• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2022

As the use of chemical products increases in daily life, the removal of dye waste has also emerged as an important environmental issue. This dye waste can be decomposed using a photocatalyst, and the photocatalyst can be synthesized very cost-effectively by using the sol-gel technology. The sol-gel technology is not only very useful for nanoscale film formation, but also can simply form multilayer structures. Using a multiple spin coating method, in this study, a ZnO film with a multilayered structure (3 layers, 5 layers) was formed by using zinc oxide (ZnO), which is effective in decomposing various dyes. For performance comparison, a ZnO film having a single layer structure by a single spin coating method was prepared as a control. Structural and elemental analysis of ZnO film was performed using an X-ray diffraction analyzer and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. A nanowire-like surface morphology could be observed through a scanning electron microscope. Additionally, UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to measure the absorbance of UV light. The ZnO film with a five-layer structure degraded the simulated methylene blue by 49% more than the ZnO film with a single-layer structure. In conclusion, it was found that ZnO having a multilayered structure is useful as a photocatalyst that decomposes methylene blue dye more effectively.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2011

In this study, we prepared $TiO_2$ with the sol-gel method and controlled physico-chemical properties by a simple heat treatment. All materials were applied to photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue and the material treated at 473 K showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency. The high performance resulted from a high adsorption amount of methylene blue due to a high surface area of $229.8m^2/g$. However, the material treated at 873 K, despite of a low surface area of $23.8m^2/g$ and a large particle size of 28.38 nm, exhibits a good photocatalytic performance due to the effect of mixed cyrstalline rutile and anatase phases formed by the high heat treatment temperature.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.290-298
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• 2009

In this paper, the Fe-activated carbon fiber (ACF)/$TiO_2$ composite catalysts were prepared by a sol-gel method. The synthesized photocatalysts were used for the photo degradation of Methylene blue solution under UV light. From Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements (BET) data, it was shown the blocking of the micropores on the surface of ACF by treatment of Fe and Ti compound. As shown in SEM images, the ferric compounds and titanium dioxides were fixed onto the ACF surfaces. The result of X-ray powder diffraction showed that the crystal phase contained a mixing anatase and rutile structure and the 'FeO+$TiO_2$' from the composites. The EDX spectra for the elemental analysis showed the presence of C, O, and Ti with Fe peaks. Degradation activity of MB could be attributed to +OH radicals derived from electron/hole pair's reactions due to photolysis of $TiO_2$ and photo-Fenton effect of Fe.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2010

Methylene blue (MB) was degraded by $TiO_2$ and ZnO deposited on an activated carbon fiber (ACF) surface under UV light. The ACF/$TiO_2$ and ACF/ZnO composites were characterized by BET, SEM, XRD, and EDX. The BET surface area was related to the adsorption capacity for composites. The SEM results showed that titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are distributed on the ACF surface. The XRD results showed that the ACF/$TiO_2$ and ACF/ZnO composites contained a unique anatase structure for $TiO_2$ and a typical hexagonal phase for ZnO respectively. These EDX spectra showed the presence of peaks of Ti element on ACF/$TiO_2$ composite and peaks of Zn element on the ACF/ZnO composite. The blank experiments for either illuminating the MB solution or the suspension containing ACF/$TiO_2$ or ACF/ZnO in the dark showed that both illumination and the catalyst were necessary for the mineralization of organic dye. Additionally, the ACF/$TiO_2$ composites proved to be efficient photocatalysts due to degradation of MB at higher reaction rates. The addition of an oxidant $([NH_4]_2S_2O_8)$ led to an increase of the degradation rate of MB for ACF/$TiO_2$ and ACF/ZnO composites.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.417-422
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• 2010

Nanosized $TiO_2$ particles were prepared by hydrothermal method from the aqueous peroxotitanate solution using the different carboxylic acids as an additives. The physical properties of prepared nanosized $TiO_2$ particles were investigated and we also examined the activity of $TiO_2$ particles as a photocatalyst on the decomposition of methylene blue. The major phase of all the prepared $TiO_2$ particles was an anatase structure regardless of carboxylic acids and a rutile peak was observed above $700^{\circ}C$. The photocatalytic activity increased with an increase of hydrocarbon number of carboxylic compounds and the highest activity was shown on the catalysts which was prepared using succinic acid as an additive and calcined at $500^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.3269-3273
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• 2009

