• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2021

Pure and Sm ion doped BiVO₄ catalysts were synthesized using a conventional hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, DRS, SEM, and PL. We also examined the activity of these materials on the photocatalytic decomposition of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The doping of Sm ion into BiVO₄ catalyst changed the ms-BiVO₄ crystal structure into the tz-BiVO₄ crystal structure in the low synthesis temperature. Light absorption analysis using DRS showed that all the catalysts displayed strong absorption in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum regardless of Sm ion doping. In addition, an amorphous morphology was shown in the pure BiVO₄ catalyst, but the morphology of the BiVO₄ catalyst doped with Sm ion was changed into an ellipse shape and also the particle size decreased. In the photocatalytic decomposition of rhodamine B, Sm ion doped BiVO₄ catalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity than the pure BiVO₄ catalyst. In addition, the Sm3-BVO catalyst doped with 3% Sm ion showed the highest photocatalytic activity, as well as the highest formation rate of OH radicals (•OH) and the highest PL peak. This result suggests that the formation rate of OH radicals produced in the interface between the photocatalyst and water is well correlated with the photocatalytic activity.

• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.311-320
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• 2020

In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) was carried out under visible light irradiation using CdS and CdZnS/ZnO photocatalysts prepared by a simple precipitation method. This study focused on examining the effect of physicochemical properties of dye and photocatalyst on the reaction pathway of photocatalytic degradation. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, UV-vis DRS and XPS. Both the CdS and CdZnS/ZnO photocatalysts exhibit an excellent absorption in the visible light and the UV light regions. It was observed that the photocatalytic degradation of MO proceeds via the same reaction mechanism on both the CdS and CdZnS/ZnO photocatalysts. However, the photocatalytic degradation of RhB and MB was found to proceed through a different reaction pathway on the CdS and CdZnS/ZnO catalysts. It is interesting to note that MB dimer was formed on the CdS catalyst at the beginning of the photocatalytic reaction, while the MB monomer was degraded during the overall photocatalytic reaction on CdZnS/ZnO. The above results may be mainly ascribed to the difference of band edge potential of the conduction band in the CdS and CdZnS/ZnO semiconductors and the adsorption property of dye on the catalysts.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.655-662
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• 2017

Sulfide photocatalysts, CdS and CdZnS, were synthesized using a simple precipitation method and their photocatalytic activities were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The effects of four inorganic salt additives, KCl, NaCl, $K_3PO_4$, and $Na_3PO_4$, on the photocatalytic reaction were examined and the role of $K^+$, $Na^+$, $Cl^-$ and $PO_4{^{3-}}$ ions during photocatalytic reaction was discussed. The added inorganic salts were shown to have a remarkable effect on the photocatalytic reaction. It was also found that the anions in inorganic salts have a much more profound effect on the reaction rate, as compared to the cations. Under the present experimental conditions, $PO_4{^{3-}}$ revealed a significant inhibitory effect on the degradation rate whereas $Cl^-$ enhanced the rate slightly. This work pointed out that the consideration of additive effects is needed in the photocatalytic reaction for wastewater treatment.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.356-361
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• 2015

$Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S/ZnO$ composite photocatalysts were synthesized using the precipitation method and characterized by XRD, UV-vis DRS, PL and FE-SEM. Photocatalytic activities of the materials were evaluated by measuring the degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. Contrary to ZnO, $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S/ZnO$ materials absorb visible light as well as UV and their absorption intensities in visible region increased with increasing the $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S$ amount. The increment in the $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S$ content in $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S/ZnO$ also leads to reducing the particle size and consequently increasing the specific surface area. $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S/ZnO$ materials with the larger $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S$ content showed the higher activity in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. Therefore, the heterojunction effect between $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S$ and ZnO as well as the adsorption capacity seems to give important contributions to the photocatalytic activity of the $Cd_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}S/ZnO$.

• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2019

$Bi_2MoO_6$ catalysts were successfully synthesized using ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), glycerol (GL), ethylene glycol (EG), and water as solvents by a conventional hydrothermal method. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by XRD, DRS, BET, SEM, and PL, and we also investigated the photocatalytic activity of these materials for the decomposition of Rhodamin B under visible light irradiation. The XRD results revealed the successful synthesis of 12-18 nm, well-crystallized ${\gamma}-Bi_2MoO_6$ crystals with an Aurivillius structure regardless of solvent. In addition, the $Bi_2MoO_6$ catalysts prepared below $140^{\circ}C$ showed an amorphous phase; however, those prepared above $160^{\circ}C$ showed well-crystallized ${\gamma}-Bi_2MoO_6$ crystals. All the catalysts have a similar absorption spectrum from the ultraviolet region up to the visible region less than 470 nm. This result suggests that all the $Bi_2MoO_6$ catalysts are potential visible-light-driven photocatalysts. The $Bi_2MoO_6$ catalysts prepared using EGME as a solvent showed the highest photocatalytic activity. In addition, the $Bi_2MoO_6$ catalysts prepared at $180^{\circ}C$ showed the highest photocatalytic activity. The PL peaks appeared at about 560 nm at all catalysts and the excitonic PL signal was proportional to the photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of Rhodamin B. This suggests that the stronger the PL intensity, the larger the amount of oxygen vacancies and defects, and the higher the photocatalytic activity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.321-321
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• 2016

