Radiologic approach to jugular bulb paragangliomas

Background: Paragangliomas are highly vascular neoplasms that derive from neuroendocrine tissue. They account for about 0.6% of all head and neck tumors and most commonly occur in the carotid bifurcation, tympanic cavity, jugular foramen and in the area of vagal ganglia below the skull base. The aim of the study was retrospective evaluation of radiological features of jugular bulb paragangliomas in the group of 22 patients. Material/Methods: In the analyzed group, there were 16 females and 7 males, aged 14-81. All the patients underwent CT and MRI, in 12 cases carotid angiography and in 3 cases Doppler sonography was performed. We evaluated typical radiological features of jugular bulb paragangliomas and usefulness of various imaging methods in diagnosis and assessment of this pathology. Results: Computed tomography in all patients showed widening of the jugular foramen. MR images in 19 cases revealed the presence of intra-tumoral signal-void areas representing tumor vessels. Both methods showed intensive post-contrast enhancement of all tumors. Carotid angiography presented high vascularity and arterio-venous fistulas in all tumors. In the performed Doppler ultrasound studies, the tumors were not visible. In all cases, increased blood flow in the ipsilateral carotid artery and vein was observed, and in 2 patients with a coexisting carotid body paraganglioma was diagnosed. Conclusions: CT and MRI allow best evaluation of tumor extension and present features characteristic of jugular bulb paraganglioma. Carotid angiography confirms the diagnosis of a vascular tumor and is used for its preoperative embolization. Ultrasonography is a useful technique for exclusion of coexisting carotid body paraganglioma

The Effect of Calcination Temperature on Structure and Photocatalytic Properties of WO 3

Series of WO3/TiO2 nanocomposites were obtained by hydrothermal method followed by calcination in the temperature range from 400°C to 900°C. The characteristics of photocatalysts by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) showed that increasing the calcination temperature from 400 to 900°C resulted in change of photocatalytic activity under UV-Vis light. Moreover, the amount of WO3 crystalline phase and amorphous phase in WO3/TiO2 aggregates, as revealed by XRD analysis, was dependent on the calcination temperature. The WO3/TiO2 samples with 8 mol% load of WO3 in respect to TiO2 calcinated at 500 and 800°C possess the highest photocatalytic activity in reaction of phenol degradation, which is about 1.2 and 1.5 times that with calcination at 400°C. The increase in calcination temperature above 400°C resulted in increase of WO3 crystallinity and reduction of the amount of amorphous phase in the nanocomposite structure. Moreover, the annealing of nanocomposites above 700°C decreases the value of optical band gap energies of obtained WO3/TiO2 nanomaterials

Defective Dopant-Free TiO2 as an Efficient Visible Light-Active Photocatalyst

Pristine and modified/doped titania are still some of the most widely investigated photocatalysts due to its high activity, stability, abundance and proper redox properties to carry out various reactions. However, modifiers and/or dopants resulting in visible-light activity might be expensive or work as recombination centers under UV irradiation. It seems that defective titania, known as “self-doped” TiO2, might be the best solution since it can be obtained under mild conditions without the addition of expensive materials and methods. This review discusses various methods of defective titania preparation, characterization of defect types, their localization (surface vs. bulk) and their function, as well as proposed mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions in the presence of self-doped titania. Although many kinds of defective titania samples have already been prepared with different colors, color intensities and defect kinds (mainly Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies), it is difficult to conclude which of them are the most recommended as the preparation conditions and activity testing used by authors differ. Furthermore, activity testing under solar radiation and for dyes does not clarify the mechanism since bare titania can also be excited and sensitized, respectively, in these conditions. In many reports, authors have not considered the possible influence of some impurities originated from the synthesis method (e.g., H, Al, Zn, Cl, F) that could co-participate in the overall mechanism of photocatalytic reactions. Moreover, some reports indicate that defective titania, especially black ones, might decrease activity since the defects might work as recombination centers. Despite some unproven/unclear findings and unanswered questions, there are many well-conducted studies confirmed by both experimental and theoretical studies that defective titania might be a promising material for various photocatalytic reactions under both UV and visible-light irradiation. Based on available literature, it could be proposed that optimal defects’ concentration, the preferential role of surface defects, a higher surface-to-bulk ratio of defects in rutile than in anatase, and the beneficial impact of disordered surface are the most important aspects to be considered during the preparation of defective titania

Synergistic Effect of Cu2O and Urea as Modifiers of TiO2 for Enhanced Visible Light Activity

Low cost compounds, i.e., Cu2O and urea, were used as TiO2 modifiers to introduce visible light activity. Simple and cheap methods were applied to synthesize an efficient and stable nanocomposite photocatalytic material. First, the core-shell structure TiO2–polytriazine derivatives were prepared. Thereafter, Cu2O was added as the second semiconductor to form a dual heterojunction system. Enhanced visible light activity was found for the above-mentioned nanocomposite, confirming a synergistic effect of Cu2O and urea (via polytriazine derivatives on titania surface). Two possible mechanisms of visible light activity of the considered material were proposed regarding the type II heterojunction and Z-scheme through the essential improvement of the charge separation effect

