Efficient photocatalytic activity of MnO2-loaded ZrO2/carbon cluster nanocomposite materials under visible light irradiation

Nano-sized ZrO2/carbon cluster nanocomposite material was successfully prepared by the calcination of Zr(acac)4/epoxy resin complex in air. The composite material obtained by calcining at 200 °C was treated with hydrogen hexachloroplatinate hexahydrate (H2PtCl6) to obtain Pt-loaded materials denoted as Ic200Pt'sH's. The Pt-loaded material modified with MnO2 particles efficiently decompose water into H2 and O2 with a [H2]/[O2] ratio of 2 under the irradiation of visible light (λ > 460 nm) through the electron transfer process of MnO2 → carbon clusters → ZrO2 → Pt

Visible light induced photocatalytic activity of Nb2O5/carbon cluster/Cr2O3 composite materials

Nano-sized Nb2O5/carbon cluster/Cr2O3 composite material was prepared by the calcination of NbCl5/chromium acetylacetonate/epoxy resin complex under an argon atmosphere. The Pt-loaded Nb2O5/carbon cluster/Cr2O3 composite material shows the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The composite material successfully decomposed the water into H2 and O2 in the [H2]/[O2] ratio of 2. Electron spin resonance spectral examination suggests a two-step electron transfer in the process of Nb2O5 → carbon cluster → Cr2O3 → Pt

Visible light induced electron transfer behavior of a CeO2-loaded HfO2/carbon cluster nanocomposite material

The microwave-irradiated calcination of HfOCl2/starch complex I under an air atmosphere produced the HfO2/carbon cluster composite material which is denoted as Ic. The obtained composite material could decompose methylene blue under the irradiation of light (λ > 460 nm). The surface of Ic was loaded with CeO2 particles to obtain CeO2-loaded composite material, which can decompose the aqueous silver nitrate solution and produce O2 and Ag in the ratio of 1:4.2. Water photo-decomposition experiment was also carried out using Pt-modified composite materials