• 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 Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.581-588
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• 2020

Reducing CO₂ into high value fuels and chemicals is considered a great challenge in the 21st century. Efficiently activating CO₂ will lead to an important way to utilize it as a resource. This article reviews the latest progress of g-C₃N₄ based catalysts for CO₂ reduction. The different synthetic methods of g-C₃N₄ are briefly discussed. Article mainly introduces methods of g-C₃N₄ shape control, element doping, and use of oxide compounds to modify g-C₃N₄. Modified g-C₃N₄ has more reactive sites, which can significantly reduce the probability of photogenerated electron hole recombination and improve the performance of photocatalytic CO₂ reduction. Considering the literature, the hydrothermal method is widely used because of its simple equipment and process and easy control of reaction conditions. It is foreseeable that hydrothermal technology will continue to innovate and usher in a new period of development. Finally, the prospect of a future reduction of CO₂ by g-C₃N₄-based catalysts is predicted.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2010

We used activated carbon (AC), activated carbon fiber (ACF) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) as carbon sources and titanium n-butoxide as titanium source to prepare carbon-$TiO_2$ composites. For characterization their properties, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), BET surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) were used. And the photoactivity of the carbon-$TiO_2$ composites, under UV irradiation, was tested using the fixed concentration of methylene blue (MB, $C_{16}H_{18}N_3S{\cdot}Cl{\cdot}3H_2O$) in aqueous solution. After UV irradiation for a certain time, the concentration of MB solution was determined by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.375-382
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• 2010

A layered perovskite photocatalysts, $SrBi_2Nb_2O_9$ (SBN), was synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-visble spectrophotometry. The results showed that the structure of $SrBi_2Nb_2O_9$ is orthorhombic. Diffuse reflectance spectra for calcined and attrition-milled SBN showed the main absorption edges were less 400 nm, that is ultraviolet region. SBN under micron-sized powder was deposited on the $Al_2O_3$ by room temperature powder spray in vacuum process, so called aerosol deposition (AD), and nano-grained $SrBi_2Nb_2O_9$ photocatalytic thick film was fabricated. AD-deposited SBN thick films were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-visable spectrophotometry, Moreover, it was found that several nano-sized SBN film by AD process can improve the photocatalytic activity under visable reflectance.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.611-620
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• 2018

In this study, a metal-organic framework (MOF) material $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe) was synthesized using the solvothermal method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-visible spectrophotometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and surface area measurements. The XRD pattern of the synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe) was similar to the previously reported patterns of MIL-101 type materials, which indicated the successful synthesis of $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe). The FT-IR spectrum showed the molecular structure and functional groups of the synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe). The UV-visible absorbance spectrum indicated that the synthesized material could be activated as a photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. FE-SEM and TEM images showed the formation of hexagonal microspindle structures in the synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe). Furthermore, the EDS spectrum indicated that the synthesized material consisted of Fe, N, O, and C elements. The synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe) was then employed as an adsorbent and photocatalyst for the removal of Indigo carmine and Rhodamine B from aqueous solutions. The initial 30 min of adsorption for Indigo carmine and Rhodamine B without light irradiation achieved removal efficiencies of 83.6% and 70.7%, respectively. The removal efficiencies thereafter gradually increased with visible light irradiation for 180 min, and the overall removal efficiencies for Indigo carmine and Rhodamine B were 94.2% and 83.5%, respectively. These results indicate that the synthesized MOF material can be effectively applied as an adsorbent and photocatalyst for the removal of dyes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.297-302
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• 2013

Enhancement of photocatalytic activity of UV/photocatalysis was carried out to oxidize the gaseous $H_2S$ in a tubular reactor coated with photocatalyst of sol type $TiO_2$. EtOH was used as the standard material to select the photocatalyst, and it was confirmed that the reactor activity was dependent on the coated surface characteristics. The selected photocatalytic reactor, which coated with STS-01, showed about 80% conversion when the gas linear velocity was 0.01 m/s and relative humidity was 40%. However, the conversion level of the reaction decreased significantly with increasing gas linear velocity. Pt was loaded on the photocatalyst to enhance and maintain the performance of the reactor, which enhanced the conversion level of $H_2S$ more than 95% under the same experimental condition.

