Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol Using Nb-Loaded ZnO Nanoparticles

Niobium-doped Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (Nb-doped ZnO NPs) in the range of 20 and 40 nm were synthesized by Flame Spray Pyrolysis (FSP) technique. The crystalline phase, morphology and size of the nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The specific surface area of the nanoparticles was measured by nitrogen adsorption (BET analysis). The pure ZnO and Nb-doped ZnO NPs were found to have the clear spherical, hexagonal and rod-like morphologies. To the best of our knowledge, the application of Nb-doped ZnO NPs as a photocatalyst has not been reported yet. In this study, the photocatalytic activities of pure ZnO and Nb-doped ZnO NPs were determined by studying the mineralization of phenol under UV light illumination. The results indicated that all Nb-doped ZnO NPs have better photocatalytic activity than the pure ZnO nanoparticles. It was found that, 0.50 mol% Nb-doped ZnO NPs exhibited the fastest response to the degradation of phenol

Au-Loaded Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Modified Sol-Gel/Impregnation Methods and Their Application to Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Au-loaded TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the modified sol-gel method together with the impregnation method. Anatase phase of TiO2 was obtained in all samples with an average particle size of 20 nm. For the enhancement of DSSCs, the dye-sensitized solar cells composed of the ITO/Au-loaded TiO2/N-719/electrolyte/Pt were fabricated. Au-loaded TiO2 films were deposited by using squeegee method. Finally, the fabricated cells were studied upon an irradiation of solar light to study the performance. The fabricated cell with up to 1.0 mol% Au-loaded TiO2 could enhance the performance by localized surface plasmon effect and scattering property