TiO-based photocatalysts from type-II to S-scheme heterojunction and their applications.

Photocatalysis is a promising sustainable technology to remove organic pollution and convert solar energy into chemical energy. Titanium dioxide has drawn extensive attention in this field owing to its high activity under UV light, good chemical stability, large availability, low price and low toxicity. However, the poor quantum efficiency derived from fast electron/hole recombination, the limited utilization of sunlight, and a weak reducing ability still hinder its practical application.

Hybrid Hemp Particles as Functional Fillers for the Manufacturing of Hydrophobic and Anti-icing Epoxy Composite Coatings.

The development of hydrophobic composite coatings is of great interest for several applications in the aerospace industry. Functionalized microparticles can be obtained from waste fabrics and employed as fillers to prepare sustainable hydrophobic epoxy-based coatings. Following a waste-to-wealth approach, a novel hydrophobic epoxy-based composite including hemp microparticles (HMPs) functionalized with waterglass solution, 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride, and either hexadecyltrimethoxysilane or 1,1,2,2-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane is presented.

Tunable Raman Gain in Transparent Nanostructured Glass-Ceramic Based on BaNaNbO †.

Stimulated Raman scattering in transparent glass-ceramics (TGCs) based on bulk nucleating phase BaNaNbO were investigated with the aim to explore the influence of micro- and nanoscale structural transformations on Raman gain. Nanostructured TGCs were synthesized, starting with 8BaO·15NaO·27NbO·50SiO (BaNaNS) glass, by proper nucleation and crystallization heat treatments. TGCs are composed of nanocrystals that are 10-15 nm in size, uniformly distributed in the residual glass matrix, with a crystallinity degree ranging from 30 up to 50% for samples subjected to different heat treatments.

Copper indium sulfide quantum dots in photocatalysis.

Since the advent of photocatalytic technology, scientists have been searching for semiconductor materials with high efficiency in solar energy utilization and conversion to chemical energy. Recently, the development of quantum dot (QD) photocatalysts has attracted much attention because of their unique characteristics: small size, quantum effects, strong surface activity, and wide photoresponse range. Among ternary chalcogenide semiconductors, CuInS QDs are increasingly examined in the field of photocatalysis due to their high absorption coefficients, good matching of the absorption range with sunlight spectrum, long lifetimes of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and environmental sustainability.

ROS-Generating Hyaluronic Acid-Modified Zirconium Dioxide-Acetylacetonate Nanoparticles as a Theranostic Platform for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma.

Materials that are able to produce free radicals have gained increasing attention for environmental and biomedical purposes. Free radicals, such as the superoxide anion (O), act as secondary messengers in many physiological pathways, such as cell survival. Therefore, the production of free radicals over physiological levels has been exploited in the treatment of different types of cancer, including osteosarcoma (OS).

Redox behavior of potassium doped and transition metal co-doped CeZrO for thermochemical HO/CO splitting.

CeO slow redox kinetics as well as low oxygen exchange ability limit its application as a catalyst in solar thermochemical two-step cycles. In this study, CeZrO catalysts doped with potassium or transition metals (Cu, Mn, Fe), as well as co-doped materials were synthesized. Samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N sorption (BET), as well as by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to gain insight into surface and bulk features, which were connected to redox properties assessed both in a thermogravimetric (TG) balance and in a fixed bed reactor.

Interfacial Charge Transfer Complexes in TiO-Enediol Hybrids Synthesized by Sol-Gel.

Metal oxide-organic hybrid semiconductors exhibit specific properties depending not only on their composition but also on the synthesis procedure, and particularly on the functionalization method, determining the interaction between the two components. Surface adsorption is the most common way to prepare organic-modified metal oxides. Here a simple sol-gel route is described as an alternative, finely controlled strategy to synthesize titanium oxide-based materials containing organic molecules coordinated to the metal.

F-doped ZnO nano- and meso-crystals with enhanced photocatalytic activity in diclofenac degradation.

Diclofenac (DCF), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is considered one of the most widespread emerging contaminants. Its incidence in water can favor the growth of drug-resistant bacteria and harm aquatic organisms endangering both the human health and the ecosystem. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on the action of reactive oxygen species are very effective technologies for the removal of this contaminant from water.

Three-year lifetime and regeneration of superoxide radicals on the surface of hybrid TiO materials exposed to air.

The generation and stabilization of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the superoxide radical anion (O), have a huge potential in environmental remediation and industrial chemical processes, but they still remain a challenge. Here, we elucidate the formation, stability and reactivity of superoxide radicals spontaneously produced on the surface of a hybrid TiO-acetylacetonate material exposed to air. EPR spectra reveal an exceptional lifetime (up to three years, in air at room temperature) of the adsorbed O, which can also be easily regenerated after its decay.