title: Advanced nanoporous TiO2 photocatalysts by hydrogen plasma for efficient solar-light photocatalytic application.
abstract: We report an effect involving hydrogen (H2)-plasma-treated nanoporous TiO2(H-TiO2) photocatalysts that improve photocatalytic performance under solar-light illumination. H-TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by application of hydrogen plasma of assynthesized TiO2(a-TiO2) without annealing process. Compared with the a-TiO2, the H-TiO2 exhibited high anatase/brookite bicrystallinity and a porous structure. Our study demonstrated that H2 plasma is a simple strategy to fabricate H-TiO2 covering a large surface area that offers many active sites for the extension of the adsorption spectra from ultraviolet (UV) to visible range. Notably, the H-TiO2 showed strong ·OH free-radical generation on the TiO2 surface under both UV- and visible-light irradiation with a large responsive surface area, which enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. Under solar-light irradiation, the optimized H-TiO2 120(H2-plasma treatment time: 120 min) photocatalysts showed unprecedentedly excellent removal capability for phenol (Ph), reactive black 5(RB 5), rhodamine B (Rho B) and methylene blue (MB) - approximately four-times higher than those of the other photocatalysts (a-TiO2 and P25) - resulting in complete purification of the water. Such well-purified water (>90%) can utilize culturing of cervical cancer cells (HeLa), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) while showing minimal cytotoxicity. Significantly, H-TiO2 photocatalysts can be mass-produced and easily processed at room temperature. We believe this novel method can find important environmental and biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ha-Rim
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: So Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Che Yoon
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Sustainable Bioresource Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Saehae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soonjoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Division of Bio-Analytical Science, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Edmond Changkyun
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Biomass and Waste Energy Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), 152 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: You-Kwan
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chan-Geun
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jonghan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Andong National University, Gyeongsangbuk-do 36729, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youn Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jouhahn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nano-surface Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Uk
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee