Saher Hamid | Leibniz Universität Hannover (original) (raw)

Papers by Saher Hamid

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2018

Cu nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (Cu–TiO2) using d... more Cu nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (Cu–TiO2) using different methods aiming at the production of highly efficient visible light photocatalysts.

Catalysis Science & Technology, 2018

The photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous acetic acid into molecular hydrogen, carbon dioxide, ... more The photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous acetic acid into molecular hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons employing platinized titania (Pt/TiO2) as a photocatalyst has been studied.

ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2018

In this article, we demonstrate the fabrication of tailored multicomponent cryoaerogels from coll... more In this article, we demonstrate the fabrication of tailored multicomponent cryoaerogels from colloidal nanoparticles via the cryogelation method. With this method, it is possible to control the amount of components very precisely. Furthermore, the microscopic distribution of the different nanoparticle components in the resulting monolithic structure is shown to be adjustable by simply mixing calculated amounts of colloidal nanoparticle solutions with a suitable surface charge. We focus on titania cryoaerogels due to their potential for optical applications and investigate the properties of synthesized titania-gold cryoaerogels in dependency of the composition. In addition, titania-platinum cryoaerogels were tested for photocatalytic applications such as hydrogen evolution and showed a significant increase in performance and stability compared to their respective colloidal solutions. While showing comparable results for hydrogen evolution with aerogels as reported in literature, the fabrication is much faster and less complex and therefore might enable future industrial application.

Advanced Functional Materials, 2017

separation, the mixing of electronic states, and how synergistic properties of metals and the sem... more separation, the mixing of electronic states, and how synergistic properties of metals and the semiconductors occur in the same particle. [1b,2] The great advantage of ultrafast electron transfer and charge carrier (electron-hole) separation at the metalsemiconductor interface has motivated researchers to discuss applications in, e.g., photocatalytic water splitting, [3] pollutant degradation, [4] field effect transistors, [5] CO 2 reduction reactions, [6] etc. The metal-decorated nanostructures are also employed for self-assembling in solutions or on substrates to measure their electrical transport properties. [7] Various synthetic approaches (such as reduction, thermal annealing, photoinduced reactions, nanowelding, and many others) have enabled scientists to produce nanoheteroparticles with many possible combinations of metals (e.g., Au, Pt, Pd, Ni, or Co) and different shapes of metal-chalcogenide semiconductors, starting from spherical dots, [2a,3b,4c,8] nanorods, [1b,2b,9] nanowires, [9a] tetrapods, [1b,10] and pyramids, [11] to cubes [4b,12] and many more. [9g,13] In some cases, selective deposition of the metal domains

Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017

A 3-dimensional (3D) ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 Z-scheme system has been designed and constructed for phot... more A 3-dimensional (3D) ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 Z-scheme system has been designed and constructed for photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into renewable hydrocarbon fuels without the use of a solid-state electron mediator. The unique 3D morphology, achieved by assembling 2D ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets onto 1D TiO 2 nanobelts, not only provides large surface area but also improves the separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. The 3D ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 Z-scheme photocatalysts show excellent light-harvesting properties demonstrated in photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 , resulting in generation of desired hydrocarbons. The CH 4 production rate of the 3D ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 can reach up to 1.135 mol g −1 h −1 , which is about 39-times higher than that of bare ZnIn 2 S 4 (0.029 mol g −1 h −1). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to effective separation of the charge carriers between ZnIn 2 S 4 and TiO 2 through the direct Z-scheme instead of a type-II heterojunction. The photogenerated electrons in TiO 2 nanobelts recombine with the holes in ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets, and the unrecombined electrons/holes on different active sites have stronger reduction/oxidation abilities, leading to higher photocatalytic activity for CO 2 reduction.

Journal of Catalysis, 2017

Archaeology, linguistic and genetic studies have demonstrated that the history of human dispersal... more Archaeology, linguistic and genetic studies have demonstrated that the history of human dispersals into Micronesia was complex. The initial population movements into Micronesia involved the western island groups. Recent studies seem to have confirmed that the Mariana Islands were settled as early as 3500 BP, possibly from the Philippine Archipelago. Although no hard evidence has been found from Palau equivalent to this early date, it is possible that the western Micronesian islands were also colonised from Island Southeast Asia, before the rest of the Micronesian islands were settled around 2,000 years ago from Melanesia. This paper examines the next step following the initial settlements in Micronesia, based on the archaeological findings from Fais in the Central Caroline Islands. Continuous cultural contact between Fais and Yap from the initial colonisation period was confirmed by excavated Yapese potsherds and stones, as well as black rat (Rattus rattus) remains. In addition, extensive cultural contacts between Fais Islanders and a number of islands within and beyond Micronesia were also detected. For resource-limited coral islanders, the significance of having frequent interactions with other islands can be seen as one of their survival strategies. However, it is not a simple process to understand the background anthropological phenomena that explain how an exotic material was transferred from one island to another. Was it associated with a migrating population? Was it transported through exchange? Or was it created on the island using an exchange of knowledge? A complex interaction history will be demonstrated for this small raised coral island.

