Sharif Digital Repository

In this work, the electrophoretic deposition method was utilized to immobilize TiO2 particles on stainless steel substrates. In addition, for the first time, statistics-based experimental design using response surface methodology was employed to investigate the effect of four key coating parameters (i.e. applied voltage, calcination temperature, photocatalyst weight percentage, and deposition time) on the photocatalytic degradation. Analysis of variance revealed that the proposed model was adequate. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope were used to evaluate the effects of the parameters on degradation efficiency. The optimum applied voltage, calcination temperature, catalyst... 

A new photocatalyst (Ag-S/PEG/TiO2) was synthesized by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) to an efficient Ag-S/TiO2 photocatalyst, to obtain a photocatalyst that is highly active under visible light. In addition to Ag-S/PEG/TiO2, Ag-S/TiO2 and pure TiO2 were prepared to compare their properties and activities. Specifically, the morphologies and microstructures of the nanophotocatalysts were characterized by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy,... 

The fabrication of strong photocatalysts applied to the degradation of organic pollutants is necessary in environmental applications. In a single-stage method, acetate precursor and poly vinyl pyrolydine are used to produce ZnO nanostructures with various morphologies in annealing temperatures ranging from 300 °C to 900 oC. The physical properties of the prepared nanostructures were characterized by SEM, XRD and PL spectroscopy. The SEM images exhibit a variety of the as-prepared hexagonal zinc oxides including wires, rods, particles and porous network of welded particles of ZnO nanoparticles. The results of the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue as an organic dye in aqueous... 

In this research, an attempt was made to improve TiO2 photo-catalyst properties, thus pure, N-Ce co-doped TiO2 thin films were prepared on glass-ceramic substrate using a sol-gel dip-coating technique. The samples were calcinated in air at 475 °C, 550°C, and 650°C for 2 h. The result of simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the presence of Ce in TiO2 could inhibit the phase transformation from anatase to rutile and enhance the thermal stability, and anatase was the dominant phase in N-Ce co-doped TiO2 samples. Also based on the results, the doping results in decreasing the size of TiO 2 crystallite. The results of ultra violet-visible light diffuse... 

Reduced graphene oxide nanomesh (rGONM), as one of the recent structures of graphene with a surprisingly strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, is used for achieving ultraefficient photothermal therapy. First, by using TiO2 nanoparticles, graphene oxide nanoplatelets (GONPs) are transformed into GONMs through photocatalytic degradation. Then rGONMs functionalized by polyethylene glycol (PEG), arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-based peptide, and cyanine 7 (Cy7) are utilized for in vivo tumor targeting and fluorescence imaging of human glioblastoma U87MG tumors having ανβ3 integrin receptors, in mouse models. The rGONM-PEG suspension (1 μg mL -1) exhibits about 4.2- and 22.4-fold higher NIR... 

Mordenite (MOR) nanocrystals were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. Sol-gel and deposition methods were utilized to modify the zeolite surface with TiO2 and then AgBr or AgCl particles. Photocatalysts were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Activity was evaluated by photodegradation of Acid Blue 92 as an azo dye. The effect of silver halide deposition on the photocatalytic behavior of the prepared nanocomposites was studied under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light, and the results were compared. The results showed that AgCl/TiO2/MOR was more active under UV, while with visible source,... 

CeO 2-TiO 2 nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel process using 2-hydroxylethylammonium formate as room-temperature ionic liquid and calcined at different temperatures (500-700°C). CeO 2-TiO 2-graphene nanocomposites were prepared by hydrothermal reaction of graphene oxide with CeO 2-TiO 2 nanoparticles in aqueous solution of ethanol. The photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, BET surface area, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transformed infrared techniques. The results demonstrate that the room-temperature ionic liquid inhibits the anatase-rutile phase transformation. This effect was promoted by addition of CeO 2 to TiO 2.... 

A simple method for synthesis of W17O47 nanothick plates by annealing sol-gel-deposited tungsten oxide thin films on soda lime substrate has been reported. After heat treatment of the dried thin films at 700 °C in N2 ambient for 60 min, W17O47 nanothick plates with [100] orientation were obtained. The synthesized product was characterized and analyzed by, X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM, XPS and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometery. According to SEM observations, nanothick plates grew with random orientations on the surface. In addition, it was observed that some of the nanothick plates were constituted from several nanosheets. XRD analysis determined that the nanothick plates were mainly... 

Manganese doped on cubic phase nanoparticles of ZrO2 was synthesized by an impregnation method. These novel particles were carefully analyzed by various chemico-physical methods. The catalytic degradation of an organic dye, methylene blue, in the presence of Mn-doped ZrO2 nanoparticles, as well as ZrO2 nanoparticles as catalyst with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, as an oxidizing agent has been studied in aqueous solution at room temperature. Effects of solution pH, catalyst composition and radical scavenging agents on the degree of degradation of methylene blue were also studied. Finally, the recoverability and reusability of the... 

While the photocatalytic degradation of various organic compounds under UV light irradiation has been widely investigated, visible-light-induced photocatalytic degradation of low levels of pollutants such as dibenzothiophene (DBT) is occasionally reported. In the present work, lanthanide/polyethylene glycol-modified TiO2 (La/PEG/TiO2) has been successfully synthesized by a sol-gel method. The photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis diffusive reflectance spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation of DBT under visible light irradiation is... 

