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Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications
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Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2019) | Viewed by 19732

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Kamila Kočí

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Environmental Technology, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, 17. Listopadu 15, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
Interests: heterogeneous photocatalysis in gaseous and liquid phases; physicochemical properties of nanostructured photocatalysts; kinetics and mechanisms of photochemical reaction; chemical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research teams around the world aim at developing photocatalysts that can be effectively utilized for environmental applications. These materials can be suitable for the mitigation of pollutants in gas, liquid and solid phases. This Special Issue aims to collect quality papers about the preparation, characterization and application of photocatalytic materials. The collected articles will underline the surface, textural, structural, optical and electrochemical properties of these nanomaterials, and focus on the applicability of photocatalysts in either UV or visible light irradiation. Studies concerning on reaction mechanisms and kinetics of study photocatalytic reactions are also welcome.

I am pleased to invite you to submit manuscripts for this Special Issue on “Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications”, in the form of research papers, communications, letters, and review articles. We look forward to your participation in this Special Issue of Materials.

Prof. Dr. Kamila Kočí
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photocatalyst preparation
  • characterisation of photocatalysts
  • reaction mechanism and kinetics
  • photocatalytic decomposition of pollutants

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3425 KiB  
Article
The Role of Fluorine in F-La/TiO2 Photocatalysts on Photocatalytic Decomposition of Methanol-Water Solution
by Miroslava Edelmannová, Lada Dubnová, Martin Reli, Vendula Meinhardová, Pengwei Huo, Urška Lavrenčič Štangar, Libor Čapek and Kamila Kočí
Materials 2019, 12(18), 2867; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12182867 - 5 Sep 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2796
Abstract
F-La/TiO2 photocatalysts were studied in photocatalytic decomposition water-methanol solution. The structural, textural, optical, and electronic properties of F-La/TiO2 photocatalysts were studied by combination of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen physisorption, Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and [...] Read more.
F-La/TiO2 photocatalysts were studied in photocatalytic decomposition water-methanol solution. The structural, textural, optical, and electronic properties of F-La/TiO2 photocatalysts were studied by combination of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen physisorption, Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray fluorescence (XPS). The production of hydrogen in the presence of 2.8F-La/TiO2 was nearly up to 3 times higher than in the presence of pure TiO2. The photocatalytic performance of F-La/TiO2 increased with increasing photocurrent response and conductivity originating from the higher amount of fluorine presented in the lattice of TiO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications)
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12 pages, 4502 KiB  
Article
Elimination of Escherichia coli in Water Using Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles: Laboratory and Pilot Plant Experiments
by Elmer Gastelo, Juan Montes de Oca, Edward Carpio, Juan Espinoza, Pilar García, Silvia Ponce and Juan Rodriguez
Materials 2019, 12(13), 2103; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12132103 - 29 Jun 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3254
Abstract
This paper focuses on the synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles by the sol–gel method and their photocatalytic activity to eliminate bacteria in aqueous media at two different scales: in a laboratory reactor and a solar pilot plant. Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were prepared using [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on the synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles by the sol–gel method and their photocatalytic activity to eliminate bacteria in aqueous media at two different scales: in a laboratory reactor and a solar pilot plant. Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were prepared using Co(II) and Fe(II) salts as precursors and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide as a surfactant. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain ATCC 22922 was used as model bacteria for contact biocidal analysis carried out by disk diffusion method and photocatalysis under an ultraviolet A (UV-A) lamp for laboratory analysis and solar radiation (radiation below 350 W/m2 in a typical cloudy day) for the pilot plant analysis. The results showed that cobalt ferrite nanoparticles have an average diameter of (36 ± 20) nm and the X-ray diffraction pattern shows a cubic spinel structure. Using the disk diffusion technique, it was obtained inhibition zones of (17 ± 2) mm diameter. Results confirm the photocatalytic elimination of E. coli in water samples with remaining bacteria below 1% of the initial concentration during the experiment time (30 min for laboratory tests and 1.5 h for pilot plant tests). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications)
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16 pages, 4177 KiB  
Article
α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles/Vermiculite Clay Material: Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Properties
by Marta Valášková, Jonáš Tokarský, Jiří Pavlovský, Tomáš Prostějovský and Kamila Kočí
Materials 2019, 12(11), 1880; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12111880 - 11 Jun 2019
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 5101
Abstract
Photocatalysis is increasingly becoming a center of interest due to its wide use in environmental remediation. Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is one promising candidate for photocatalytic applications. Clay materials as vermiculite (Ver) can be used as a carrier to accommodate and [...] Read more.
