Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications
Photonic crystal structuring has emerged as an advanced method to enhance solar light harvesting by metal oxide photocatalysts along with rational compositional modifications of the materials’ properties. In this work, surface functionalization of TiO<sub>2</sub> photonic crystals by blu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Nanomaterials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/12/2566 |
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| author | Maria-Athina Apostolaki Alexia Toumazatou Maria Antoniadou Elias Sakellis Evangelia Xenogiannopoulou Spiros Gardelis Nikos Boukos Polycarpos Falaras Athanasios Dimoulas Vlassis Likodimos |
| author_facet | Maria-Athina Apostolaki Alexia Toumazatou Maria Antoniadou Elias Sakellis Evangelia Xenogiannopoulou Spiros Gardelis Nikos Boukos Polycarpos Falaras Athanasios Dimoulas Vlassis Likodimos |
| author_sort | Maria-Athina Apostolaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Photonic crystal structuring has emerged as an advanced method to enhance solar light harvesting by metal oxide photocatalysts along with rational compositional modifications of the materials’ properties. In this work, surface functionalization of TiO<sub>2</sub> photonic crystals by blue luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs), n–π* band at ca. 350 nm, is demonstrated as a facile, environmental benign method to promote photocatalytic activity by the combination of slow photon-assisted light trapping with GQD-TiO<sub>2</sub> interfacial electron transfer. TiO<sub>2</sub> inverse opal films fabricated by the co-assembly of polymer colloidal spheres with a hydrolyzed titania precursor were post-modified by impregnation in aqueous GQDs suspension without any structural distortion. Photonic band gap engineering by varying the inverse opal macropore size resulted in selective performance enhancement for both salicylic acid photocatalytic degradation and photocurrent generation under UV–VIS and visible light, when red-edge slow photons overlapped with the composite’s absorption edge, whereas stop band reflection was attenuated by the strong UVA absorbance of the GQD-TiO<sub>2</sub> photonic films. Photoelectrochemical and photoluminescence measurements indicated that the observed improvement, which surpassed similarly modified benchmark mesoporous P25 TiO<sub>2</sub> films, was further assisted by GQDs electron acceptor action and visible light activation to a lesser extent, leading to highly efficient photocatalytic films. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:53:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3b66f5f2f7d4fc98ecede6cad7af61d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-4991 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:53:45Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanomaterials |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3b66f5f2f7d4fc98ecede6cad7af61d2023-11-21T01:52:33ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912020-12-011012256610.3390/nano10122566Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic ApplicationsMaria-Athina Apostolaki0Alexia Toumazatou1Maria Antoniadou2Elias Sakellis3Evangelia Xenogiannopoulou4Spiros Gardelis5Nikos Boukos6Polycarpos Falaras7Athanasios Dimoulas8Vlassis Likodimos9Section of Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, GR-15784 Athens, GreeceSection of Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, GR-15784 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, GreeceSection of Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, GR-15784 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, GreeceInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Agia Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, GreeceSection of Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, GR-15784 Athens, GreecePhotonic crystal structuring has emerged as an advanced method to enhance solar light harvesting by metal oxide photocatalysts along with rational compositional modifications of the materials’ properties. In this work, surface functionalization of TiO<sub>2</sub> photonic crystals by blue luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs), n–π* band at ca. 350 nm, is demonstrated as a facile, environmental benign method to promote photocatalytic activity by the combination of slow photon-assisted light trapping with GQD-TiO<sub>2</sub> interfacial electron transfer. TiO<sub>2</sub> inverse opal films fabricated by the co-assembly of polymer colloidal spheres with a hydrolyzed titania precursor were post-modified by impregnation in aqueous GQDs suspension without any structural distortion. Photonic band gap engineering by varying the inverse opal macropore size resulted in selective performance enhancement for both salicylic acid photocatalytic degradation and photocurrent generation under UV–VIS and visible light, when red-edge slow photons overlapped with the composite’s absorption edge, whereas stop band reflection was attenuated by the strong UVA absorbance of the GQD-TiO<sub>2</sub> photonic films. Photoelectrochemical and photoluminescence measurements indicated that the observed improvement, which surpassed similarly modified benchmark mesoporous P25 TiO<sub>2</sub> films, was further assisted by GQDs electron acceptor action and visible light activation to a lesser extent, leading to highly efficient photocatalytic films.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/12/2566graphene quantum dotsphotonic crystalstitanium dioxidephotocatalysisslow photons |
| spellingShingle | Maria-Athina Apostolaki Alexia Toumazatou Maria Antoniadou Elias Sakellis Evangelia Xenogiannopoulou Spiros Gardelis Nikos Boukos Polycarpos Falaras Athanasios Dimoulas Vlassis Likodimos Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications Nanomaterials graphene quantum dots photonic crystals titanium dioxide photocatalysis slow photons |
| title | Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_full | Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_fullStr | Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_short | Graphene Quantum Dot-TiO<sub>2</sub> Photonic Crystal Films for Photocatalytic Applications |
| title_sort | graphene quantum dot tio sub 2 sub photonic crystal films for photocatalytic applications |
| topic | graphene quantum dots photonic crystals titanium dioxide photocatalysis slow photons |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/10/12/2566 |
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