ligand solubility, due to the branched organic ammonium cation, with the surface-healing capabilities of the halide counterions, which are small Lewis bases.

Surface and Interface Engineering Enhanced Photodetector Based on Mo2C-C/Sb2S3 Composites

Surface and interface engineering have shown broad application prospect in energy conversion. Mo2C-C/Sb2S3 composites have been synthesized by coupling Mo2C-C composites and Sb2S3 nanowires with coupling agent. The performance of the devices has been investigated. Under irradiation by light source, the device showed better electrical contact, fast response speed (rise time 0.135[Formula: see text]s, decay time 0.132[Formula: see text]s) and larger on/off ratio ([Formula: see text]) than the device which assembled by mechanical mixing ([Formula: see text]) and pure Sb2S3 nanowires (47), respectively. The performance has been enhanced by modifying the surface and interface of materials. This approach provides a new idea to enhance the high-performance photodetectors and other inventive optoelectronic devices.

Constructing Bi2WO6-decorated TiO2 composite films for photocathodic protection of 304 stainless steel

Bi2WO6 nanoplate/TiO2 nanowire and Bi2WO6 nanoflower/TiO2 nanowire composite films were successfully prepared using a hydrothermal method. The results show that the light absorption for Bi2WO6/TiO2 composite films is extended to the visible region after Bi2WO6 nanoplates and nanoflowers are assembled onto TiO2 nanowires. Furthermore, Bi2WO6 nanoflower/TiO2 nanowire composite film exhibits a better absorption property compared to Bi2WO6 nanoplate/TiO2 nanowire film, which is mainly ascribed to the narrower bandgap of Bi2WO6 nanoflower compared to that of Bi2WO6 nanoplate. The photocurrent density for Bi2WO6 nanoflower/TiO2 nanowire and Bi2WO6 nanoplate/TiO2 nanowire composite films can reach 95 and 62.5 μA cm−2, respectively, which are much higher than that obtained for a pure TiO2 nanowire film (25 μA cm−2). Meanwhile, under illumination, the pure TiO2 nanowire, Bi2WO6 nanoplate/TiO2 nanowire and Bi2WO6 nanoflower/TiO2 nanowire films can reduce the potential of the coupled 304 stainless steel in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution by 299, 719 and 739 mV, respectively. Thus, Bi2WO6 nanoflower/TiO2 nanowire film is found to provide the best effective photocathodic protection for 304 stainless steel. This work not only provides an example of shape-dependent photocathodic protection based on Bi2WO6 but also opens up new possibilities to design an ideal microstructure on the basis of semiconductor materials for future applications of photocathodic protection.

Synthesis of multifunctional foam-like isotropic high volume fraction SiC nanowires preform via a simple method

Lightweight, pure, foam-like and macro-structured ceramic nanowires preform with a certain structural strength and good electromagnetic functional performance can be used as the skeleton of new isotropic ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) to improve its comprehensive performance. With this aim, silicon carbide (SiC) nanomaterials are promising candidates. However, little is studied at present regarding pure SiC nanowires as the preform for structural and functional CMCs. In this study, an isotropic SiC nanowire preform with a cross-linked structure among the nanowires was designed and prepared via an in-situ synthesis method, based on the carbon template. As prepared SiC nanowires with high purity can spontaneously and uniformly distribute in three dimensions. Furthermore, the crystallinity, and volume fraction of the nanowires preform can be flexibly adjusted. SiC nanowires preform has a low-density (0.1 g cm−3) and rigid structure, which can be attributed to high-volume fraction (26.05%) of nanowires and the crossing and connection among nanowires. Importantly, owing to its unique structure, the maximum stress of the SiC nanowires preform reaches 34 KPa. The prepared SiC nanowire preform achieved full absorption in the X-band, and the specific microwave absorption performance exceeded 45.18 dB cm−2 g−1. The preform exhibits also excellent thermal stability and thermal insulation performance. These make it a particularly promising preform of CMCs combining structure and functional performance.