In this study, recycling methods of nano $TiO_2$-coated silica-bead were conducted in order to solve a deactivation problem of bead that had been invented for decomposition of pollutants in aqueous solution. Surface cleansing was selected as the recycling method for used beads. The surface cleansing was done with four different solutions such as distilled water, surfactant, acetone, and ethyl alcohol(ethanol). The recycling process consists of cleansing and calcination. After cleaning the used (deactivated) beads, calcination was done at $100^{\circ}C$, $200^{\circ}C$ and $300^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes, respectively. This process was repeated three times. The activity of the recycled bead was measured by photo-degradation of methylene blue. The result shows that acetone cleansing and calcination at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes was the most efficient recycling method.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.3031-3038
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• 2009

Cobalt-loaded activated carbon fibers (ACFs) supported titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) photocatalyst was developed by sol-gel method. The Co-ACFs/$TiO_2$ photocatalyst were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X.ray diffraction patterns (XRD), energy dispersive X.ray analysis (EDX) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Decomposition efficiency of methylene blue (MB) solution by Co-ACFs/$TiO_2$ photocatalyst reached almost 100% under 300 min reaction. The MB molecules in the bulk solutions were supposed to be condensed around $TiO_2$ particles by adsorption of ACFs. Therefore, the photocatalyst possesses the combined effect of adsorption by activated carbon fibers and photocatalytic reactivity of $TiO_2$ on MB degradation. Due to the cobalt has electron transition effece, thus improved the photodegradation of MB solution.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.2910-2916
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• 2012

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanorods were prepared by a single precursor thermal decomposition (SPTD) method. The formation of CdS nanorods and their structure, morphology and elemental composition were studied by means of FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM and EDAX analysis. Photoluminescence (PL) and lifetime measurements were recorded to study the luminescence properties of the material. The PL spectrum of the CdS nanorods showed one broad peak and four shoulders and the cause for this emission was discussed. The PL emissions from the band edge and deep trap state of the CdS nanorods were studied by lifetime measurements. Further, the synthesized CdS nanorods showed an increase in efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB). The increase in the photocatalytic activity was attributed to the mixed phase of the CdS nanorods.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.481-487
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• 2009

The photocatalysts of Fe-ACF/$TiO_2$ compositeswere prepared by the sol-gel method and characterized by BET, XRD, SEM, and EDX. It showed that the BET surface area was related to adsorption capacity for each composite. The SEM results showed that ferric compound and titanium dioxide were distributed on the surfaces of ACF. The XRD results showed that Fe-ACF/$TiO_2$ composite only contained an anatase structure with a Fe mediated compound. EDX results showed the presence of C, O, and Ti with Fe peaks in Fe-ACF/$TiO_2$ composites. From the photocataytic degradation effect, $TiO_2$ on activated carbon fiber surface modified with Fe (Fe-ACF/$TiO_2$) could work in the photo-Fenton process. It was revealed that the photo-Fenton reaction gives considerable photocatalytic ability for the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) compared to non-treated ACF/$TiO_2$, and the photo-Fenton reaction was improved by the addition of $H_2O_2$. It was proved that the decomposition of MB under UV (365 nm) irradiation in the presence of $H_2O_2$ predominantly accelerated the oxidation of $Fe^{2+}$ to $Fe^{3+}$ and produced a high concentration of OH radicals.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1794-1798
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• 2014

Graphitic g-$C_3N_4-WO_3$ composite was synthesized simply by decomposing melamine in the presence of $WO_3$ at $500^{\circ}C$. The obtained material was characterized by XRD, SEM, IR and XPS. The results showed that the as-prepared composite exhibits orthorhombic $WO_3$ phase coated by g-$C_3N_4$ and the g-$C_3N_4$ decomposed completely with N-doped $WO_3$ remaining at elevated calcination temperatures. The photocatalytic activity of the composite was evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light. An enhancement in photocatalytic activity for the graphitic g-$C_3N_4-WO_3$ composite compared to the conventional nitrogen-doped $WO_3$ was observed, which can be attributed to the presence of g-$C_3N_4$ in the material.