Organic and inorganic–organic thin film structures by molecular layer deposition: A review

• Pia Sundberg and
• Maarit Karppinen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1104–1136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.123

Characterization and photocatalytic study of tantalum oxide nanoparticles prepared by the hydrolysis of tantalum oxo-ethoxide Ta₈(μ₃-O)₂(μ-O)₈(μ-OEt)₆(OEt)₁₄

• Subia Ambreen,
• N D Pandey,
• Peter Mayer and
• Ashutosh Pandey

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1082–1090, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.121

• characterized by various techniques such as TGA-DTA-DSC, UV–vis DRS, XRD, SEM, TEM, particle size analyzer (DLS) and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The band gap of the particles was calculated by using the Tauc plot. The photocatalytic activity of Ta2O5 nanoparticles was tested by the degradation of

• to its distinct properties such as large ion diffusion coefficient and high electrochromic reversibility, high dielectric constant, high refractive index, high chemical stability, large band gap [13][14][15] and photocatalytic activity for overall water decomposition and organic pollutant degradation

• (1) was isolated. When 1 was subjected to further hydrolysis it yielded nanoparticles of tantalum oxide after calcination at 750 °C for four hours. The photocatalytic activity of Ta2O5 nanoparticles was studied over the degradation of organic dye rhodamine B (RhB). Results and Discussion Tantalum

Photocatalysis

• Rong Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1071–1072, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.119

• , two review articles present an excellent overview of the significance of nanostructures in visible light photocatalysis in a timely manner. Many materials aspects of photocatalysts influence the photocatalytic performance, such as the electronic, structural, and morphological features of the

• degradation. In recent years, the interest in photocatalytic organic conversion has risen, which is reflected by a report on photo-epoxidation. And last but not least, one of the studies of this Thematic Series aims for a fundamental understanding of the photophysical process by optical modeling. I am

DFT study of binding and electron transfer from colorless aromatic pollutants to a TiO₂ nanocluster: Application to photocatalytic degradation under visible light irradiation

• Corneliu I. Oprea,
• Petre Panait and
• Mihai A. Gîrţu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1016–1030, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.115

• order to explain experimental results regarding the photocatalytic degradation of these pollutants under visible light irradiation. Based on our modeling, we are able to clarify why transparent pollutants can degrade under visible light in the presence of a catalyst that absorbs only in the UV, to

• ; density functional theory; photocatalytic degradation; titanium dioxide; visible light irradiation; Introduction Titania, TiO2, has been widely used as photocatalyst for environmental applications [1][2][3][4][5][6], particularly for waste water purification. Due to its large band gap TiO2 absorbs only

• UV radiation, a fact that limits the efficiency and keeps the costs of the photocatalytic degradation of environmental pollutants high. To be used under visible light irradiation, in the range of wavelengths where the solar spectrum has its maximum, the electronic band structure of the photocatalyst

Functionalized nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic performance under solar light

• Liejin Guo,
• Dengwei Jing,
• Maochang Liu,
• Yubin Chen,
• Shaohua Shen,
• Jinwen Shi and
• Kai Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 994–1004, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.113

• Liejin Guo Dengwei Jing Maochang Liu Yubin Chen Shaohua Shen Jinwen Shi Kai Zhang International Research Center for Renewable Energy & State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University Xi’an 710049, China 10.3762/bjnano.5.113 Abstract Photocatalytic hydrogen

• production from water has been considered to be one of the most promising solar-to-hydrogen conversion technologies. In the last decade, various functionalized nanostructures were designed to address the primary requirements for an efficient photocatalytic generation of hydrogen by using solar energy

• nanoscale, i.e., materials with the same compositions but different phases with certain band alignment. We conclude this review with perspectives on nanostructure design that might direct future research of this technology. Keywords: functionalized nanostructures; hydrogen; photocatalysis; photocatalytic

Growth and characterization of CNT–TiO₂ heterostructures

• Yucheng Zhang,
• Ivo Utke,
• Johann Michler,
• Gabriele Ilari,
• Marta D. Rossell and
• Rolf Erni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 946–955, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.108

• , combining TiO2 nanocrystals and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) offers enhanced photosensitivity and improved photocatalytic efficiency, which is key to achieving sustainable energy and preventing environmental pollution. Hence, it has aroused a tremendous research interest. This report surveys recent research on

• discovery that with the addition of CNTs, the light absorption of TiO2 can be extended to the visible-light region [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. This can significantly increase the photocatalytic efficiency. In literature several photocatalysis enhancement mechanisms based on TiO2–CNT have been proposed, as

