Turning into the blue: materials for enhancing TiO2 photocatalysis by up-conversion photonics (original) (raw)

RSC Advances, 2013

Abstract

ABSTRACT Here we explore into the lately emerging ground-breaking photonic approach to enhance photocatalytic activity of main semiconductors electrodes used in water-splitting such as titanium dioxide (TiO2): the blue shift of the incident radiation by means of high-efficient upconversion in rare-earth (RE) doped luminescent materials to assist long wavelength harvesting of unused portions of infrared light. We present an up to 20% improvement of the photocatalytic action in the decomposition of methylene blue in water under Xe-lamp irradiation of commercial benchmark TiO2 efficient photocatalyst, and also an outstanding enhancement by factor of about 2.5 of photolysis in this pollutant degradation rate. Our results prove that the ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches the TiO2 particles has been increased by the addition of RE-doped material’s powder into a slurry-type photo-reactor, boosting both photocatalysis and photolysis degradation rate. Thus we show the feasibility of handling and transforming the incoming infrared radiation, bridging the UV gap of photocatalytic semiconductors. Let us turn the infrared into the blue; there is plenty of energy at the bottom.

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