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New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates

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A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (7 July 2023) | Viewed by 13779

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tamás Gyulavári

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Guest Editor

Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
Interests: heterogeneous photocatalysis; semiconductor oxides; titanium dioxide; characterization; photocatalytic activity; catalyst preparation; nanomaterials; material science; environmental applications

Dr. Klára Hernádi

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Guest Editor

1. Institute of Physical Metallurgy, Metal Forming and Nanotechnology, University of Miskolc, C/2-5 Building 209, H-3515 Miskolc-Egyetemvaros, Hungary
2. Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; photocatalytic materials; carbon nanotubes; nanocomposite materials; immobilization of biologically active units
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Zsolt Pap

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1. Department of Applied and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Informatics, Institute of Chemistry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
2. Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Centre 3B, STAR-UBB, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: photocatalysis; ecotoxicology; environment–nanoparticle interaction; photochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising method to treat a wide variety of environmental pollutants. It is an extensively investigated research area; moreover, semiconductor oxides already have industrial applications. Alkaline earth metal titanates, a novel group of semiconductors, have attractive application prospects due to their unique properties, making them suitable for pollutant degradation, CO₂ reduction, H₂ generation, energy storage, and fuel cells, just to name a few. However, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the causal relationship between their structural and photocatalytic properties.

This Special Issue aims to collect papers concerning the design, synthesis, and characterization of alkaline earth metal titanates, as well as focus on their applicability. I am pleased to invite you to submit manuscripts for this Special Issue on “New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates” in Catalysts.

Dr. Tamás Gyulavári
Dr. Klára Hernádi
Dr. Zsolt Pap
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Heterogeneous photocatalysis
Perovskites
Alkaline earth metals
Titanates
Environmental applications
Pollutant degradation
Photoreduction
Carbon dioxide
Energy storage
Fuel cells

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 6689 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Enhanced Photocatalytic and Anticancer Activity of Zn-Doped BaTiO₃ Nanoparticles Prepared through a Green Approach Using Banana Peel Extract

by Maqusood Ahamed and M. A. Majeed Khan

Catalysts 2023, 13(6), 985; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal13060985 - 08 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1485

Abstract

Perovskite barium titanate (BaTiO₃) has received a lot of interest due to its extraordinary dielectric and ferroelectric properties, along with its moderate biocompatibility. Here, we investigated how Zn doping tuned the physicochemical characteristics, photocatalytic activity, and anticancer potential of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles synthesized from banana peel extract. XRD, TEM, SEM, EDS, XPS, BET, Raman, and PL were utilized to characterize the as-synthesized pure and Zn (1 and 3 mol%)-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. All of the synthesized samples showed evidence of the BaTiO₃ tetragonal phase, and the XRD patterns of the Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles showed the presence of a Zn peak. The particle size of BaTiO₃ decreased with increasing levels of Zn doping without morphological changes. After Zn doping, the PL intensity of BaTiO₃ decreased, suggesting a lower electron–hole recombination rate. BET analysis found that the surface area of Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles was higher than that of pure BaTiO₃. Under visible irradiation, the photocatalytic activity of pure and Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles was compared, and a remarkable 85% photocatalytic activity of Zn (3%)-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles was measured. As a result, Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles are recognized as excellent photocatalysts for degrading organic pollutants. According to cytotoxicity data, Zn (3%)-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles display four-fold greater anticancer activity against human lung carcinoma (A549) than pure BaTiO₃ nanoparticles. It was also observed that Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles kill cancer cells by increasing the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, compared to pure BaTiO₃, the Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanostructure showed better cytocompatibility in non-cancerous human lung fibroblasts (IMR90). The Zn-doped BaTiO₃ nanoparticles have a reduced particle size, increased surface area, and a lower electron–hole recombination rate, which are highly beneficial for enhanced photocatalytic and anticancer activity. Overall, current data showed that green-fabricated Zn-BaTiO₃ nanoparticles have superior photocatalytic and anticancer effects along with improved biocompatibility compared to those of pure BaTiO₃. This work underlines the significance of utilizing agricultural waste (e.g., fruit peel) for the fabrication of BaTiO₃-based nanostructures, which hold great promise for biomedical and environmental applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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12 pages, 2657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrothermal Co-Crystallization of Novel Copper Tungstate-Strontium Titanate Crystal Composite for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity and Increased Electron–Hole Recombination Time

by Áron Ágoston and László Janovák

Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 287; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal13020287 - 27 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1316

Abstract

The development of catalysts continues to have a significant influence on science today since we can utilize them to efficiently destroy some contaminants. A study in this field is justified because there is a dearth of comprehensive literature on the creation of SrTiO₃-based photocatalysts. Related to this topic, here we report the facile preparation of a structure-modified SrTiO₃ photocatalyst, by incorporating CuWO₄. Within the case of the CuWO₄-modified samples (0.5–3 wt% nominal CuWO₄ content), the photo-oxidation of phenol, as a contaminant, was more than two times higher than the initial SrTiO₃. However, the photocatalytic activity does not change linearly with increasing CuWO₄ content, and the CWS2.5 (2.5 wt% nominal CuWO₄ content and 4.25 wt% measured content) has the highest photo-activity under the applied conditions. The reason for the better activity was the increased recombination time of charge separation on the catalyst surface. Slower recombination can result in more water being oxidized to hydroxyl radicals, leading to the faster decomposition of the phenol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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13 pages, 5182 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Influence of Rapid Heat Treatment on the Photocatalytic Activity and Stability of Strontium Titanates against a Broad Range of Pollutants

by Mahsa Abedi, Ákos Szamosvölgyi, András Sápi, Ákos Kukovecz, Zoltán Kónya, Tamás Gyulavári and Zsolt Pap