• photocatalytic performance than the chemical bond between CNTs and TiO2, since the arc-discharge-synthesized CNTs show a dramatically higher photocatalytic dye degradation rate than the CVD-synthesized CNTs, which is attributed to the smaller number of defects in the multi-wall (MW) tubes of the former. In

Enhancement of photocatalytic H₂ evolution of eosin Y-sensitized reduced graphene oxide through a simple photoreaction

• Weiying Zhang,
• Yuexiang Li,
• Shaoqin Peng and
• Xiang Cai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 801–811, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.92

• hydroxy groups are gradually removed from GO, resulting in an increase of sp2 π-conjugated domains and defect carbons with holes for the formed RGO. The RGO conductivity increases due to the restoration of sp2 π-conjugated domains. The photocatalytic activity of EY-RGO/Pt for hydrogen evolution was

• increasing irradiation time. The adsorption quantity of EY on the surface of RGO enhances, too. The two factors ultimately result in an enhancement of the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over EY-RGO/Pt with increasing irradiation time. A possible mechanism is discussed. Keywords: eosin Y sensitization

• ; graphene oxide; H2 evolution; photocatalysis; photoreduction; sp2 conjugated domains; Introduction Hydrogen is an efficient and green energy carrier. Photocatalytic water splitting into hydrogen by means of solar energy and semiconductor photocatalysts is a environmentally friendly way to produce storable

Antimicrobial properties of CuO nanorods and multi-armed nanoparticles against B. anthracis vegetative cells and endospores

• Pratibha Pandey,
• Merwyn S. Packiyaraj,
• Himangini Nigam,
• Gauri S. Agarwal,
• Beer Singh and
• Manoj K. Patra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 789–800, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.91

• nanostructures comparable to established antibiotics as well as their photocatalytic potential. However, we have not come across any report on bactericidal potential of CuO nanoparticles against B. anthracis cells and spores. The earlier findings inspired us to evaluate antibacterial activity of noncorrosive CuO

• the possibility that this viable fraction represents thick walled spores. Moreover, the data show the advantage of using nanometer-scaled CuO over the photocatalytic deactivation of B. anthracis cells by nanometer-scaled TiO2. Deactivation of comparatively fewer B. anthracis cells (1900 CFU/mL) by

Biomolecule-assisted synthesis of carbon nitride and sulfur-doped carbon nitride heterojunction nanosheets: An efficient heterojunction photocatalyst for photoelectrochemical applications

• Hua Bing Tao,
• Hong Bin Yang,
• Jiazang Chen,
• Jianwei Miao and
• Bin Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 770–777, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.89

• and by doping with foreign atoms [5][6][7][8]. However, the photocatalytic performance of CN is still limited because of the fast charge recombination [6][8][9][10]. How to efficiently separate photogenerated charge carriers in CN becomes a critical factor in further improving the photocatalytic

• [11]. Numerous CN-based heterojunctions have been constructed by coupling CN with various types of photocatalysts, e.g., oxides and chalcogenides, which have shown improved photocatalytic performances [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. However, the formation of interfacial defects at the CN/photocatalyst

• increased thickness of nanosheets. Figure 4d presents the pore size distribution of CN, CNS and the CN/CNS heterostructure. It is clear that sulfur doping significantly increases the pore volume of micro- (smaller than 10 nm) and meso- (larger than 100 nm) pores, which could favor the photocatalytic

Visible light photooxidative performance of a high-nuclearity molecular bismuth vanadium oxide cluster

• Johannes Tucher and
• Carsten Streb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 711–716, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.83

• reported. Photocatalytic activity studies show faster reaction kinetics under anaerobic conditions, suggesting an oxygen-dependent quenching of the photoexcited cluster species. Further mechanistic analysis shows that the reaction proceeds via the intermediate formation of hydroxyl radicals which act as

• oxidant. Trapping experiments using ethanol as a hydroxyl radical scavenger show significantly decreased photocatalytic substrate oxidation in the presence of EtOH. Photocatalytic performance analyses using monochromatic visible light irradiation show that the quantum efficiency Φ for indigo

• , olefins and others [1][2][3][14]. However, as POMs often only absorb light in the UV range, little is known about the visible-light photocatalytic activity of POMs [5][15]. One means of addressing this challenge is to tune the cluster structure and reactivity by incorporation of a reactive metal site into

Nanostructure sensitization of transition metal oxides for visible-light photocatalysis

