8 research outputs found
Towards environment friendly hydrothermally synthesized Li+, Rb+, In3+ intercalated phosphotungstate (PW12O40) thin films
In the present investigation, a one-step hydrothermal approach is proposed to synthesize Li+, Rb+, and In3+intercalated PW12O40 (PTA) thin films. The photoelectrochemical performance of the deposited Li3PW12O40 (Li−PTA), Rb3PW12O40 (Rb−PTA), and In3PW12O40 (In−PTA) photocathodes were investigated using a two-electrode cell configuration of FTO/Li3PW12O40/(0.1 M I−/I3−)aq./Graphite. The energy band gaps of 2.24, 2.11, and 2.13 eV were observed for the Li−PTA, Rb−PTA, and In−PTA films, respectively, as a function of Li+, Rb+, and In3+. The evolution of the spinal cubic crystal structure with increased crystallite size was observed for Rb+ intercalation within the PTA Keggin structure, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a modification in the surface morphology from a rod-like structure to a densely packed, uniform, and interconnected microsphere to small and large-sized microspheres for Li−PTA, Rb−PTA, and In−PTA, respectively. Compositional studies confirmed that the composing elements of Li, Rb, In, P, W, and O ions are well in accordance with their arrangement for Li+, Rb+, In3+, P5+, W6+, and O2− valence states. Furthermore, the J-V performance of the deposited photocathode shows power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 1.25%, 3.03%, and 1.62%, as a function of the incorporation of Li+, Rb+, and In3+ ions. This work offers a one-step hydrothermal approach that is a prominent way to develop Li+, Rb+, and In3+ ions intercalated PTA, i.e., Li3PW12O40, Rb3PW12O40, and In3PW12O40 photocathodes for competent solar energy harvesting
Towards Environment Friendly Hydrothermally Synthesized Li+, Rb+, In3+ Intercalated Phosphotungstate (PW12O40) Thin Films
In the present investigation, a one-step hydrothermal approach is proposed to synthesize Li+, Rb+, and In3+intercalated PW12O40 (PTA) thin films. The photoelectrochemical performance of the deposited Li3PW12O40 (Li−PTA), Rb3PW12O40 (Rb−PTA), and In3PW12O40 (In−PTA) photocathodes were investigated using a two-electrode cell configuration of FTO/Li3PW12O40/(0.1 M I−/I3−)aq./Graphite. The energy band gaps of 2.24, 2.11, and 2.13 eV were observed for the Li−PTA, Rb−PTA, and In−PTA films, respectively, as a function of Li+, Rb+, and In3+. The evolution of the spinal cubic crystal structure with increased crystallite size was observed for Rb+ intercalation within the PTA Keggin structure, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a modification in the surface morphology from a rod-like structure to a densely packed, uniform, and interconnected microsphere to small and large-sized microspheres for Li−PTA, Rb−PTA, and In−PTA, respectively. Compositional studies confirmed that the composing elements of Li, Rb, In, P, W, and O ions are well in accordance with their arrangement for Li+, Rb+, In3+, P5+, W6+, and O2− valence states. Furthermore, the J-V performance of the deposited photocathode shows power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 1.25%, 3.03%, and 1.62%, as a function of the incorporation of Li+, Rb+, and In3+ ions. This work offers a one-step hydrothermal approach that is a prominent way to develop Li+, Rb+, and In3+ ions intercalated PTA, i.e., Li3PW12O40, Rb3PW12O40, and In3PW12O40 photocathodes for competent solar energy harvesting
Photoelectrocatalysis of Cefotaxime Using Nanostructured TiO<sub>2</sub> Photoanode: Identification of the Degradation Products and Determination of the Toxicity Level
Nanostructured
TiO<sub>2</sub> thin films were fabricated via a
facile, economical, and energy-efficient microwave-assisted dip-coating
(MWDC) technique. Further, the resulting TiO<sub>2</sub> films were
characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission
electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, Fourier transform
Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence
spectroscopy techniques for their phase structure, morphology, and
optical and surface properties. TiO<sub>2</sub>-mediated photoelectrocatalytic
degradation of the antibiotic cefotaxime (CFX) in an aqueous solution
was studied by varying the pH under UV illumination. The degradation
intermediates and possible reaction degradation path of CFX were analyzed
by electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS).
The MS spectra revealed that degradation of CFX occurs through β-lactum
corresponding to the cleavage of the cephem nucleus. Moreover, the
antibacterial activity of CFX prior to and after photoelectrocatalytic
degradation was carried out to analyze the toxicity against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and salmonella typhi bacteria. Interestingly,
it was observed that the antibiotic activity was drastically inhibited
after photoelectrocatalytic degradation of the CFX solution. The photoelectrocatalytic
stability of a nanostructured TiO<sub>2</sub> electrode was evaluated
by recycling the degradation experiments. It was observed that there
was no significant decrease in the catalytic activity, indicating
potential applications of the TiO<sub>2</sub> electrode prepared by
the MWDC method