Encapsulating stable perovskite catalysts in hollow nanoreactors for enhanced pollutants degradation.

Creating a microenvironment for enhanced peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation is vital in advanced oxidation processes. The objective of this study was to fabricate nanoshells composed of titanium dioxide embedded with cobalt titanate nanoparticles of perovskite to act as nanoreactors for effectively initiating PMS and degrading contaminants. The unique porous structure and confined space of the nanoreactor facilitated reactant absorption and mass transfer to the active sites, resulting in exceptional catalytic performance for pollutant elimination.

Construction of S-scheme CuInS/ZnInS heterostructures for enhanced photocatalytic activity towards Cr(VI) removal and antibiotics degradation.

The efficient and ecofriendly removal of pharmaceutical antibiotics and heavy metal Cr(VI) from water sources is a crucial challenge in current environmental management. Photocatalysis presents a viable environmentally friendly solution for eliminating organic contaminants and heavy-metal ions. In this study, a novel S-scheme CuInS/ZnInS (CIS/ZIS) heterojunction was developed using a one-pot solvothermal method.

Morphology design and electronic configuration of MoSe anchored on TiO nanospheres for high energy density sodium-ion half/full batteries.

Molybdenum selenide (MoSe) has shown potential sodium storage properties due to its large layer spacing (0.646 nm) and high theoretical capacity and narrow band gap. However, as the anode material of sodium ion batteries (SIBs), the MoSe's performance is not ideal, especially due to the layer agglomeration and stacking caused by volume expansion and low intrinsic conductivity.

Cancer cell membrane-coated C-TiO hollow nanoshells for combined sonodynamic and hypoxia-activated chemotherapy.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a promising strategy for tumor treatment that satisfies all requirements of penetrating deep-seated tissues without causing additional trauma. However, the hypoxic tumor microenvironment impairs the therapeutic effect of SDT. The synergistic treatment of oxygen concentration-dependent SDT and bio-reductive therapy has been proven to be an effective approach to improve the therapeutic efficiency of SDT by exploiting tumor hypoxia.

Construction of three-dimensional MgInS nanoflowers/two-dimensional oxygen-doped g-CN nanosheets direct Z-scheme heterojunctions for efficient Cr(VI) reduction: Insight into the role of superoxide radicals.

Environmental crisis aroused from carcinogenic and mutagenic heavy metal Cr(VI)-containing wastewater has attracted great attention. Herein, a direct Z-scheme three-dimensional MgInS nanoflowers/two-dimensional oxygen-doped g-CN nanosheets heterostructured composite photocatalysts were fabricated for Cr(VI) photoreduction. The crystalline structure, morphology, specific surface areas, chemical components, optical properties, as well as photoelectrochemical performance of the fabricated photocatalyst were systematically studied.

An organic cathode with tailored working potential for aqueous Zn-ion batteries.

Up to 0.61 V increase of the working potential was achieved by modifying the anthraquinone (AQ) molecular structure with a stronger electron-withdrawing cyano group. Owing to the promoted discharge potential, an attractive energy density of 151.

Simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen and H evolution over Au/sheaf-like TiO mesocrystals.

Considerable effort has been devoted to the efficient degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), while the chemical energy in these processes has been widely overlooked. In this study, we demonstrated the simultaneous hydrogen production and ibuprofen degradation through heterogeneous photocatalysis. By anchoring Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the (101) surface of sheaf-like TiO mesocrystals with [001] orientation, efficient charge separation is achieved, which is essential for the photocatalytic redox reactions.

Magnetic-Optical Core-Shell Nanostructures for Highly Selective Photoelectrochemical Aptasensing.

Selectivity is a crucial parameter for photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing in a practical setting. Despite the use of specific probes such as aptamers, antibodies, and enzymes, coexisting interferences can still result in inaccuracies in PEC sensing, especially for complex biosample matrixes. Here we report the design of an FeO@SiO@TiO magnetic-optical bifunctional beacon applied in a novel PEC sensor that can selectively capture progesterone in complex biosamples, be magnetically separated and cleaned, and be detected in pure phosphate buffer solution (PBS).

Surface-bound sacrificial electron donors in promoting photocatalytic reduction on titania nanocrystals.

Titania nanocrystals have been investigated for fast color switching through photocatalytic reduction of dyes and hexacyanometalate pigments. Here we reveal that direct binding of sacrificial electron donors (SEDs) to the surface of titania nanocrystals can significantly promote the charge transfer rate by more efficiently scavenging photogenerated holes and releasing more photogenerated electrons for reduction reactions. Using diethylene glycol (DEG) as an example, we show that its binding to the nanoparticle surface, which can be achieved either during or after the nanoparticle formation, greatly enhances the photocatalytic reduction in comparison with the case where free DEG molecules are simply added as external SEDs.

Cd-Doped Amorphous TiO Hollow Spheres for Robust and Ultrasensitive Photoelectrochemical Sensing of Hydrogen Sulfide.

Hydrogen sulfide is a highly toxic molecule to human health, but high-performance detection of it remains a challenge. Herein, we report an ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor for HS by modifying indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes with Cd-doped amorphous TiO hollow spheres, which are prepared by templating against colloidal silica particles followed by a cadmium-sodium cation exchange reaction. The amorphous TiO hollow spheres act as both the probing cation carrier and the photoelectric beacon.

One-pot synthesis of ternary Ag₂CO₃/Ag/AgCl photocatalyst in natural geothermal water with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation.

Geothermal water is a clean, cheap and renewable resource and it is widely distributed all over the world. In this work, ternary Ag2CO3/Ag/AgCl photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized via a one-pot precipitation method in natural geothermal water at room temperature, wherein the geothermal water serves as the source of chlorine and carbonate. The results suggest that the Ag/AgCl nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of Ag2CO3 and Ag2CO3/Ag/AgCl composite shows strong absorption ability in the visible light region.

Influence of counter-ions on the self-assembly of ZrO2 nanodisks.

In three strong inorganic acidic conditions (HNO(3), HCl and H(2)SO(4)), we have prepared a series of air-water interfacial zirconium dioxide (ZrO(2)) films at normal temperature via a self-assembly technique, by using dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) as template and Zr(OC(4)H(9))(4) as precursor. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-vis and fluorescence spectra have been used to characterize the ZrO(2) films. Results show that a number of worm-like mesoporous nanodisks and ambiguously mesoporous nanodisks are observed in the ZrO(2) films with NO(3)(-) and SO(4)(2-) counter-ions, respectively.