• Hongjun Chen and
• Lianzhou Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 696–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.82

• visible-light photocatalytic reaction processes in environmental remediation and solar fuel generation fields, are also introduced. A brief outlook on the nanostructure photosensitization is also given. Keywords: carbon nanostructures; nanostructure sensitization; plasmonic metal nanostructures; quantum

• for the conversion of solar energy into chemical fuel, electricity, the decomposition of organic pollutants etc. All of these photocatalytic reactions occur on the surface of semiconductors. Basically, the photocatalytic process can be mainly divided into three pathways [1][2][3], as shown in Figure 1

• like hydroxyl radicals by directly reacting with surface hydroxyl groups or oxidizing adsorbed molecules (D → D+). The basic mechanisms of the photocatalytic process include these reduction and oxidation reactions as well as some secondary reactions, which forms the driving force of a number of

A visible-light-driven composite photocatalyst of TiO₂ nanotube arrays and graphene quantum dots

• Donald K. L. Chan,
• Po Ling Cheung and
• Jimmy C. Yu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 689–695, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.81

• ), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The product exhibited high photocatalytic performance in the photodegradation of methylene blue and enhanced photocurrent under visible

• attention due to its large specific area, high intrinsic electron mobility and good electrical conductivity [3]. As an excellent electron acceptor, graphene has been combined with semiconductor photocatalysts such as TiO2 [25], ZnO [26] and CdS [27] to enhance their photocatalytic activities. However

• TNAs with GQDs not only extended the optical absorption spectrum of TNAs over the visible range, but also enhanced the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical performances of TNAs under visible light. Results and Discussion Figure 1a shows a TEM image of GQDs with diameters of about 10 nm. The AFM

Effects of the preparation method on the structure and the visible-light photocatalytic activity of Ag₂CrO₄

• Difa Xu,
• Shaowen Cao,
• Jinfeng Zhang,
• Bei Cheng and
• Jiaguo Yu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 658–666, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.77

• 10.3762/bjnano.5.77 Abstract Silver chromate (Ag2CrO4) photocatalysts are prepared by microemulsion, precipitation, and hydrothermal methods, in order to investigate the effect of preparation methods on the structure and the visible-light photocatalytic activity. It is found that the photocatalytic

• activity of the prepared Ag2CrO4was highly dependent on the preparation methods. The sample prepared by microemulsion method exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to

• ; photocatalytic activity; silver chromate; visible-light-driven; Introduction Semiconductor photocatalysis has been considered as a potential solution to the worldwide energy shortage and for counteracting environmental degradation [1][2][3][4][5]. Numerous efforts have been made to develop efficient and stable

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag–ZnO hybrid plasmonic nanostructures prepared by a facile wet chemical method

• Sini Kuriakose,
• Vandana Choudhary,
• Biswarup Satpati and
• Satyabrata Mohapatra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 639–650, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.75

• the synthesis of Ag–ZnO hybrid plasmonic nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity by a facile wet-chemical method. The structural, optical, plasmonic and photocatalytic properties of the Ag–ZnO hybrid nanostructures were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron

• microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. The effects of citrate concentration and Ag nanoparticle loading on the photocatalytic activity of Ag–ZnO hybrid nanostructures towards sun-light driven degradation of methylene blue (MB

• photocatalytic degradation efficiency, which has been found to increase with the extent of Ag nanoparticle loading. Keywords: Ag–ZnO; hybrid plasmonic nanostructures; photocatalysis; Introduction The removal of hazardous materials such as dyes and organic compounds from waste water has attracted ever

High activity of Ag-doped Cd_0.1Zn_0.9S photocatalyst prepared by the hydrothermal method for hydrogen production under visible-light irradiation

• Leny Yuliati,
• Melody Kimi and
• Mustaffa Shamsuddin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 587–595, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.69

• -University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia 10.3762/bjnano.5.69 Abstract Background: The hydrothermal method was used as a new approach to prepare a series of Ag-doped Cd0.1Zn0.9S photocatalysts. The effect of Ag doping on the properties and photocatalytic

• activity of Cd0.1Zn0.9S was studied for the hydrogen production from water reduction under visible light irradiation. Results: Compared to the series prepared by the co-precipitation method, samples prepared by the hydrothermal method performed with a better photocatalytic activity. The sample with the

• . In addition to the larger absorption in the visible-light region, the increase in photocatalytic activity of samples with Ag doping may also come from the Ag species facilitating electron–hole separation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Ag doping is a promising way to enhance the activity of

