• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.535-542
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• 2010

In this study, we used coal-based activated carbons and charcoal as startingmaterials, phenolic resin (PR) as a binder, and TOS as a titanium source to prepare $TiO_2$ combining spherical shaped activated carbon photocatalysts. The textural properties of the activated carbon photocatalysts (SACP) were characterized by specific surface area (BET), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), iodine adsorption, strength intensity, and pressure drop. The photocatalytic activities of the SACPs were characterized by degradation of the organic dyes Methylene Blue (MB), Methylene Orange (MO), and Rhodamine B (Rh. B) and a chemical oxygen demand (COD) experiment. The surface properties are shown by SEM. The XRD patterns of the composites showed that the SACP composite contained a typical single, clear anatase phase. The EDX spectro for the elemental indentification showed the presence of C and O with Ti peaks. According to the results, the spherical activated carbon photocatalysts sample of AOP prepared with activated carbon formed the best spherical shape, a high BET surface area, iodine adsorption capability and strength value, and the lowest pressure drop, and the photocatalytic activity was better than samples prepared with charcoal. We compared the degradation effects among three kinds of dyes. MB solution degraded with the SACP is better than any other dye solutions.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.178-183
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• 2014

Recently, various type of nanomaterials such as nanorod, nanowire, nanotube and their core/shell nanostructures have attracted much attention in photocatalyst due to their unique properties. Among them, Type-II core/shell heterostructures have extensively studied because it has exhibited improved electrical and optical properties against their single-component nanostructure. Such structures are expected to offer high absorption efficiency and fast charge transport due to their stepwised energetic combination and large internal surface area. Thus, it has been considered as potential candidates for high efficient photocatalytic activity. In this work, we introduce a novel chemical conversion process to synthesize Type-II ZnO/ZnSe core/shell heterostructures. A plausible conversion mechanism to ZnO/ZnSe core/shell heterostructres was proposed based on SEM, XRD, TEM and XPS analysis. The ZnO/ZnSe heterostructures exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity toward the decomposition of RhB dye compared to the ZnO nanorod arrays due to enhanced light absorption and the type-II cascade band structure.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2019

Tungsten trioxide ($WO_3$) is a promising candidate as a photocatalyst because of its outstanding electrical and optical properties. In this study, we prepare $WO_3$ thin films by electrodeposition and characterize the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using these films. Depending on the voltage conditions (static and pulse), compact and porous $WO_3$ films are fabricated on a transparent ITO/glass substrate. The morphology and crystal structure of electrodeposited $WO_3$ thin films are investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. An application of static voltage during electrodeposition yields a compact layer of $WO_3$, whereas a highly porous morphology with nanoflakes is produced by a pulse voltage process. Compared to the compact film, the porous $WO_3$ thin film shows better photocatalytic activities. Furthermore, a much higher reaction rate of degradation of methylene blue can be achieved after post-annealing of $WO_3$ thin films.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 2021

The (Ga_1-xZn_x)(N_1-xO_x) solid solution is attracting extensive attention for photocatalytic water splitting and wastewater treatment owing to its narrow and controllable band gap. To optimize the photocatalytic performance of the solid solution, the key points are to decrease its band gap and recombination rate. In this study, (Ga_1-xZn_x)(N_1-xO_x) nanofibers with various Zn fractions are prepared by electrospinning followed by calcination and nitridation. The effect of the composition and crystallinity of electrospun oxide nanofibers on the morphology and optical properties of the obtained solid-solution nanofibers are systematically investigated. The results show that the final shape of the (Ga_1-xZn_x) (N_1-xO_x) material is greatly affected by the crystallinity of the oxide nanofibers before nitridation. The photocatalytic properties of (Ga_1-xZn_x)(N_1-xO_x) with different Ga:Zn atomic ratios are investigated by studying the degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.105-110
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• 2021

The physicochemical properties of crystalline titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) were investigated by comparing amorphous (amTiO₂), anatase (aTiO₂), metaphase of anatase-rutile (arTiO₂), and rutile (rTiO₂) NPs, which were prepared at various calcination temperatures (100℃, 400℃, 600℃, and 900℃). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed that the phase-transformed TiO₂ had the characteristic features of crystallinity and average size. The surface chemical properties of the crystalline phases were different in the spectral analysis. As anatase transformed to the rutile phase, the band of the hydroxyl group at 3,600-3,100 cm^-1 decreased gradually, as assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). For ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra, the maximum absorbance of anatase TiO₂ NPs at 309 nm was blue-shifted to 290 nm at the rutile phase with reduced absorbance. Under the electric field of capillary electrophoresis (CE), TiO₂ NPs in anatase migrated and detected as a broaden peak, whereas the rutile NPs did not. In addition, anatase showed the highest photocatalytic activity in an UV-irradiated dye degradation assay in the following order: aTiO₂ > arTiO₂ > rTiO₂. Overall, the phases of TiO₂ NPs showed characteristic physicochemical properties regarding size, surface chemical properties, UV absorbance, CE migration, and photocatalytic activity.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2018

$TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposites were fabricated by precipitation of nanosized CuS via sonochemical method on electrospun $TiO_2$ nanofibers, and their structure, chemical bonding states, optical properties, and photocatalytic activity were investigated. In the $TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposite, the position of the conduction band for CuS was at a more negative than that of TiO; meanwhile, the position of the valence band for CuS was more positive than those for TiO, indicating a heterojunction structure belonging to type-II band alignment. Photocatalytic activity, measured by decomposition of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation (${\lambda}$ > 400 nm) for the $TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposite, showed a value of 85.94% at 653 nm, which represented an improvement of 52% compared to that for single $TiO_2$ nanofiber (44.97% at 653 nm). Consequently, the photocatalyst with $TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposite had excellent photocatalytic activity for methylene blue under visible-light irradiation, which could be explained by the formation of a heterojunction structure and improvement of the surface reaction by increase in surface area.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2001

Photocatalytic $TiO_2$ films were prepared by anodic oxidation at 180 V and their structural difference caused by oxidation conditions was studies. The microstructure of $TiO_2$ films in $H_2SO_4$ and $H_2SO_4/H_2O_2$ solution was mixed type of rutile and anatase. However, the $TiO_2$ layer formed in $H_2SO_4/H_3PO_4$ and $H_2SO_4/H_3PO_4/H_2O_2$ mixture was mostly anatase type. All $TiO_2$ films prepared by anodic oxidation exhibited photocatalytic properties. The photocatalytic degradation of aniline blue was first order reaction with similar rate constants at all oxidative conditions examined in this work.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.57-62
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• 2000

The photocatalytic degradation of trichloroethylene(TCE) in water on various types of$TiO_2$ was studied. Surface properties of $TiO_2$were characterized by XRD, SEM, and BET in our previous work(23) . $TiO_2$from Aldrich has 100$\%$pure anatase, TiO$_2$from KIER has 100$\%$ pure rutile structure, and P25-TiO$_2$from Degussa has mixed structure of anatase(75$\%$) and rutile(25$\%$) . Firstly, optimum conditions for TCE degradation were examined in this study. Results showed that optimum loading amount of catalyst was 0.1 wt% and recirculation flow rate of mixture(distilled water and TCE) was 200 cc/min. Secondly, the effect of $TiO_2$structure on TCE degradation was examined. Results revealed that anatase structure generally has better photocatalytic activity than rutile structure. Especially, mixed structure(Degussa P25-$TiO_2$) has the highest activity due to small particle size and large specific surface area.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2001

$TiO_2$films for photocatalytic reaction were synthesized by anodizing process. The photocatalytic efficiencies of anodized $TiO_2$were evaluated by the rate of decomposition of aniline blue. The properties of photocatalysis on anodic $TiO_2$films have been observed, but the efficiencies of photocatalytic reaction depended on the conditions of films formation. The microstructure of the anodic film formed in $H_2SO_4$ solution differed from that of $TiO_2$films formed in $H_2SO_4+H_3PO_4$ solution. It has been shown that the appropriate applied-voltage for anodizing of titanium for photocatalysis was 180V in both aqueous solutions.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1137-1144
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• 2013

$TiO_2$ composites with seven different carbon materials (activated carbons, graphite, carbon fibers, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene oxides, and reduced graphene oxides) that are virgin or treated with nitric acid are prepared through an evaporation method. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared samples are evaluated in terms of $H_2$ production from aqueous methanol solution (photo-catalytic reduction: PCR) and degradation of aqueous pollutants (phenol, methylene blue, and rhodamine B) (photocatalytic oxidation: PCO) under AM 1.5-light irradiation. Despite varying effects depending on the kinds of carbon materials and their surface treatment, composites typically show enhanced PCR activity with maximum 50 times higher $H_2$ production as compared to bare $TiO_2$. Conversely, the carbon-induced synergy effects on PCO activities are insignificant for all three substrates. Colorimetric quantification of hydroxyl radicals supports the absence of carbon effects. However, platinum deposition on the binary composites displays the enhanced effect on both PCR and PCO reactions. These differing effects of carbon materials on PCR and PCO reactions of $TiO_2$ are discussed in terms of physicochemical properties of carbon materials, coupling states of $TiO_2$/carbon composites, interfacial charge transfers. Various surface characterizations of composites (UV-Vis diffuse reflectance, SEM, FTIR, surface area, electrical conductivity, and photoluminescence) are performed to gain insight on their photocatalytic redox behaviors.