Global environmental pollution and energy supply demand have been regarded as important concerns in recent years. Metal oxide semiconductor photocatalysts is a promising approach to apply environmental remediation as well as fuel generation from water splitting and carbon dioxide reduction. ZnO nanostructures have been shown promising photocatalytic activities due to their non-toxic, inexpensive, and highly efficient nature. However, its wide band gap hinders photo-excitation for practical photocatalytic applications under solar light as an abundant, clean and safe energy source. To overcome this barrier, many strategies have been developed in the last decade to apply ZnO nanostructured... 

Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles, Zn1−xMnxO, were synthesised by a polyethylene glycol (PEG) sol–gel method and the physicochemical properties of compounds were characterised by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The catalytic degradation of an organic dye, methylene blue (MB), in the presence of Zn1−xMnxO as the catalyst and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the oxidant at room temperature in water has been studied. Effects of oxidant, catalyst amount, catalyst composition, pH value of the solution and an OH-radical... 

The photocatalytic degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) using TiO2 particles immobilized on a fiberglass cloth was investigated in a novel design of a photo-impinging stream reactor. A spray painted method has been used for the coating process. The structural properties of the immobilized sample were examined using X-ray diffraction and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The photocatalytic degradation results showed the good performance of the reactor. The flow regime within the reactor was characterized and modeled by applying a liquid residence time distribution. A compartment model consisting of four continuous stirred regions was assigned to describe the flow pattern in the reactor. A... 

Two types of nanosized photocatalyst, TiO 2 P-25 and ap/Ag/AgBr/TiO 2, were used for decolorization of Acid Blue 92 (AB92) in dark, visible light (V-L), and UV media. Under UV and V-L, the effect of three possible photodegradation processes of AB92 including photocatalytic degradation, self-photosensitization, and direct photolysis were studied. Results showed that in UV/photocatalysts, photocatalytic degradation is the major process for photodecolorization. However, in the presence of TiO 2, self-photosensitization has the major role under V-L. Because of the presence of AgBr as photoactive center in ap/Ag/AgBr/TiO 2, the main process is the photocatalytic degradation in V-L. By using... 

RGO/Ag/TiO2-nanotubes/Ti plates with high photocatalytic activity were fabricated via electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide on Ag/TiO2-nanotubes. The loading of silver nanoparticles was carried out by electroless reduction of Ag1+ onto TiO2 nanotubes previously formed by anodizing titanium. Microstructure studies show that reduced graphene oxide (RGO) layers having high surface area have been deposited on the as-prepared Ag/TiO2-nanotubes, where nanoparticles of Ag had grown on the walls of TiO2-nanotubes. The results of photocatalytic experiments demonstrate that the RGO/Ag/TiO2-nanotubes/Ti plate exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for the photocatalytic... 

Humic acid (HA) constitutes a large portion of natural organic matter (NOM), and is the main precursor of toxic and cancerogenic Trihalomethanes compounds, formed during chlorination of drinking water. Therefore, it is essential that the humic acid be eliminated from water before treating it. The present study aims to investigate the photocatalytic degradation of humic acid (HA) using TiO2 nanoparticles immobilized on perlite granules (TIP), irradiated by UV light in a photoreactor. Samples of coated perlites were prepared by a dip coating method using a commercial powder of TiO2. Characteristics of the prepared samples were evaluated by X-ray and scanning electron microscope techniques.... 

In this study, for the first time a statistical analysis based on the response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate individual and interaction effects of key operating parameters of the photocatalytic degradation under visible-light irradiation using Ag-S/PEG/TiO2. Ag-S/PEG/TiO2 is a visible-light-driven photocatalyst and was synthesized (based on earlier research) by co-doping of TiO2 with silver and sulphur and addition of polyethylene glycol (as a reagent template). In addition, the model pollutant was methylene orange (MO) and the studied operating parameters included the photocatalyst loading, initial concentration of the pollutant, and pH of the solution. The... 

ZnO/CuO nanofibers, with different CuO concentrations, were fabricated by one-step electrospinning of the polymer precursor and annealing in air. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed smooth and beadless morphology for the synthesized nanofibers, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed formation of hexagonal and monoclinic crystalline structure phases for ZnO and CuO nanofibers, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the presence of CuO on the surface of ZnO nanofibers. For further confirming the formation of chemical bonds, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was employed. The effect of Cu contents in the overall electronic band... 

Carbon-doped zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide (C-ZnO/rGO) was prepared by a facile one-pot supercritical methanol method. The synthesized C-ZnO/rGO nanocomposite with flower-like ZnO micro-rods (MRs) synergistically inherited all the advantages of carbon doping and rGO heterojunction and exhibited high photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated that in presence of GO, a new carbon-doped phase was formed at the high temperature and pressure of supercritical methanol. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) at low binding energies demonstrated that the valence band of C-ZnO-rGO is up-shifted by... 

In the present study, photo-Fenton degradation of catechol from aqueous solution was carried out using UV light and iron ions (Fe2+) as activators of persulfate (PS). Catechol degradation from solution was studied under different experimental variables such as solution pH (2.0–10.0), iron dosages (0.1–0.5 g/L), persulfate loadings (1.0–5.0 mM), initial catechol concentrations (20–100 mg/L) and scavengers (TBA and IPA). The comparative study of catechol removal showed that among the applied approaches, the order of degradation of catechol is as follows: PS/Fe2 +/UV > PS/Fe2 + > UV/PS > PS > UV. Furthermore, higher catechol degradation was observed with increasing iron dosage and PS...