A facile synthesis of K₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/WO₃ crystals for effective sonocatalytic performance

Abstract Proper treatment of hazardous contaminants in the air, land, and water is crucial to environmental remediation. Sonocatalysis, by using ultrasound and suitable catalysts, has shown its potential in organic pollutant removal. In this work, K₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/WO₃ sonocatalysts were fabricated via a facile solution method at room temperature. Techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the products. By using the K₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/WO₃ sonocatalyst, an ultrasound-assisted advanced oxidation process has been developed for the catalytic degradation of methyl orange and acid red 88. Almost all dyes were degraded within 120 min of ultrasound baths, proving that the K₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/WO₃ sonocatalyst has the advantage of speeding up the decomposition of contaminants. The impacts of key parameters, including catalyst dosage, dye concentration, dye pH, and ultrasonic power were evaluated to understand and reach optimized conditions in sonocatalysis. The remarkable performance of K₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/WO₃ in the sonocatalytic degradation of pollutants provides a new strategy for the application of K₃PMo₁₂O₄₀ in sonocatalysis

One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of ZnC₄O₄ concave microspheres with superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties

Abstract In this study, we report a facile solution route to prepare superhydrophobic and superoleophilic ZnC₄O₄ concave microspheres. The surface morphologies and chemical compositions were determined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The wettability of the as-synthesized ZnC₄O₄ coordination compound surface was studied by measuring the contact angle (CA). A static CA for water over 160° was observed, which was closely related to both the structure and chemical modification of ZnC₄O₄, and a 0° static CA for octane was observed, which showed that the as-prepared ZnC₄O₄ surface had superoleophilic properties. Furthermore, the as-prepared ZnC₄O₄ surface showed superhydrophobicity for some corrosive liquids, such as acidic and basic aqueous solutions

Effective oil–water mixture separation and photocatalytic dye decontamination through nickel-dimethylglyoxime microtubes coated superhydrophobic and superoleophilic films

Abstract Oils and solvable organic pollutants in wastewater demand separations of the components along with efficient photocatalysis in water treatment. Herein, we report on a practical purification strategy by using the multifunctional nickel-dimethylglyoxime [Ni(DMG)₂] microtubes to separate the liquid mixture and degrade organic pollutants. The self-assembled [Ni(DMG)₂] tubes was synthesized by a facile co-precipitation method. The static contact angle of the film prepared by mixing [Ni(DMG)₂] powder (1 : 2 wt%) into polydimethylsilicone (PDMS) to water can reach 161.3°, which can still remain superhydrophobic but oil-friendly under corrosion conditions. PDMS imparts good mechanical properties and serves as both the adhesive and hydrophobic material. PFOTS methanol solution contains a large number of low surface energy groups, which can reduce the surface free energy of [Ni(DMG)₂] rough structure. The superhydrophobic rough surface prepared by hollow micron tubular [Ni(DMG)₂] samples must have both low surface energy substance and hollow micron tubular morphology. Due to the unique wettability, oil and water were efficiently separated from the oil–water mixture through the films. The coated film itself is photocatalytic in degrading quinoline blue, rhodamine B, methyl orange and methylene blue. By using the film's multifunctionality, a practical wastewater treatment was realized via water–oil separation, followed by fast photocatalytic degradation of solvable dyes

Comparison of synthetic routes for large-scale synthesis of spherical BiVO₄ with photocatalytic and superhydrophobic properties

Abstract The spherical BiVO4 in tetragonal and monoclinic scheelite phases have been prepared through five general methods by using K6V10O28·9H2O as self-sacrifice templates. The morphology of these BiVO4 is kept spherical because of K6V10O28·9H2O as self-sacrifice templates. The microwave-assisted synthesis of tetragonal BiVO4 is convenient, and ultrasonic synthesis is the best choice for the synthesis of monoclinic BiVO4. BiVO4 has been prepared by five general methods using decavanadate (K6V10O28·9H2O) as vanadium source. And the morphology of these BiVO4 is spherical

Facile synthetic routes for photocatalytic Pb₃(BTC)₂·H₂O coordination polymers

Abstract Herein, we report on the successful synthesis of photocatalytic Pb₃(BTC)₂·H₂O polymers via different methods including the surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method, ultrasonic method and reflux method. As the crystal growth is subjected to preparation atmosphere, changes in reaction conditions do not alter the crystal structures of products, but vary their morphology. High ultraviolet-light-driven photocatalytic abilities are attributed to the stable Pb₃(BTC)₂·H₂O, and the effective productions of h⁺ and ˙OH on the catalysts

Leaf-structure patterning for antireflective and self-cleaning surfaces on Si-based solar cells

Abstract As the naturally evolved sunlight harvester, plant foliage is gifted with dedicated air-leaf interfaces countering light reflections and ambient ruins, yet offering antireflective and self-cleaning prototypes for manmade photovoltaics. In this work, we report on an ecological and bio-inspired coating strategy by replicating leaf structures onto Si-based solar cells. Transparent photopolymer with leaf surface morphologies was tightly cured on Si slabs through a facile double transfer process. After bio-mimicked layer coverages, sunlight reflection drops substantially from more than 35% down to less than 20% once lotus leaf was employed as the master. Consequentially, 10.9% gain of the maximum powers of the photovoltaic is obtained. The leaf replicas inherited their masters’ hydrophobicity which is resistant to acidic and basic conditions. Physically adhered dusts are easily removed by water rolling. Lightwave guidance mechanism among air-polymer-Si interfaces is explicated through optical simulations, while wettability through the morphological impacts on hydrophobic states. Taking advantages of varieties of foliage species and surface structures, the work is hoped to boost large-scale industrial designs and realizations of the bionic antireflective and superhydrophobic coating on future solar cells

Activation of 2D cobalt hydroxide with 0D cobalt oxide decoration for microplastics degradation and hydrogen evolution

Abstract The 2D semiconductors are important players in environmental and energy fields due to their unique catalytic and physical properties defined by their dimensionality. Versatile functionalities on one 2D matrix will enlarge its application scopes but require dedicated engineering paths. In this work, we present a cross-dimensional strategy by decorating 0D Co₃O₄ onto 2D Co(OH)₂ to form a multifunctional photocatalyst. The one-pot hydrothermally synthesized Co₃O₄@Co(OH)₂ composite is capable of degrading polystyrene microplastics with an efficiency of 40% under 0.495 W white LED illumination. In a separated experiment, H₂ evolution reaction from water splitting was evaluated in absence of sacrificial agents leading to 43 μmolg⁻¹ and to an apparent quantum efficiency of 3.48% at 420 nm. The study of the energy band diagrams by UV–Visible and ambient photoemission spectroscopy and the analysis of the radicals involved in the reaction of photocatalytic degradation allow to unveil the mechanisms for both the processes herein studied. Finally, we could confirm that the heterostructure benefits the redox potentials of 2D and 0D counterparts and facile electron transfers when crossing two different dimensions. These results provide guidelines and inspiration for cross-dimensional activations of low-dimensional materials for versatile functionalities