title: Visible light photocatalysis with c-WO(3-x)/WO3×H2O nanoheterostructures in situ formed in mesoporous polycarbosilane-siloxane polymer.
abstract: In recent years, there have been significant efforts to find novel photocatalytic materials with improved properties. Thus, there is an active ongoing search for new materials that can operate at a broad range of wavelengths for photocatalytic reactions. Among photocatalytically active semiconductors, considerable attention has been given to tungsten oxide with a band gap of E(g) ≈ 2.6 eV, which provides the opportunity to harvest visible light. In the present work, we report on a one-step synthesis of c-WO(3-x)/WO3×H2O nanowhiskers dispersed in a hydrolytically stable mesoporous polycarbosilane-siloxane ([-Si(O)CH2-]n) matrix. The as-synthesized nanocomposites possess high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is due to (i) the reduction in the electron-hole recombination rate because of the reduced dimensions of nanowhiskers, (ii) more efficient consumption of photogenerated electrons and holes as a result of the high surface-to-bulk-ratio of the nanowhiskers, and (iii) better electron-hole pair separation due to the formation of c-WO(3-x)/WO3×H2O nanoheterostructures.
authors: Fachbereich Material-und Geowissenschaften, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 32, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany. mseifba@materials.tu-darmstadt.de
authors: Mahdi
authors: M
authors: Seifollahi Bazarjani
authors: Mirabbos
authors: M
authors: Hojamberdiev
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Morita
authors: Gangqiang
authors: G
authors: Zhu
authors: Gennady
authors: G
authors: Cherkashinin
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Fasel
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Herrmann
authors: Hergen
authors: H
authors: Breitzke
authors: Aleksander
authors: A
authors: Gurlo
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Riedel