Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yanda Wong, Yuankai Li, Zhipeng Lin, Andreas Kafizas
Summary: In this study, TiO2 coatings were produced on window glass using an aerosol-assisted method. The impact of process parameters on the photocatalytic activity of the coatings towards NOx remediation was investigated. It was found that surface roughness, charge carrier population, and charge carrier lifetime were the three most influential factors on the observed activity. Therefore, improving these factors can lead to the rational design of more active coatings for photocatalytic NOx remediation applications.
APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. C. Garcia-Wong, D. Pilloud, S. Bruyere, D. Mangin, S. Migot, J. F. Pierson, F. Capon
Summary: In this study, vanadium nitride (VN) thin films were deposited on Al substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering, and thermochromic VO2 films were obtained by air oxidation. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectrometry showed that VO2 and V2O5 are the only phases produced during the oxidation process.
JOURNAL OF MATERIOMICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhen Xie, Bingxian Chu, Mingkun Wu, Yumin Zhou, Guotong Yi, Bin Li, Xuetang Xu, Lihui Dong, Zhengjun Chen
Summary: In this study, Sn-doped titanium dioxide was synthesized by sol-hydrothermal method, and Cu2O and Cu were deposited on its surface by photochemical reduction method to prepare a composite photocatalyst Cu2O/Cu/T60S1. The introduction of Cu2O and Cu significantly improved the photocatalytic activity of T60S1 in the degradation of organic pesticides and TC-HCl under visible light.
APPLIED CATALYSIS A-GENERAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alejandra Romero-Moran, Jose L. Sanchez-Salas, Joel Molina-Reyes
Summary: The study established the influence of the crystalline phase and agglomeration degree of TiO2 nanoparticles on photocatalytic hydroxyl radical formation and bacterial inactivation in TiO2/SiO2 composite coatings. A relationship between hydroxyl radicals' formation and charge carrier transfer mechanism between defect levels in SiO2 and TiO2 embedded nanoparticles was established through a simple spectroscopic method. This correlation complements the lack of mechanisms behind the photocatalytic activity in TiO2/SiO2 composites.
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
D. Pilloud, A. C. Garcia-Wong, D. Mangin, F. Capon, J. F. Pierson
Summary: This study compares the thermochromic properties of VO2 films synthesized from vanadium and vanadium nitride precursors. The results show that using vanadium nitride as a precursor produces VO2 films with better performance and narrower hysteresis widths.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Qinggang Fan, Tao Wang, Wei Fan, Lin Xu
Summary: Tubular Au/TiO2/SiO2 ternary nanocomposite with high-temperature ablation and noble metal deposition was successfully fabricated. SiO2 deposition inhibits the growth of TiO2 grain size, and the tubular structure effectively improves the utilization of visible-light. Au nanoparticles absorb visible-light, promote the formation of photogeneration-hole pairs, and act as an electron acceptor to delay the recombination rate of photogeneration electron-hole pairs, thereby improving the photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the composite gel of polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVA/PVP) used for loading and immobilizing TiO2-based catalytic materials exhibits good photocatalytic activity and recyclability.
COMPOSITES COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
M. Rejek, J. Grzechulska-Damszel, B. Schmidt
Summary: The study found that Degussa P25 titanium dioxide/chitosan composites exhibit good photocatalytic performance and are effective in decomposing organic impurities in water. The presence of chitosan in the composite materials significantly aids in the separation of the catalyst from the reaction mixture, providing a major advantage over pure Degussa P25.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Si-Ming Wu, Imgon Hwang, Benedict Osuagwu, Johannes Will, Zhenni Wu, Bidyut Bikash Sarma, Fu-Fei Pu, Li-Ying Wang, Zdenek Badura, Giorgio Zoppellaro, Erdmann Spiecker, Patrik Schmuki
Summary: Anchoring single platinum atoms on titanium dioxide nanosheets with lattice incorporated fluorine species can achieve uniform dispersion and high efficiency in photocatalytic hydrogen production. The fluorine-stabilized platinum atoms exhibit remarkable photocatalytic activity, with a high production rate and excellent stability in long-term reactions.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Antonio J. Santos, Nicolas Martin, Javier Outon, Eduardo Blanco, Rafael Garcia, Francisco M. Morales
Summary: This article presents a simple and advantageous method for the fabrication of VO2 coatings, which can be used for the large-scale manufacturing of smart windows, and exhibits better performance than standard VO2 films.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhaoqing Li, Zhufeng Liu, Xiao Yang, Annan Chen, Peng Chen, Lei Yang, Chunze Yan, Yusheng Shi