Catalysts 2023, 13(2), 219; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal13020219 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1377

Abstract

Strontium titanate (STO) photocatalysts were prepared via a slightly modified Pechini sol–gel method. A unique rapid calcination technique with a short exposure time was used to obtain crystalline products. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Their photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of phenol, oxalic acid, and chlorophenol under UV light irradiation using commercial STO as a reference. These pollutants, together with glucose and propanol, were used to investigate the stability of the samples against various functional groups. All our samples exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than the commercial STO reference. With increasing calcination temperature, the crystallinity and primary crystallite sizes increased while the band gaps and specific surface areas decreased. The photocatalytic activity of the most efficient sample was explained by the presence of SrCO₃ on its surface. The STO catalysts were highly stable as they largely retained their crystalline composition after exposure to chemicals with different functional groups. Finally, we compared the costs associated with the unique calcination technique with a more conventional one and found that our method is ~35% more cost-effective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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11 pages, 3099 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Plasmonic Copper Content at Copper-Modified Strontium Titanate (Cu-SrTiO₃): Synthesis, Characterization, Photocatalytic Activity

by Áron Ágoston, Ádám Balog, Šarūnas Narbutas, Imre Dékány and László Janovák

Catalysts 2022, 12(9), 1041; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal12091041 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1450

Abstract

Catalyst development still has a major impact on science today, as we can use catalysts to break down certain pollutants in an energy-efficient way. There is no comprehensive literature on the development of SrTiO₃-based photocatalysts, so study in this area is justified. Related to this topic, here we report the facile preparation of surface-modified SrTiO₃ photocatalyst, performed by plasmonic copper deposition. In the case of the copper-modified samples (0.25–3 wt.% Cu content), the photooxidation of phenol, as model contaminant, was almost 4–5 times higher than the bare SrTiO₃. However, the photocatalytic activity was not linearly related to copper content, since the highest photoactivity was achieved at 1 wt.% copper content. The reason for the better activity was the plasmonic effect of copper, which increases the recombination time of charge separation on the catalyst surface. During slower recombination, more water is oxidized to hydroxyl radicals, which can lead to faster degradation of phenol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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16 pages, 4201 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of SrCO₃ on Photocatalytic Performance of SrTiO₃-SrCO₃ Composites

by Bíborka Boga, Norbert Steinfeldt, Nikolaos G. Moustakas, Tim Peppel, Henrik Lund, Jabor Rabeah, Zsolt Pap, Vasile-Mircea Cristea and Jennifer Strunk

Catalysts 2022, 12(9), 978; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal12090978 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2493

Abstract

Perovskites such as SrTiO₃ are interesting for photocatalytic applications due to their structure-related and electronic properties. These properties are influenced by the presence of SrCO₃ which is often formed simultaneously during the hydrothermal synthesis of SrTiO₃. In this study, SrTiO₃-SrCO₃ composites with different contents of SrCO₃ (5–24 wt%) were synthesized. Their morphological, structural, and optical properties were investigated using complementary methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen sorption, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Their photocatalytic activity was assessed during the degradation of diclofenac (DCFNa) in aqueous solution and CO₂ photoreduction under Xe lamp irradiation. Improved photocatalytic efficiency in DCFNa degradation was observed for all the studied composites in comparison with SrTiO₃, and the highest mineralization efficiency was obtained for the sample with 21 wt% SrCO₃ content. The presence of SrCO₃ led to an increased concentration of active species, such as ^•OH radicals. Otherwise, its presence inhibits CH₄ and C₂H₆ production during CO₂ photoreduction compared with pure SrTiO₃. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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12 pages, 2297 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dependence of Photocatalytic Activity on the Morphology of Strontium Titanates

by Tamás Gyulavári, Daniella Dusnoki, Viktória Márta, Mohit Yadav, Mahsa Abedi, András Sápi, Ákos Kukovecz, Zoltán Kónya and Zsolt Pap

Catalysts 2022, 12(5), 523; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal12050523 - 07 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2236

Abstract

Strontium titanates were prepared with different morphologies by varying the ratio of solvents used during the synthesis. The effects of morphology and solvent (ethylene glycol to water) ratio were investigated both on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the samples. Structural properties were determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of phenol and by the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. The ratio of solvents notably influenced the morphology, strontium carbonate content, primary crystallite size, and specific surface area of the samples. Samples prepared at low ethylene glycol to water ratios were spherical, while the ones prepared at high ethylene glycol to water ratios could be characterized predominantly by lamellar morphology. The former samples were found to have the highest efficiency for phenol degradation, while the sample with the most well-defined lamellar morphology proved to be the best for CO₂ reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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Review

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16 pages, 2233 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Emerging Career of Strontium Titanates in Photocatalytic Applications: A Review

by Nikita Sharma and Klara Hernadi

Catalysts 2022, 12(12), 1619; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/catal12121619 - 09 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

The growing energy demands and rapid industrialization drove the attention towards a sustainable living. The methods to a adopt renewable source of energy has made the field of heterogeneous photocatalysis so famous. The photocatalytic hydrogen production seems to be an answer for our future energy crisis. In this regard, alkaline earth metal titanates with a perovskite structure are one of the in demand materials these days. Among these, strontium titanates (SrTiO₃) play an important role and have shown a potential, especially in the field of hydrogen production. This review summarizes the significance of (SrTiO₃) in photocatalytic water splitting, to produce hydrogen and the photocatalytic degradation of the pollutants from the waste water. Different synthesis methods used for preparing SrTiO₃ are also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Photocatalytic Applications with Alkaline Earth Metal Titanates)

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