In this work we explore the use of multi-layer graphene (MLG) films grown by chemical vapor depos... more In this work we explore the use of multi-layer graphene (MLG) films grown by chemical vapor deposition for adaptive thermal camouflage. Using different ionic liquids, we tune the opto-electronic properties of MLG (150 – 200 layers) and investigate changes in optical reflectivity and emissivity in the infrared region (IR). We fabricate devices having a metallic back electrode supporting a porous membrane onto which we deposit the MLG. We use both non-stretchable polyethylene (PE), and stretchable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as porous membranes. Using a thermal imaging system, we demonstrate that even when the device temperature is maintained higher than the environment, the MLG emissivity can be electrically controlled such that the device appears indistinguishable from the environment [1]. Moreover, we evaluate the performance of such devices based on flexible textiles towards developing a new material platform for defense applications.

Semiconductor CdTe is of great interest for use in optoelectronic devices. CdTe nanoparticles ~10... more Semiconductor CdTe is of great interest for use in optoelectronic devices. CdTe nanoparticles ~10 – 25 nm differ remarkably in properties from their bulk making them potential candidates for photovoltaic applications. CdTe nanoparticles are synthesized by low cost, simple and application oriented coprecipitation technique. De-ionized water was used as solvent whereas cadmium chloride (CdCl2) was used as cadmium source. CdTe sol was prepared by refluxing the product at C for 0 – 120 minutes.

Present work is an appraisal of the effectiveness of FeO in the stabilization of tetragonal zirco... more Present work is an appraisal of the effectiveness of FeO in the stabilization of tetragonal zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles synthesized under different conditions for biomedical especially dental applications. Zirconia based ceramics have found broad biomedical applications because of their unusual combination of strength, fracture toughness, hardness, and low thermal conductivity. These attractive characteristics are largely associated with the stabilization of tetragonal and cubic phases through alloying with aliovalent ions. The high fracture toughness exhibited by many of zirconia ceramics is attributed to the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation and its release during crack propagation. Objectives of the present work include preparation of α-Fe2O3 doped and un-doped ZrO2 nano-powders by sol-gel method. This work also includes thin film growth of zirconia nanoparticles with a thickness of 100 nm by spinning the sol onto glass substrates. Temperature, pH, nature of solvent...

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

SN Applied Sciences

Recently, there is growing concern over environmental pollution rising specifically from the wate... more Recently, there is growing concern over environmental pollution rising specifically from the water contamination due to industrial wastes that primarily comprise of organic dyes such as the Congo Red (CR) dye. On the other hand, semiconductors based nanomaterials have proven to be a powerful remediation tool for the polluted environment. Here in, we report an in situ approach for the development of strong interface via one pot hydrothermal synthesis of ZnTe/ZnSe heterostructures by precisely adjusting the chalcogens (Te/Se) concentration. The as-synthesized photocatalysts have further been characterized via various analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction for the phase confirmation, scanning electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for the morphological as well compositional analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy along with UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to plot the alignment of energy levels. Finally, the synthesized heterostructures have been employed as potential photocatalysts for the UV-visible induced degradation of the CR dye. The results reveal remarkable efficacy where heterostructured photocatalysts exhibit enhanced degradation efficiency for up to ~ 94% in 65 min. The synergy between the individual counterparts in heterostructure i.e. ZnTe and ZnSe, via the formation of a strong interface plays a significant role in photocatalytic CR fixation by suppressing the charge recombination which is also the key issue in these semiconductor nanomaterials.

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics

Due to increasing energy demands and environmental pollution, it is need of the hour to develop s... more Due to increasing energy demands and environmental pollution, it is need of the hour to develop some eco-friendly technologies that can overcome these two major issues. Nanotechnology and photocatalysis provide the best solution for the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Here, in this work, we report metal oxide (Co3O4), metal chalcogenide (CoTe) and their nanocomposites (Co3O4/CoTe) to benefit from synergy attributed to their unique electronic properties for the photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye, which is a major industrial pollutant. The hydrothermally synthesized photocatalysts are further characterized via various techniques including powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and UV–Visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) which endorse their successful synthesis. Amongst the as-synthesized photocatalysts, the nanocomposites exhibited better photocatalytic activity as compared to their individual counterparts which is hereby attributed to reduced charge recombination, suitable band alignment in the heterostructure as well as to the presence of common cation.