First-principles study on the structural stability and electronic properties of GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs superlattice nanowires

In this study, the first-principles method is used to study the structural stability and electronic properties of GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs and AlxGa1−xAs/AlyGa1−yAs superlattice nanowires. Calculations show that GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs superlattice nanowires with smaller Al component spacing have higher structural stability. The increase of Al composition will further weaken the stability of GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs heterostructure nanowires. Compared with the pure GaAs nanowires, the work function of GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs heterostructure nanowires is all reduced, indicating that the variable Al composition heterostructure can enhance the photoemission ability. In addition, heterostructures with different configurations exhibit different electronic properties. Moreover, a powerful built-in electric field is formed across the GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs superlattice interface, which will further promote the migration of photoelectrons from low Al composition layer to high Al composition layer. GaAs/Ga1−xAlxAs superlattice nanowires are promising to be the high-performance photocathode materials.

Fabrication of high-quality silver nanowire conductive film and its application for transparent film heaters

Here, we report a facile method to produce pure silver nanowires (AgNWs) with high yield. A highly conductive dispersant was used to ensure uniform dispersion of the AgNWs. Without any posttreatment, the AgNW networks, deposited on flexible substrates, showed excellent optoelectrical performance owing to minimal junction resistance between the AgNWs. To explore their potential in flexible optoelectronic devices, a transparent film heater was constructed based on the present AgNW networks. The heater could achieve rapid response at low input voltage and reach a relatively high temperature in a short response time. Since this high-quality AgNW film exhibits relatively low production costs and fast production time, it may have value for future electronic industry applications.

VLS growth of pure and Au decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowires for room temperature CO gas sensor and resistive memory applications

High-density single crystalline β-Ga2O3 nanowires on silicon (1 0 0) substrates were grown by vapour-liquid-solid growth method. We have characterized the pure β-Ga2O3 nanowires along with the Au-decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowires. The CO gas sensors at room temperature (RT) have been studied for pure and Au decorated nanowires with multiple-networked array and single nanowire devices. The diameter of the 1D nanostructure ranged from 127 ± 5 nm. The synthesized nanowires were studied using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Gracing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GI-XRD), Photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Using the Focussed Ion Beam (FIB) technique, single nanowire gas sensor devices were fabricated. Single nanowire RT CO gas sensors using the proposed Au decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowire achieved remarkable sensitivity for 100 ppm CO gas at room temperature. Besides, we have compared the RT CO gas sensing properties of multiple-networked Au decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowires with single Au-decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowire and single pure β-Ga2O3 nanowire. In addition, bipolar resistive switching property is inspected for the Au/pure β-Ga2O3 nanowires/p-Si and Au/Au decorated β-Ga2O3 nanowires/p-Si structures.

Efficient photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli by Mn-CdS/ZnCuInSe/CuInS2 quantum dots-sensitized TiO2 nanowires

A novel visible light-driven photocatalyst (represented as Mn-CdS/ZCISe/CIS/TiO2) for the passivation of E. coli was prepared with TiO2 nanowires as support and using CuInS2 (CIS) and ZnCuInSe (ZCISe) quantum dots (QDs), as well as Mn-doped CdS (Mn-CdS) nanoparticles (NPs) as sensitizers. The use of CIS and ZCISe QDs and Mn-CdS NPs extends the light harvest region to visible light. The photoelectric conversion efficiency was consequently improved, with a photocurrent density of 12.5 mA cm−2, about 60 times that of pure TiO2 nanowires. The germicidal efficiency of the photocatalyst was assessed by passivation of E. coli, 96% bacteria in 50 ml 105 colony forming units (CFU) ml−1 solution were killed within 50 min. Besides the high efficiency, the composite has good stability and satisfactory recycling performance. The antibiotic mechanism was also performed by using photoluminescence and a scavenging agent of different active matter, revealing that the photo-generated holes play a major role in the sterilization process.