Artificial sunlight and ultraviolet light induced photo-epoxidation of propylene over V-Ti/MCM-41 photocatalyst

• Van-Huy Nguyen,
• Shawn D. Lin,
• Jeffrey Chi-Sheng Wu and
• Hsunling Bai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 566–576, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.67

• , National Chiao Tung University, Hsin Chu 300, Taiwan 10.3762/bjnano.5.67 Abstract The light irradiation parameters, including the wavelength spectrum and intensity of light source, can significantly influence a photocatalytic reaction. This study examines the propylene photo-epoxidation over V-Ti/MCM-41

• photocatalytic reaction occurs only when the illumination with light enables the generation of highly reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals (OH•) and oxy radicals (O•) [1]. The light intensity in photocatalysis has attracted considerable attention. The positive effect of increasing the light intensity on

• photocatalytic reactions is a common phenomenon, which has been observed in, e.g., the photo-degradation of gaseous formaldehyde [2], dye [3][4][5] and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins [6], and the disinfection of Escherichia coli [7][8][9]. How the light energy can be effectively utilized in a heterogeneous

Mesoporous cerium oxide nanospheres for the visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation of dyes

• Subas K. Muduli,
• Songling Wang,
• Shi Chen,
• Chin Fan Ng,
• Cheng Hon Alfred Huan,
• Tze Chien Sum and
• Han Sen Soo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 517–523, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.60

• reported for the purpose of the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and future applications in sustainable energy research. The earth-abundant, relatively affordable, mixed valence cerium oxide sample, which consists of predominantly Ce7O12, has been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray

• photoelectron and UV–vis spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Together with N2 sorption experiments, the data confirms that the new cerium oxide material is mesoporous and absorbs visible light. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamin B is investigated with a series of radical scavengers

• , suggesting that the mechanism of photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation involves predominantly hydroxyl radicals as the active species. Keywords: cerium oxide; dye degradation; mesoporous; photocatalysis; visible light; Introduction The degradation of organic pollutants by affordable and

Applicability and costs of nanofiltration in combination with photocatalysis for the treatment of dye house effluents

• Wolfgang M. Samhaber and
• Minh Tan Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 476–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.55

• high resistance to biological degradation. Dyes are made to be stable to light, oxidizing agents, and aerobic digestion to fulfil the quality demands of textile products. Fundamental principles and applications of photocatalytic degradation of dyes in homogeneous or heterogeneous systems can be found

• in the literature. For example there is an extensive overview given from Mills and Le Hunte [2], a review by Chong et al. [3] about recent developments in photocatalytic water treatment technology, and a short description of fundamentals is given by Rauf and Salman Ashraf 2009 [4]. Results

• and resistance to chemical breakdown, which promote its application in photocatalytic water treatment [7][9][12][13]. Photocatalysts can be used in the form of suspended fine particles or immobilized on various supports. Obviously, photoreactors with a suspended catalysts (or slurry type) are

Dye-sensitized Pt@TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for the efficient photocatalytic generation of hydrogen

• Jun Fang,
• Lisha Yin,
• Shaowen Cao,
• Yusen Liao and
• Can Xue

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 360–364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.41

• hydrothermal method. The dye-sensitization of these Pt@TiO2 core–shell structures allows for a high photocatalytic activity for the generation of hydrogen from proton reduction under visible-light irradiation. When the dyes and TiO2 were co-excited through the combination of two irradiation beams with

• recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes often leads to low quantum yields and a poor photocatalytic activity [6]. Tremendous efforts have been made to improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO2. One typical strategy is prolonging the lifetime of the electron–hole pair through deposition of

• Grätzel in 1991 [12], various types of dyes have been explored, and some of them allow for the reduction of protons into hydrogen gas through visible-light-driven photocatalytic processes [13][14][15][16][17]. Herein, we use erythrosin B (ErB) sensitized Pt@TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles for the highly

Quantum size effects in TiO₂ thin films grown by atomic layer deposition

• Massimo Tallarida,
• Chittaranjan Das and
• Dieter Schmeisser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 77–82, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.7

• size effects; titanium dioxide (TiO2); water splitting; X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS); Introduction Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important material for the photoelectrolysis of water [1] and for many other photocatalytic reactions [2]. Its effective conversion of solar light, although limited