Applied Surface Science

Abstract Environmental remediation using sunlight is one of the most promising and cost-effective... more Abstract Environmental remediation using sunlight is one of the most promising and cost-effective approaches to mitigate environmental hazards significantly related to the industrial development. In the present work, we report the synthesis of ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure via one-pot hydrothermal approach for the photocatalytic degradation of diazo dye i.e. Congo red. XRD analysis verified the crystal structure, phase purity and successful synthesis of the ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure photocatalysts. Moreover, the morphology and elemental composition of the photocatalysts were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The alignment of energy levels for the synthesized heterostructured photocatalysts was also drawn while using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Finally, the as-synthesized heterostructures were employed as efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of Congo red under the illumination of UV-visible light. Our results indicated that ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure photocatalysts with maximum ZnSe content can efficiently degrade the dye up to 91% which might be attributed to the effective charge separation as extended solar absorption due to narrow bandgap of ZnSe.

Applied Surface Science

Abstract The present investigation reports a facile strategy for the synthesis of stable as well ... more Abstract The present investigation reports a facile strategy for the synthesis of stable as well as visible-light active LaNdZr2O7/SnSe composite photocatalysts for applications in the degradation of Foron Blue azo dye. The as-synthesized photocatalysts have been characterized via several characterization techniques including x-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the phase of materials, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate the surface morphology as well as composition of synthesized materials, particle size distribution (PSD) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) along with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in order to draw the alignment of energy levels from the bandgap and valence band positions of photocatalysts, respectively. Foron Blue was degraded with a maximum efficiency up to 86.3% under visible-light illumination in 60 min by composite photocatalyst which is much higher as compared to SnSe and LaNdZr2O7 photocatalysts. The higher photocatalytic activity over the composite might be attributed to efficient charge separation.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C

Acetic acid in aqueous suspensions of co-catalyst-loaded TiO2 was photocatalytically converted in... more Acetic acid in aqueous suspensions of co-catalyst-loaded TiO2 was photocatalytically converted into carbon dioxide, molecular hydrogen, methane, and ethane. The formed amounts of CO2 were found to ...

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2018

Cu nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (Cu–TiO2) using d... more Cu nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of commercial TiO2 nanoparticles (Cu–TiO2) using different methods aiming at the production of highly efficient visible light photocatalysts.

Catalysis Science & Technology, 2018

The photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous acetic acid into molecular hydrogen, carbon dioxide, ... more The photocatalytic decomposition of aqueous acetic acid into molecular hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons employing platinized titania (Pt/TiO2) as a photocatalyst has been studied.

ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2018

In this article, we demonstrate the fabrication of tailored multicomponent cryoaerogels from coll... more In this article, we demonstrate the fabrication of tailored multicomponent cryoaerogels from colloidal nanoparticles via the cryogelation method. With this method, it is possible to control the amount of components very precisely. Furthermore, the microscopic distribution of the different nanoparticle components in the resulting monolithic structure is shown to be adjustable by simply mixing calculated amounts of colloidal nanoparticle solutions with a suitable surface charge. We focus on titania cryoaerogels due to their potential for optical applications and investigate the properties of synthesized titania-gold cryoaerogels in dependency of the composition. In addition, titania-platinum cryoaerogels were tested for photocatalytic applications such as hydrogen evolution and showed a significant increase in performance and stability compared to their respective colloidal solutions. While showing comparable results for hydrogen evolution with aerogels as reported in literature, the fabrication is much faster and less complex and therefore might enable future industrial application.

Advanced Functional Materials, 2017

separation, the mixing of electronic states, and how synergistic properties of metals and the sem... more separation, the mixing of electronic states, and how synergistic properties of metals and the semiconductors occur in the same particle. [1b,2] The great advantage of ultrafast electron transfer and charge carrier (electron-hole) separation at the metalsemiconductor interface has motivated researchers to discuss applications in, e.g., photocatalytic water splitting, [3] pollutant degradation, [4] field effect transistors, [5] CO 2 reduction reactions, [6] etc. The metal-decorated nanostructures are also employed for self-assembling in solutions or on substrates to measure their electrical transport properties. [7] Various synthetic approaches (such as reduction, thermal annealing, photoinduced reactions, nanowelding, and many others) have enabled scientists to produce nanoheteroparticles with many possible combinations of metals (e.g., Au, Pt, Pd, Ni, or Co) and different shapes of metal-chalcogenide semiconductors, starting from spherical dots, [2a,3b,4c,8] nanorods, [1b,2b,9] nanowires, [9a] tetrapods, [1b,10] and pyramids, [11] to cubes [4b,12] and many more. [9g,13] In some cases, selective deposition of the metal domains

Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2017

A 3-dimensional (3D) ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 Z-scheme system has been designed and constructed for phot... more A 3-dimensional (3D) ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 Z-scheme system has been designed and constructed for photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 into renewable hydrocarbon fuels without the use of a solid-state electron mediator. The unique 3D morphology, achieved by assembling 2D ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets onto 1D TiO 2 nanobelts, not only provides large surface area but also improves the separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. The 3D ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 Z-scheme photocatalysts show excellent light-harvesting properties demonstrated in photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 , resulting in generation of desired hydrocarbons. The CH 4 production rate of the 3D ZnIn 2 S 4 /TiO 2 can reach up to 1.135 mol g −1 h −1 , which is about 39-times higher than that of bare ZnIn 2 S 4 (0.029 mol g −1 h −1). The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to effective separation of the charge carriers between ZnIn 2 S 4 and TiO 2 through the direct Z-scheme instead of a type-II heterojunction. The photogenerated electrons in TiO 2 nanobelts recombine with the holes in ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets, and the unrecombined electrons/holes on different active sites have stronger reduction/oxidation abilities, leading to higher photocatalytic activity for CO 2 reduction.

Journal of Catalysis, 2017

Archaeology, linguistic and genetic studies have demonstrated that the history of human dispersal... more Archaeology, linguistic and genetic studies have demonstrated that the history of human dispersals into Micronesia was complex. The initial population movements into Micronesia involved the western island groups. Recent studies seem to have confirmed that the Mariana Islands were settled as early as 3500 BP, possibly from the Philippine Archipelago. Although no hard evidence has been found from Palau equivalent to this early date, it is possible that the western Micronesian islands were also colonised from Island Southeast Asia, before the rest of the Micronesian islands were settled around 2,000 years ago from Melanesia. This paper examines the next step following the initial settlements in Micronesia, based on the archaeological findings from Fais in the Central Caroline Islands. Continuous cultural contact between Fais and Yap from the initial colonisation period was confirmed by excavated Yapese potsherds and stones, as well as black rat (Rattus rattus) remains. In addition, extensive cultural contacts between Fais Islanders and a number of islands within and beyond Micronesia were also detected. For resource-limited coral islanders, the significance of having frequent interactions with other islands can be seen as one of their survival strategies. However, it is not a simple process to understand the background anthropological phenomena that explain how an exotic material was transferred from one island to another. Was it associated with a migrating population? Was it transported through exchange? Or was it created on the island using an exchange of knowledge? A complex interaction history will be demonstrated for this small raised coral island.

In this work we explore the use of multi-layer graphene (MLG) films grown by chemical vapor depos... more In this work we explore the use of multi-layer graphene (MLG) films grown by chemical vapor deposition for adaptive thermal camouflage. Using different ionic liquids, we tune the opto-electronic properties of MLG (150 – 200 layers) and investigate changes in optical reflectivity and emissivity in the infrared region (IR). We fabricate devices having a metallic back electrode supporting a porous membrane onto which we deposit the MLG. We use both non-stretchable polyethylene (PE), and stretchable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as porous membranes. Using a thermal imaging system, we demonstrate that even when the device temperature is maintained higher than the environment, the MLG emissivity can be electrically controlled such that the device appears indistinguishable from the environment [1]. Moreover, we evaluate the performance of such devices based on flexible textiles towards developing a new material platform for defense applications.

Semiconductor CdTe is of great interest for use in optoelectronic devices. CdTe nanoparticles ~10... more Semiconductor CdTe is of great interest for use in optoelectronic devices. CdTe nanoparticles ~10 – 25 nm differ remarkably in properties from their bulk making them potential candidates for photovoltaic applications. CdTe nanoparticles are synthesized by low cost, simple and application oriented coprecipitation technique. De-ionized water was used as solvent whereas cadmium chloride (CdCl2) was used as cadmium source. CdTe sol was prepared by refluxing the product at C for 0 – 120 minutes.

Present work is an appraisal of the effectiveness of FeO in the stabilization of tetragonal zirco... more Present work is an appraisal of the effectiveness of FeO in the stabilization of tetragonal zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles synthesized under different conditions for biomedical especially dental applications. Zirconia based ceramics have found broad biomedical applications because of their unusual combination of strength, fracture toughness, hardness, and low thermal conductivity. These attractive characteristics are largely associated with the stabilization of tetragonal and cubic phases through alloying with aliovalent ions. The high fracture toughness exhibited by many of zirconia ceramics is attributed to the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation and its release during crack propagation. Objectives of the present work include preparation of α-Fe2O3 doped and un-doped ZrO2 nano-powders by sol-gel method. This work also includes thin film growth of zirconia nanoparticles with a thickness of 100 nm by spinning the sol onto glass substrates. Temperature, pH, nature of solvent...