한경오염의 증가에 따라 광촉매 물질을 이용한 환경 정화의 필요성이 대두되고 있다 [1]. 광촉매와 전기화학셀은 빛을 이용하여 다른 에너지를 생산하는 능력을 가지고 있다. 이 전기화학셀의 성능향상을 위해서는 적절한 밴드갭을 이용한 광흡수의 증가, 전자재결합의 감소, 전기화학적 반응 표면의 증가가 필요하다. 산화 아연은 잘 알려진 n형 산화물 반도체로서 좋은 전기적 특성과 광촉매 성능으로 전기화학셀에 적합한 소재이다. 그러나 산화 아연은 액체 전해물질 상에서 안정성이 좋지 못하다 [2]. 이를 해결하기 위해 단층 그래핀 혹은 풀러렌(C60)을 이용하여 산화아연을 코팅하는 방법을 제안하였는데, 풀러렌을 사용 시 단층 그래핀에 비하여 전기화학셀의 전기화학적 반응은 높았으나 안정성은 더 떨어지는 모습을 보였다 [3]. 본 연구에서는 다층 그래핀을 이용하여 전기화학적 반응도 높고 안정성도 높은 산화아연-다층 그래핀 양자점의 합성 및 이를 이용한 전기화학셀 소자의 특성을 연구하였다. X선 회절법, 라만 분광법, 투과 전자 현미경, 광발광 분광기, 시간-분해성 광발광 분광기를 이용하여 산화아연-다층 그래핀 양자점의 특성을 분석하였고, 이를 이용하여 광양극을 제작하여 전기화학적 특성을 관측하였으며 로다민 B 염료를 이용한 분해 테스트를 통하여 광촉매 성능을 확인하였고 사이클 테스트를 통하여 안정성을 확인하였다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.907-912
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• 2011

Development of visible light responsive photocatalysts is a promising research area to facilitate utilization of solar energy for hydrogen production via photocatalytic water splitting. In this study two groups of samples, nitrogen (N)-doped niobium pentoxide ($Nb_2O_5$) and titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) ($Nb_2O_5-N$, $HNb_3O_8-N$, $TiO_2-N$) and N-undoped ones ($Nb_2O_5$ and $TiO_2$) were tested. In order to utilize visible light, nitrogen atoms were doped in selected photocatalysts by using urea. A shift of the absorption edges of the Ndoped samples in the visible light region was observed. Under visible light irradiation, N-doped samples were more prominent photocatalytic activities than the N-undoped samples. Specifically, 99.7% of rhodamine B (RhB) was degraded after 60 minutes of visible light irradiation with $TiO_2-N$. Since $TiO_2-N$ shows the highest activity of RhB degradation, it was supposed to generate the highest current response. However, $HNb_3O_8-N$ showed the highest current response ($63.7mA/cm^2$) than $TiO_2-N$. More interestingly, when we compare the hydrogen production, $Nb_2O_5-N$ produced $19.4{\mu}mol/h$ of hydrogen.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.705-713
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• 2017

A novel material, $Bi_2WO_6-GO-TiO_2$ composite, was successfully synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. During the hydrothermal reaction, the loading of $Bi_2WO_6$ and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles onto graphene sheets was achieved. The obtained $Bi_2WO_{6-GO-TiO2}$ composite photo-catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis-DRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The $Bi_2WO_6$ nanoparticle showed an irregular dark-square block nanoplate shape, while $TiO_2$ nanoparticles covered the surface of the graphene sheets with a quantum dot size. The degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue trihydrate (MB), and reactive black B (RBB) dyes in an aqueous solution with different initial amount of catalysts was observed by UV spectrophotometry after measuring the decrease in the concentration. As a result, the $Bi_2WO_6-GO-TiO_2$ composite showed good decolorization activity with MB solution under visible light. The $Bi_2WO_6-GO-TiO_2$ composite is expected to become a new potential material for decolorization activity. Photocatalytic reactions with different photocatalysts were explained by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and a band theory.