Carbon nanotubes as photoprotectors of organic dyes: reversible photoreaction instead of permanent photo-oxidation

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 5771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewu Long ◽  
Hongzhen Lin ◽  
Ivan G. Scheblykin
Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asim Ali Yaqoob ◽  
Nur Habibah binti Mohd Noor ◽  
Albert Serrà ◽  
Mohamad Nasir Mohamad Ibrahim

The efficient remediation of organic dyes from wastewater is increasingly valuable in water treatment technology, largely owing to the tons of hazardous chemicals currently and constantly released into rivers and seas from various industries, including the paper, pharmaceutical, textile, and dye production industries. Using solar energy as an inexhaustible source, photocatalysis ranks among the most promising wastewater treatment techniques for eliminating persistent organic pollutants and new emerging contaminants. In that context, developing efficient photocatalysts using sunlight irradiation and effectively integrating them into reactors, however, pose major challenges in the technologically relevant application of photocatalysts. As a potential solution, graphene oxide (GO)-based zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites may be used together with different components (i.e., ZnO and GO-based materials) to overcome the drawbacks of ZnO photocatalysts. Indeed, mounting evidence suggests that using GO-based ZnO nanocomposites can promote light absorption, charge separation, charge transportation, and photo-oxidation of dyes. Despite such advances, viable, low-cost GO-based ZnO nanocomposite photocatalysts with sufficient efficiency, stability, and photostability remain to be developed, especially ones that can be integrated into photocatalytic reactors. This article offers a concise overview of state-of-the-art GO-based ZnO nanocomposites and the principal challenges in developing them.


NANO ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (05) ◽  
pp. 1550065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Huang ◽  
Jingang Yu ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
Xinyu Jiang

In this study, amino-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( MWCNTs - NH 2) were successfully synthesized via an improved method and used for removal of organic dyes in aqueous solution. The synthesized MWCNTs - NH 2 were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), etc. The adsorption capacity and selectivity of MWCNTs - NH 2 for organic dyes was evaluated using rhodamine B ( RhB ), malachite green (MG), methyl orange (MO) and congo red (CR) as models. The selective adsorption toward anionic dyes was found for the MWCNTs - NH 2, and MO was selected as a typical anionic dye to deeply investigate the adsorption kinetics, equilibrium isotherms and thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption process. The adsorption kinetics and equilibrium isotherms data fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamics study revealed that the adsorption of MO onto MWCNTs - NH 2 was spontaneous, exothermic and physisorptive in nature. The results indicated that MWCNTs - NH 2 are promising nanomaterials for removal of anionic dyes from industrial wastewater.


2017 ◽  
Vol 205 ◽  
pp. 85-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niclas S. Mueller ◽  
Sebastian Heeg ◽  
Patryk Kusch ◽  
Etienne Gaufrès ◽  
Nathalie Y.-W. Tang ◽  
...  

We isolated the plasmonic contribution to surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and found it to be much stronger than expected. Organic dyes encapsulated in single-walled carbon nanotubes are ideal probes for quantifying plasmonic enhancement in a Raman experiment. The molecules are chemically protected through the nanotube wall and spatially isolated from the metal, which prevents enhancement by chemical means and through surface roughness. The tubes carry molecules into SERS hotspots, thereby defining molecular position and making it accessible for structural characterization with atomic-force and electron microscopy. We measured a SERS enhancement factor of 106 on α-sexithiophene (6T) molecules in the gap of a plasmonic nanodimer. This is two orders of magnitude stronger than predicted by the electromagnetic enhancement theory (104). We discuss various phenomena that may explain the discrepancy (including hybridization, static and dynamic charge transfer, surface roughness, uncertainties in molecular position and orientation), but found all of them lacking in enhancement for our probe system. We suggest that plasmonic enhancement in SERS is, in fact, much stronger than currently anticipated. We discuss novel approaches for treating SERS quantum mechanically that appear promising for predicting correct enhancement factors. Our findings have important consequences on the understanding of SERS as well as for designing and optimizing plasmonic substrates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 2713-2721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guifen Lu ◽  
Xudong Liu ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Li Bao ◽  
Bosheng Zhao

The nanoarchitectonic composites mixed-ZnPc-fMWCNT and linked-ZnPc-fMWCNT were prepared through tetra-[α-(p-amino)benzyloxyl]phthalocyanine Zinc(II) (ZnPc) mixed and covalently linked to multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), respectively. Various spectroscopic methods were used to identify the nanocomposites formed between ZnPc and MWCNTs whether by π–π interaction or by covalent linking. Their photocatalytic properties were fully investigated by carrying out the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The nanocomposites displayed excellent photocatalytic performance, with the photodegradation efficiency as high as 94% for linked-ZnPc-fMWCNT and 83% for mixed-ZnPc-fMWCNT within 3 h irradiation. The repetition test revealed that both nanocomposites have excellent stability and recyclability, and then they are promising candidates as eco-friendly photocatalysts for degradation of organic dyes in aqueous environments.


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