Decahedral-shaped anatase titania photocatalyst particles: Synthesis in a newly developed coaxial-flow gas-phase reactor

Decahedral-shaped anatase particles (DAPs) were prepared by a gas-phase process consisting of titanium (IV) chloride oxidation. The use of a coaxial-flow gas-phase reactor resulted in high reaction yield (ca. 70%) and good reproducibility of DAPs production. The influence of controlled and resultant preparation parameters on the process course and on DAPs properties (such as specific surface area, particle size and particle morphology) is discussed in detail. Correlations between preparation parameters and product properties indicated the best conditions for obtaining DAPs of high quality and thus with a high level of photocatalytic activity for various reaction systems

Defective Dopant-Free TiO2 as an Efficient Visible Light-Active Photocatalyst

Pristine and modified/doped titania are still some of the most widely investigated photocatalysts due to its high activity, stability, abundance and proper redox properties to carry out various reactions. However, modifiers and/or dopants resulting in visible-light activity might be expensive or work as recombination centers under UV irradiation. It seems that defective titania, known as “self-doped” TiO2, might be the best solution since it can be obtained under mild conditions without the addition of expensive materials and methods. This review discusses various methods of defective titania preparation, characterization of defect types, their localization (surface vs. bulk) and their function, as well as proposed mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions in the presence of self-doped titania. Although many kinds of defective titania samples have already been prepared with different colors, color intensities and defect kinds (mainly Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies), it is difficult to conclude which of them are the most recommended as the preparation conditions and activity testing used by authors differ. Furthermore, activity testing under solar radiation and for dyes does not clarify the mechanism since bare titania can also be excited and sensitized, respectively, in these conditions. In many reports, authors have not considered the possible influence of some impurities originated from the synthesis method (e.g., H, Al, Zn, Cl, F) that could co-participate in the overall mechanism of photocatalytic reactions. Moreover, some reports indicate that defective titania, especially black ones, might decrease activity since the defects might work as recombination centers. Despite some unproven/unclear findings and unanswered questions, there are many well-conducted studies confirmed by both experimental and theoretical studies that defective titania might be a promising material for various photocatalytic reactions under both UV and visible-light irradiation. Based on available literature, it could be proposed that optimal defects’ concentration, the preferential role of surface defects, a higher surface-to-bulk ratio of defects in rutile than in anatase, and the beneficial impact of disordered surface are the most important aspects to be considered during the preparation of defective titania

Computer Simulations of Photocatalytic Reactors

Photocatalysis has been considered future technology for green energy conversion and environmental purification, including carbon dioxide reduction, water splitting, air/water treatment, and antimicrobial purposes. Although various photocatalysts with high activity and stability have already been found, the commercialization of photocatalytic processes seems to be slow; it is thought that the difficulty in scaling up photocatalytic processes might be responsible. Research on the design of photocatalytic reactors using computer simulations has been recently intensive. The computer simulations involve various methods of hydrodynamics, radiation, and mass transport analysis, including the Monte Carlo method, the approximation approach–P1 model, and computational fluid dynamics as a complex simulation tool. This review presents all of these models, which might be efficiently used for the scaling-up of photocatalytic reactors. The challenging aspects and perspectives of computer simulation are also addressed for the future development of applied photocatalysis

On the Origin of Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Copper-Modified Titania in the Oxidative Reaction Systems

Modification of titania with copper is a promising way to enhance the photocatalytic performance of TiO2. The enhancement means the significant retardation of charge carriers’ recombination ratio and the introduction of visible light activity. This review focuses on two main ways of performance enhancement by copper species—i.e., originated from plasmonic properties of zero-valent copper (plasmonic photocatalysis) and heterojunctions between semiconductors (titania and copper oxides). The photocatalytic performance of copper-modified titania is discussed for oxidative reaction systems due to their importance for prospective applications in environmental purification. The review consists of the correlation between copper species and corresponding variants of photocatalytic mechanisms including novel systems of cascade heterojunctions. The problem of stability of copper species on titania, and the methods of its improvement are also discussed as important factors for future applications. As a new trend in the preparation of copper-modified titania photocatalyst, the role of particle morphology (faceted particles, core-shell structures) is also described. Finally, in the conclusion section, perspectives, challenges and recommendations for future research on copper-modified titania are formulated

Titanium dioxide as a safe additive to sunscreen emulsions

Titanium dioxide with its ability to be a UV light blocker is commonly used as a physical sunscreen in the cosmetic industry. However, the safety issues of TiO2 application should be considered more in-depth, e.g., UV light-induced generation of reactive oxygen species which can cause DNA damage within skin cells. The proper modification of titanium dioxide to significantly limit its photocatalytic properties can contribute to the safety enhancement. The modification strategies including the process conditions and intrinsic properties of titanium dioxide were discussed. The selected examples of commercially available TiO2 materials as potential components of cosmetic emulsions dedicated for sunscreens were compared in this study. Only rutile samples modified with Al2O3 and/or SiO2 showed inhibition of photocatalytic activity