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

SN Applied Sciences

Recently, there is growing concern over environmental pollution rising specifically from the wate... more Recently, there is growing concern over environmental pollution rising specifically from the water contamination due to industrial wastes that primarily comprise of organic dyes such as the Congo Red (CR) dye. On the other hand, semiconductors based nanomaterials have proven to be a powerful remediation tool for the polluted environment. Here in, we report an in situ approach for the development of strong interface via one pot hydrothermal synthesis of ZnTe/ZnSe heterostructures by precisely adjusting the chalcogens (Te/Se) concentration. The as-synthesized photocatalysts have further been characterized via various analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction for the phase confirmation, scanning electron microscopy together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for the morphological as well compositional analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy along with UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to plot the alignment of energy levels. Finally, the synthesized heterostructures have been employed as potential photocatalysts for the UV-visible induced degradation of the CR dye. The results reveal remarkable efficacy where heterostructured photocatalysts exhibit enhanced degradation efficiency for up to ~ 94% in 65 min. The synergy between the individual counterparts in heterostructure i.e. ZnTe and ZnSe, via the formation of a strong interface plays a significant role in photocatalytic CR fixation by suppressing the charge recombination which is also the key issue in these semiconductor nanomaterials.

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics

Due to increasing energy demands and environmental pollution, it is need of the hour to develop s... more Due to increasing energy demands and environmental pollution, it is need of the hour to develop some eco-friendly technologies that can overcome these two major issues. Nanotechnology and photocatalysis provide the best solution for the energy crisis and environmental pollution. Here, in this work, we report metal oxide (Co3O4), metal chalcogenide (CoTe) and their nanocomposites (Co3O4/CoTe) to benefit from synergy attributed to their unique electronic properties for the photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye, which is a major industrial pollutant. The hydrothermally synthesized photocatalysts are further characterized via various techniques including powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and UV–Visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) which endorse their successful synthesis. Amongst the as-synthesized photocatalysts, the nanocomposites exhibited better photocatalytic activity as compared to their individual counterparts which is hereby attributed to reduced charge recombination, suitable band alignment in the heterostructure as well as to the presence of common cation.

Applied Surface Science

Abstract Environmental remediation using sunlight is one of the most promising and cost-effective... more Abstract Environmental remediation using sunlight is one of the most promising and cost-effective approaches to mitigate environmental hazards significantly related to the industrial development. In the present work, we report the synthesis of ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure via one-pot hydrothermal approach for the photocatalytic degradation of diazo dye i.e. Congo red. XRD analysis verified the crystal structure, phase purity and successful synthesis of the ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure photocatalysts. Moreover, the morphology and elemental composition of the photocatalysts were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The alignment of energy levels for the synthesized heterostructured photocatalysts was also drawn while using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Finally, the as-synthesized heterostructures were employed as efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of Congo red under the illumination of UV-visible light. Our results indicated that ZnO/ZnSe heterostructure photocatalysts with maximum ZnSe content can efficiently degrade the dye up to 91% which might be attributed to the effective charge separation as extended solar absorption due to narrow bandgap of ZnSe.

Applied Surface Science

Abstract The present investigation reports a facile strategy for the synthesis of stable as well ... more Abstract The present investigation reports a facile strategy for the synthesis of stable as well as visible-light active LaNdZr2O7/SnSe composite photocatalysts for applications in the degradation of Foron Blue azo dye. The as-synthesized photocatalysts have been characterized via several characterization techniques including x-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the phase of materials, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to investigate the surface morphology as well as composition of synthesized materials, particle size distribution (PSD) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) along with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in order to draw the alignment of energy levels from the bandgap and valence band positions of photocatalysts, respectively. Foron Blue was degraded with a maximum efficiency up to 86.3% under visible-light illumination in 60 min by composite photocatalyst which is much higher as compared to SnSe and LaNdZr2O7 photocatalysts. The higher photocatalytic activity over the composite might be attributed to efficient charge separation.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C

Acetic acid in aqueous suspensions of co-catalyst-loaded TiO2 was photocatalytically converted in... more Acetic acid in aqueous suspensions of co-catalyst-loaded TiO2 was photocatalytically converted into carbon dioxide, molecular hydrogen, methane, and ethane. The formed amounts of CO2 were found to ...