Photocatalysis is increasingly becoming a center of interest due to its wide use in environmental remediation. Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is one promising candidate for photocatalytic applications. Clay materials as vermiculite (Ver) can be used as a carrier to accommodate and stabilize photocatalysts. Two different temperatures (500 °C and 700 °C) were used for preparation of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles/vermiculite clay materials. The experimental methods used for determination of structural, optical and photocatalytic properties were X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), N2 adsorption method (BET), diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and photocatalytic reduction of CO2, respectively. The data from XRD were confronted with molecular modeling of the material arrangement in the interlayer space of vermiculite structure and the possibility of anchoring the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles to the surface and edge of vermiculite. Correlations between structural, textural, optical and electrical properties and photocatalytic activity have been studied in detail. The α-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3/Ver materials with higher specific surface areas, a smaller crystallite size and structural defects (oxygen vacancies) that a play crucial role in photocatalytic activity, were prepared at a lower calcination temperature of 500 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications)
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9 pages, 2806 KiB  
Communication
Influence of Refractive Index on Antireflectance Efficiency of Thin Films
by Sadaf Bashir Khan, Syed Irfan, Zheng Zhuanghao and Shern Long Lee
Materials 2019, 12(9), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12091483 - 7 May 2019
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 3995
Abstract
In today’s world, scientific development is tremendously strengthened by imitating natural processes. This development remarkably validates progressive and efficient operation of multifunctional thin films in variable ecological circumstances. We use TFCalc thinfilm software, a reliable and trustworthy simulation tool, to design antireflective (AR) [...] Read more.
In today’s world, scientific development is tremendously strengthened by imitating natural processes. This development remarkably validates progressive and efficient operation of multifunctional thin films in variable ecological circumstances. We use TFCalc thinfilm software, a reliable and trustworthy simulation tool, to design antireflective (AR) coatings for solar cells that can operate in varying environmental conditions and can be functional according to user-defined conditions. Silicon nearly reflects 36% light in the 550 nm wavelength region, causing a significant loss in solar cell efficiency. We used silicon as the substrate on which we designed and fabricated a trilayer inorganic oxide AR thin films, and this reduced it reflectance to <4% in the 300~800 nm wavelength range. Because of their distinguishing physical physiognomies, we used a combination of different inorganic oxides, comprising high-, low-, and medium-refractive indices, to model AR coatings in the desired wavelength range. Experimental implementation of the designed AR thin films in the present study unlocks new techniques for production of competent, wideband-tunable AR coatings that are applicable in high-performance photovoltaic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications)
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14 pages, 2777 KiB  
Article
Sonochemical Synthesis of Ce-doped TiO2 Nanostructure: A Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalyst for Degradation of Toluene and O-Xylene
by Joon Yeob Lee and Jeong-Hak Choi
Materials 2019, 12(8), 1265; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12081265 - 17 Apr 2019
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 3878
Abstract
Ce-doped TiO2 nanostructures (CeT) with different amounts of Ce (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt. %) were synthesized using a sonochemical processing method. The physicochemical properties of the prepared samples were explored using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), field-emission TEM [...] Read more.
Ce-doped TiO2 nanostructures (CeT) with different amounts of Ce (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt. %) were synthesized using a sonochemical processing method. The physicochemical properties of the prepared samples were explored using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), field-emission TEM (FE-TEM), XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and surface area and pore size analyzers. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared CeT was assessed by monitoring their degradation efficiencies for gaseous toluene and o-xylene—widely known as significant indoor air pollutants—under daylight irradiation. The prepared CeT exhibited significantly improved photocatalytic performance towards the degradation of toluene and o-xylene, which was much higher than that observed for pure TiO2 and commercial P25 TiO2. Particularly, photocatalytic degradation efficiencies by the prepared CeT catalysts increased remarkably in the case of o-xylene (up to 99.4%) compared to toluene (up to 49.1%). The degradation efficiency by the CeT was greatest for the CeT-0.75 sample, followed by, in order, CeT-1.0, CeT-0.5, CeT-1.5, and CeT-2.0 samples in agreement with the order of the surface area and the particle size of the catalysts. According to the change of light source, the average decomposition efficiencies for toluene and o-xylene by CeT-0.75 were shown in the order of conventional daylight lamp > violet light emitting diodes (LEDs) > white LEDs. The decomposition efficiencies normalized to supplied electric power, however, were estimated to be in the following order of violet LEDs > white LEDs > conventional daylight lamp, indicating that the LEDs could be a much more energy efficient light source for the photodecomposition of target toluene and o-xylene using the CeT-0.75 photocatalyst. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts for Environmental Applications)
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