Photocatalytic removal of benzene over Ti3C2Tx MXene and TiO2–MXene composite materials under solar and NIR irradiation

MXenes, a family of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides based on earth-abundant constituents, are prospective candidates for energy conversion applications, including photocatalysis. While the activity of individual MXenes towards various photocatalytic processes is still debatable, these materials were proved to be excellent co-catalysts, accelerating the charge separation and suppressing the exciton recombination. Titanium-containing MXenes are well compatible with the classical TiO2 photocatalyst. The TiO2 component can be directly grown on MXene sheets by in situ oxidation, representing a mainstream processing approach for such composites. In this study, an essentially different approach has been implemented: a series of TiO2-MXene composite materials with controlled composition and both reference end members were prepared, involving two different strategies for mixing sol-gel-derived TiO2 nanopowder with the Ti3C2Tx component, which was obtained by HF etching of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis products containing modified MAX phase Ti3C2Alz (z > 1) with nominal aluminium excess. The prospects of such composites for the degradation of organic pollutants under simulated solar light, using benzene as a model system, were demonstrated and analysed in combination with their structural, microstructural and optical properties. A notable photocatalytic activity of bare MXene under near infrared light was discovered, suggesting further prospects for light-to-energy harvesting spanning from UV-A to NIR and applications in biomedical imaging and sensors.publishe

Bias polarization study of steam electrolysis by composite oxygen electrode Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3-δ/BaCe_0.4Zr_0.4Y_0.2O_3-δ

The polarization behavior of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ-BaCe0.4Zr0.4Y0.2O3-δ (BSCF-BCZY) electrode under steam electrolysis conditions was studied in detail. The composite oxygen electrode supported by BCZY electrolyzer has been assessed as a function of temperature (T), water vapor partial pressures (pH2O), and bias polarization voltage for electrodes of comparable microstructure. The Electrochemical impedance spectra show two depressed arcs in general without bias polarization. And the electrode resistance became smaller with the increase of the bias polarization under the same water vapor partial pressures. The total resistance of the electrode was shown to be significantly affected by temperature, with the same level of pH2O and bias polarization voltage. This result highlights BSCF-BCZY as an effective oxygen electrode under moderate polarization and pH2O conditions.</p

Raman spectra of apatites La<SUB>10x</SUB> Si<SUB>6y</SUB> (Al,Fe)<SUB>y</SUB> O<SUB>26±δ</SUB>

International audienceRaman spectra of eight polycrystalline apatites of the general formula La10-xSi6-yM′yO26 ± δ with M' = Al or Fe were obtained at 300 K. Raman spectra of La10Si4Fe2O26 and La9.83Si4.5Al1.5O26 were investigated in the range 80-1000 K and 80-623 K, respectively. Tentative assignments of bands to stretching and bending modes of SiO4 tetrahedra and to M'O vibrations are proposed. Except for the two new bands, which appear around 700 cm-1 when Al is replaced by Fe, only some band broadenings and relative intensity changes are observed as a function of the rate of O5 or La vacancies. Most of the bands soften and broaden continuously when raising the temperature. This is an indication that the Al- and Fe-substituted apatites do not undergo any structural change up to 1000 K. Above 1000 K, the broad and weak shoulder observed at 850 cm-1 for La10Si4Fe2O26 is replaced by a strong band at 868 cm-1, suggesting that SiO4 tetrahedra undergo a structural modification. All compounds show the same residual band broadening at 80 K. This suggests that there is a small rate of static disorder preferentially related to the solubility of Al and Fe in the Si sublattice rather than to other defects. Moreover, the observation of FeO modes indicates that the dynamics of the solid solution obeys the so-called two-mode behavior. The occurrence of FeO stretching vibrations 150 cm-1 lower than for those of SiO suggests that the coordination number of iron could be larger than 4, particularly for the Fe4+ species

Oxygen Nonstoichiometry, Mixed Conductivity, and Mössbauer Spectra of Ln0.5A0.5FeO3−δ (Ln = La−Sm, A = Sr, Ba): Effects of Cation Size

Increasing the difference of the Ln3+ and A2+ cation radii in perovskite-type Ln0.5A0.5FeO3−δ (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm; A = Sr, Ba) results in higher oxygen deficiency and lower oxygen-ionic and p-type electronic conductivities, determined using the oxygen permeation and total conductivity measurements at 973−1223 K. The relationships between the anion transport and A-site cation size mismatch remain essentially similar in air and under reducing conditions when most iron cations become trivalent, thus confirming critical influence of oxygen-vacancy trapping processes induced by the lattice strain. At low temperatures, analogous correlation is also observed for quadrupole splittings derived from the Mssbauer spectra of oxygen-stoichiometric Ln0.5A0.5FeO3. Contrary to the ionic conductivity variations, the role of surface exchange kinetics as a permeation-limiting factor, evaluated from the membrane thickness dependence of oxygen fluxes, tends to decrease on Ba2+ doping and on decreasing Ln3+ size in Ln0.5Sr0.5FeO3−δ series. The n-type electronic conduction and low-p(O2) stability at 1223 K are substantially unaffected by the cation radius mismatch

Oxygen transport in La2NiO4 + [delta]: Assessment of surface limitations and multilayer membrane architectures

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TY4-4VMBNT9-3/2/2c6a74f1bb2f51b7b9503333d1045f0