Summary: In this study, in situ TiO2 was grown on the surface of graphene to form black TiO2/graphene composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity. The combination of graphene and TiO2 helped eliminate recombination of electron holes, and the introduction of self-doping Ti3+ during hydrogenation process resulted in a narrowed bandgap and enhanced visible light absorption. The valence band XPS analysis of the composite revealed the reason for its high visible light catalytic performance. The synthesized black TiO2/graphene composites showed promising potential for applications in environmental and energy issues.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sarka Drdova, Marianna Giannakou, Fuze Jiang, Luchan Lin, Deeptanshu Sivaraman, Rita Toth, Thomas Graule, Artur Braun, Jan Ilavsky, Ivan Kuzmenko, Jing Wang
Summary: Atomization and spraying methods are compared for the immobilization of TiO2 dispersions onto fibrous filter media. The spray gun and spray atomization methods showed the best photocatalytic performance, while the spray-drying method had the lowest efficiency.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhuquan Huang, Jiaqi Wang, Suwei Lu, Hun Xue, Qinghua Chen, Min-Quan Yang, Qingrong Qian
Summary: This research demonstrates that controlling the quality of graphene can significantly improve photocatalytic performance, with high-quality CVDG-TiO2 composites showing 26.2 times and 10 times higher photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity compared to bare TiO2 and reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-TiO2, respectively. Experimental characterization reveals that few-layer CVDG with low defect density can better unleash the electrical conductivity potential of graphene, leading to improved separation and lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers in graphene-TiO2.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Studies
Valantine Takwa Lukong, Kingsley Ukoba, Tien-Chien Jen
Summary: Vanadium dioxide (VO2) and other vanadium compounds can undergo a semiconductor-to-metal transition under temperature or light stimuli. This property makes them suitable for various applications such as smart coatings, electronic switches, and self-cleaning surfaces. This article provides an overview of the current fabrication methods for VO2 thin films, explores their potential use in self-cleaning coatings, discusses the challenges faced in their application, and proposes some solutions. The different phases of VO2 and transformation routes are also presented.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Harleen Kaur, Anu Kalia
Summary: The study evaluated the degradation potential of nano-TiO2 and its composites with low-cost substrates for two azo dyes under solar and UV irradiation. Factors such as dye concentration, chemistry, light source, and photocatalyst formulation influenced the degradation potential. The AC-TiO2 nanocomposite showed efficient degradation of the test dyes through a combination of adsorption and photocatalytic phenomena under solar radiation.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Ivana Radivojevic Jovanovic, Colleen M. B. Gallagher, Ramsey Salcedo, Hossam Elshendidi, Jacopo Samson, Charles M. Drain, Donna McGregor, Wayne W. W. Lukens Jr, Benjamin P. Burton-Pye, Lynn C. Francesconi
Summary: This article presents two approaches for developing wasteforms using titanium dioxide to deal with the challenging isolation and stabilization of technetium-99 as a prevalent fission product from nuclear waste. One approach involves a low temperature chemical synthesis of titanium dioxide doped with Tc(IV) to mimic the Tc waste stream and remove a large amount of Tc. The other approach utilizes titanium dioxide to photocatalytically reduce TcO4- to Tc(IV) and stabilize it on or within the surface of titanium dioxide. Both approaches result in Tc(IV)-TiO2 composite materials suitable for consolidation into dense wasteforms using Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIPing).
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
S. P. du Preez, D. R. Jones, M. E. A. Warwick, A. Falch, P. T. Sekoai, C. Mota das Neves Quaresma, D. G. Bessarabov, C. W. Dunnill
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2020)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rafiq Mulla, Daniel R. Jones, Charles W. Dunnill
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
William J. F. Gannon, Michael E. A. Warwick, Charles W. Dunnill
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Rafiq Mulla, Charles W. Dunnill
Summary: Wooden-stick-based thermoelectric legs are introduced as a new type of environmentally friendly, nontoxic, and low-cost thermoelectric elements, which can be conveniently used for low-grade industrial waste heat conversion applications. The ultralow thermal conductivity of the wooden substrate pillars and better thermal gradients across the device due to high-quality thermoelectric material coatings make this approach promising for further exploration.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aleksandar Zivkovic, Jacobina Sheehama, Michael E. A. Warwick, Daniel R. Jones, Claire Mitchel, Daniel Likius, Veikko Uahengo, Nelson Y. Dzade, Sankar Meenakshisundaram, Charles W. Dunnill, Nora H. de Leeuw
Summary: Hybrid density functional theory was employed to investigate the phase stability and formation of native point defects in Cu4O3. The study identified the narrow stability range of Cu4O3 and confirmed the origin of p-type conductivity from specific intrinsic copper vacancies. Additionally, it revealed the impact of oxygen interstitials outside the stability region.
PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel J. C. Stewart, Lucy Fisher, Michael E. A. Warwick, David Thomson, Andrew R. Barron
Summary: The global pandemic has caused a massive amount of unrecyclable plastic waste, especially from single use face masks. This study proposes a method of melting and mixing face masks with coal dust to create powder, addressing the environmental challenges. The results show that the melt-blended mask/coal dust material exhibits high CO2 gasification reactivity, suggesting its potential use in recycling steelmaking by-product dusts or direct injection to blast furnaces.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Theopolina Amakali, Aleksandar Zivkovic, Michael E. A. Warwick, Daniel R. Jones, Charles W. Dunnill, Likius S. Daniel, Veikko Uahengo, Claire E. Mitchell, Nelson Y. Dzade, Nora H. de Leeuw
Summary: This study prepared ZnS samples with different morphologies by varying the reducing agent dosage and analyzed their structural properties. The results showed that ZnS nanoparticles had significant effects on the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye and hydrogen evolution, but further optimization is needed to reduce rapid recombination of charge carriers.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Manjunatha Channegowda, Rafiq Mulla, Yashaswini Nagaraj, Suraj Lokesh, Sachith Nayak, Sudeep Mudhulu, Chandresh Kumar Rastogi, Charles William Dunnill, Hari Krishna Rajan, Ajit Khosla
Summary: This review provides insights into the structural features and innovative methods to obtain enhanced thermoelectric properties of selected inorganic chalcogenides. It covers recent advances in the preparation methods, structural features, and thermoelectric properties of metal selenides and metal tellurides. Additionally, promising mechanistic approaches for enhancing the efficiency of thermoelectric materials are discussed.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
William J. F. Gannon, Maximillian Newberry, Charles W. Dunnill
Summary: This study analyzed the performance of a six-cell zero-gap electrolyser and proposed a new flowplate design to reduce machining costs. The low resistance of the flowplate design was confirmed through direct measurements and computer simulations. By characterizing and comparing the performance using a test-rig, the highest efficiency, voltage, and material cost data were obtained.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rachel L. McLaren, Rosenildo C. da Costa, Anna C. Booth, David J. Morgan, Christian J. Laycock, Michael E. A. Warwick, Gareth R. Owen
Summary: The preparation of oleophobic materials coated with a composite based on a multi-layer graphitic scaffolding is reported. These materials demonstrate efficient oil/water separations and reusability, making them promising candidates for applications such as aircraft propellant tanks and oil-spill removal.
MOLECULAR SYSTEMS DESIGN & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rafiq Mulla, Charles W. Dunnill
Summary: Recent studies have shown that creating core-shell nanostructures and their nanocomposites can help achieve high thermoelectric performances by breaking the strongly coupled electronic and thermal parameters. This review focuses on the experimental evidence, theoretical predictions, fabrication processes, and concepts used to produce novel core-shell nanostructures in the context of thermoelectric materials.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rachel L. McLaren, Rosenildo C. da Costa, Christian J. Laycock, David J. Morgan, Michael E. A. Warwick, Gareth R. Owen
Summary: A new oleophobic composite material was developed in this study, using plasma-exfoliated multi-layered graphitic (MLG) material as scaffolding to prepare free-standing MLG composite films. The composite consisted of a polyelectrolyte/fluorosurfactant complex derived from polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) and sodium perfluorooctanoate (PFO).
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Communication
Katherine Glover, Jennifer A. Rudd, Daniel R. Jones, Elaine Forde, Michael E. A. Warwick, William J. F. Gannon, Charles W. Dunnill
Summary: Green hydrogen has the potential to replace fossil fuels as a clean source of energy, and The Hydrogen Bike activity aims to educate, entertain, and inform young people and adults about the production and use of green hydrogen. Data collected from participants before and after the activity showed that most participants who were initially neutral or had no opinion on hydrogen reported a positive feeling after participating in The Hydrogen Bike.
FRONTIERS IN COMMUNICATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Rafiq Mulla, Katherine Glover, Charles W. Dunnill
Summary: The study developed a low-cost, easily constructible experimental setup for accurate and reliable measurement of the Seebeck coefficient, with simple operation and quick data acquisition. The apparatus simplifies the process of data collection, improves measurement efficiency, and provides reliable measured data for academic research.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT
(2021)