• conduction band states, increases the delocalization of O 2p states, and improves the charge carrier transport. We recently used our TiO2 films grown by ALD on Fe2O3 in order to increase the photoactivated hydrophilic and photocatalytic behavior of Fe oxides. There, it was observed that TiO2 thin films and

Study of mesoporous CdS-quantum-dot-sensitized TiO₂ films by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and AFM

• Mohamed N. Ghazzal,
• Robert Wojcieszak,
• Gijo Raj and
• Eric M. Gaigneaux

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 68–76, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.6

• photosensitized solar cells with high quantum yields [1][2][3][4] and the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants [5][6]. CdS, currently used as an efficient visible-light sensitizer, is a semiconductor that possesses a small band gap (2.4 eV) and suitable potential energies. The electron transfer between QDs

• studies reported the strong dependence of the photovoltaic conversion yield and photocatalytic efficiency on the particle size TiO2 sensitized with QDs-CdS [3][8]. Varying the size of the CdS particles allows for a tuning of the band gap energy of the QDs-CdS in order to reach the required value to

Preparation of NiS/ZnIn₂S₄ as a superior photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation

• Liang Wei,
• Yongjuan Chen,
• Jialin Zhao and
• Zhaohui Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 949–955, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.107

• successfully prepared via a facile two-step hydrothermal process. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Their photocatalytic performance

• for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation was also investigated. It was found that the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity over hexagonal ZnIn2S4 can be significantly increased by loading NiS as a co-catalyst. The formation of a good junction between ZnIn2S4 and NiS via the two

• step hydrothermal processes is beneficial for the directional migration of the photo-excited electrons from ZnIn2S4 to NiS. The highest photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (104.7 μmol/h), which is even higher than that over Pt/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposite (77.8 μmol/h), was observed over an optimum NiS

Challenges in realizing ultraflat materials surfaces

• Takashi Yatsui,
• Wataru Nomura,
• Fabrice Stehlin,
• Olivier Soppera,
• Makoto Naruse and
• Motoichi Ohtsu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 875–885, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.99

• such rare-earth materials [8]. To reduce the usage of the CeO2, many groups have attempted to develop alternative polishing pads [9] and slurries [10]. Watanabe et al. developed a surface treatment for SiC and diamond that uses a photocatalytic effect [11]. To induce this photocatalytic effect, they

• use a light source of shorter wavelengths to excite the carriers in TiO2, so that the generated electrons and holes induce a photocatalytic effect and etch the substrate [12]. Those techniques resulted in ultraflat surfaces with Ra values as small as 2 Å. Although CeO2 is not required in this

Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of flower-like ZnO nanostructures prepared by a facile wet chemical method

• Sini Kuriakose,
• Neha Bhardwaj,
• Jaspal Singh,
• Biswarup Satpati and
• Satyabrata Mohapatra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 763–770, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.87

• Flower-like ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by a facile wet chemical method. Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of these nanostructures have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and

• UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. SEM and TEM studies revealed flower-like structures consisting of nanosheets, formed due to oriented attachment of ZnO nanoparticles. Flower-like ZnO structures showed enhanced photocatalytic activity towards sun-light driven photodegradation of methylene blue dye (MB

• these toxic chemicals. Photocatalytic degradation, in which the organic pollutants are degraded through photocatalytic oxidation and reduction reactions in the presence of a photocatalyst, is one of the most promising and clean processes used for water purification. Nanostructured semiconductor

Modulation of defect-mediated energy transfer from ZnO nanoparticles for the photocatalytic degradation of bilirubin

• Tanujjal Bora,
• Karthik K. Lakshman,
• Soumik Sarkar,
• Abhinandan Makhal,
• Samim Sardar,
• Samir K. Pal and
• Joydeep Dutta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 714–725, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.81

• of the heme catabolism that can cause jaundice when its excretion is impaired. The photocatalytic degradation of BR activated by ZnO nanoparticles through a non-radiative energy transfer pathway can be influenced by the surface defect-states (mainly the oxygen vacancies) of the catalyst nanoparticles

• photocatalytic degradation and time-correlated single photon counting studies revealed that the defect-engineered ZnO nanoparticles that were obtained through post-annealing treatments led to an efficient decomposition of BR molecules that was enabled by Förster resonance energy transfer. Keywords: bilirubin

• ]. It has been reported that the native defects in the ZnO lattice, mostly the oxygen vacancy sites, play an important role in the photocatalytic activity of the nanostructures [11]. Oxygen vacancies have been reported as the cause of the characteristic green luminescence of ZnO [12][13][14]. These