Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) are some of the common environmental pollutants originating mainly from oil and gas industries, which are toxic to human as well as other living organisms in the ecosystem. Here we investigate photocatalytic degradation of BTEX under visible light irradiation using supported zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods grown on glass substrates using a microwave a...

Amongst many strategies for renewable energy conversion, light-driven water splitting to produce clean H2 represents a promising approach and has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Owing to the multi-electron/multi-proton transfer nature of water splitting, low-cost and competent catalysts are needed. Along the rapid development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) during the last tw...

Photocatalysis has attracted worldwide attention due to its potential in solar energy conversion. As a "green" advanced oxidation technology, it has been extensively used for water disinfection and wastewater treatment. This article provides a review of the recent progress in solar energy-induced photocatalytic disinfection of bacteria, focusing on the development of highly efficient photocatal...

Well-defined olive-shaped Bi(2)S(3)/BiVO(4) microspheres were synthesized through a limited chemical conversion route (LCCR), where olive-shaped BiVO(4) microspheres and thioacetamide (TAA) were used as precursors and sulfur source, respectively. The as-synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution trans...

Efficient photocatalytic solar-to-H 2 conversion is pivotal to zero-carbon energy supply.

Photocatalysis has been widely applied to solar-energy conversion and environmental purification. Photocatalyst, typically titanium dioxide (TiO(2)), produces active oxygen species under irradiation of ultraviolet light, and can decompose not only conventional pollutants but also different types of hazardous substances at mild conditions. We have recently started the study of photocatalytic dec...

The combination of a dye which absorbs the photon, an electron acceptor and an electron donor leading to energy conversion through electron transfer, was the basis of the so called three-component systems. In this paper, an experimental work combining Rose bengal dye with a triazine derivative as electron acceptor and ethyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate as electron donor, will underline the benefit...