• Carbon letters
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.184-190
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• 2007

Carbon Nano Tubes could be either metallic or semi-conducting in nature, depending on their diameter. Its photocatalytic behavior has given an impetus to use it as an anti-microbial agent. More than 95% Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria got killed when exposed to Carbon Nano Tubes for 30 minutes in presence of sunlight. Carbon Nano Tubes are supposed to have smooth surface on to which it accumulates positive charges when exposed to light. The surface that is non illuminated has negative charge. At the cellular level microorganisms produce negative charges on the cell membrane, Therefore damaging effect of multi walled carbon nano tubes (exposed to light) on the microorganisms is possible. In this paper, photo catalytic killing of microbes by multi walled carbon nano tubes is reported. Killing was due to damage in the cell membrane, as seen in SEM micrographs. Moreover biochemical analysis of membrane as well as total cellular proteins by SDS PAGE showed that there was denaturation of membrane proteins as well as total proteins of both the microbes studied. The killed microbes that showed a decrease in number of protein bands (i.e. due to breaking down of proteins) also showed an increase in level of free amino acids in microbes. This further confirmed that proteins got denatured or broken down into shorter units of amino acids. Increased level of free amino acids was recorded in both the microbes treated with multi walled carbon nano tubes and sunlight.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2013

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified with Pd and $TiO_2$ composite catalysts were synthesized by the sol-gel method followed by solvothermal treatment at low temperature. The chemical composition and surface structure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Photocatalytic recycle degradation experiments were carried out under both UV and visible light irradiation in the presence of MWCNT/$TiO_2$ and Pd-MWCNT/$TiO_2$ composites. As expected, the nanosized Pd-MWCNT/$TiO_2$ photocatalysts had enhanced activity over the non Pd treated MWCNT/$TiO_2$ material in the degradation of a rhodamine B (Rh.B) solution. An increase in photocatalytic activity was observed and attributed to an increase in the photo-absorption effect by MWCNTs and the cooperative effect of Pd and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. According to the recycled results, the as-prepared Pd-MWCNT/$TiO_2$ sample had a good effect on it.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.179-184
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• 2012

The light absorbance of photocatalysts and reaction kinetics of environmental pollutants at the liquid-solid and gas-solid interfaces differ from each other. Nevertheless, many previous photocatalytic studies have applied the science to aqueopus applications without due consideration of the environment. As such, this work reports the surface and morphological characteristics and photocatalytic activities of carbon-embedded (C-$TiO_2$) photocatalysts for control of gas-phase methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) under a range of different operational conditions. The C-$TiO_2$ photocatalysts were prepared by oxidizing titanium carbide powders at $350^{\circ}C$. The characteristics of the C-$TiO_2$ photocatalysts, along with pure TiC and the reference pure $TiO_2$, were then determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning emission microscope, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible-near infrared (UV-VIS-NIR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The C-$TiO_2$ powders showed a clear shift in the absorbance spectrum towards the visible region, which indicated that the C-$TiO_2$ photocatalyst could be activated effectively by visible-light irradiation. The MTBE decomposition efficiency depended on operational parameters, including the air flow rate (AFR), input concentration (IC), and relative humidity (RH). As the AFRs decreased from 1.5 to 0.1 L/min, the average efficiencies for MTBE increased from 11% to 77%. The average decomposition efficiencies for the ICs of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 ppm were 77%, 77%, 54%, and 38%, respectively. In addition, the decomposition efficiencies for RHs of 20%, 45%, 70%, and 95% were 92%, 76%, 50%, and 32%, respectively. These findings indicate that the prepared photocatalysts could be effectively applied to control airborne MTBE if their operational conditions were optimized.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.255-259
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• 2014

In this research, we compared the COD removal efficiencies of titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) thin films coated on the surfaces of borosilicate glass that prepared by three different numbers of coating layer; i) 3 layers ii) 4 layers and iii) 5 layers by sol-gel method. All of the prepared $TiO_2$ thin films consisted of pure anatase crystalline structure with grain sizes in the range 20-250 nm. The calculated optical band gaps of the $TiO_2$ thin films were 3.24. The total apparent surface area per total weight of $TiO_2$ thin films were 4.74, 3.86 and $2.79m^2g^{-1}$ for 3, 4 and 5 layers coating, respectively. The kinetics of the photodegradation reactions of COD under UVA light source were described by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model. The specific rates of the photodegradation of $TiO_2$ thin films at 3 layers coating was $1.40{\times}10^{-4}min^{-1}mW^{-1}$, while for the 4 layers coating and the 5 layers coating were $1.50{\times}10^{-4}$ and $4.60{\times}10^{-4}min^{-1}mW^{-1}$, respectively. The photocatalytic performance of COD degradation was higher with smaller grain size, higher surface area and narrow optical band gaps. Moreover, the numbers of coating layer on substrate also have great influence for kinetic of COD removal.