Design of Bismuth Tungstate Bi2WO6 Photocatalyst for Enhanced and Environmentally Friendly Organic Pollutant Degradation.

In this study, a chemical precipitation approach was adopted to produce a photocatalyst based on bismuth tungstate Bi2WO6 for enhanced and environmentally friendly organic pollutant degradation. Various tools such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, were employed to assess the structural and morphological properties. Hence, the XRD profiles showed a well crystallized Bi2WO6 orthorhombic phase. The photocatalytic performance of the resulting photocatalyst was assessed by the decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) with a decomposition efficiency of 97 and 92%, along with the highest chemical oxygen demand of 82 and 79% during 120 min of illumination, respectively. The principal novelty of the present work is to focus on the changes in the crystalline structure, the morphology, and the optical and the photoelectrochemical characteristics of the Bi2WO6, by tuning the annealing temperature of the designed photocatalyst. Such physicochemical property changes in the as-prepared photocatalyst will affect in turn its photocatalytic activity toward the organic pollutant decomposition. The photocatalytic mechanism was elaborated based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, photocurrent analysis, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and radical trapping measurements. The overall data indicate that the superoxide O2•- and holes h+ are the principal species responsible for the pollutant photodegradation.

Voltammetric Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Chitosan-Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Gold Nanoparticles Nanocomposite Deposited on Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes for Catechol Detection.

Phenolic compounds such as catechol are present in a wide variety of foods and beverages; they are of great importance due to their antioxidant properties. This research presents the development of a sensitive and biocompatible molecular imprinted sensor for the electrochemical detection of catechol, based on natural biopolymer-electroactive nanocomposites. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been encapsulated in a polymeric chitosan (CS) matrix. This chitosan nanocomposite has been used to develop a molecular imprinted polymers (MIP) in the presence of catechol on a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. The structure of the decorated MWCNT has been studied by TEM, whereas the characterization of the sensor surface has been imaged by AFM, demonstrating the satisfactory adsorption of the film and the adequate coverage of the decorated carbon nanotubes on the electrode surface. The electrochemical response of the sensor has been analyzed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) where excellent reproducibility and repeatability to catechol detection in the range of 0 to 1 mM has been found, with a detection limit of 3.7 × 10-5 M. Finally, the developed sensor was used to detect catechol in a real wine sample.

Effect of morphology and temperature treatment control on the photocatalytic and photoluminescence properties of SrWO4 crystals.

This work reports the combined effect of the morphology and crystallization degree of the strontium tungstate (SrWO4) scheelite structure on its photocatalytic and photoluminescence properties. The difference in the precursor ratio leads to two morphologies, spindle and sphere, which remain unchanged with heat treatment up to 500 °C. However, the crystallite sizes of the as-obtained samples and samples treated at 300 and 500 °C are about 50-74 nm for spindles and 44-110 nm for spheres. Both morphologies and thermal treatments lead to the variation in the photoluminescence and photodegradation of rhodamine (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) dyes under UV irradiation. A stronger photodegradation efficiency was found for RhB (90%) than for MB (72%). The photoinduced mechanism is more significant for RhB and becomes more efficient for samples treated at high temperature, while the photocatalysis of MB is weak due to the adsorption process. A broad visible photoluminescence band was observed at room temperature and chromaticity coordinates were identified, which confirmed the emission wavelength. The most intense photoluminescence was obtained for samples treated at 300 °C, corresponding to the optimal disordered structures and accompanied by a redshift wavelength for both spheres and spindles. In this case, the spindles showed the most intense photoluminescence, almost ten times higher than that in spheres.

Identifying the Stoichiometry of Metal/Ligand Complex by Coupling Spectroscopy and Modelling: a Comprehensive Study on Two Fluorescent Molecules Specific to Lead.

Two new chemosensors for lead (II) were synthesized based on 5-((anthracen-9-ylmethylene) amino)quinolin-10-ol (ANQ). ANQ was modified in the para position of the imine group via a methoxy link either with methylmethacrylate (ANQ-MMA) or styrene (ANQ-ST). Complexation of those molecules with Pb2+ was studied at room temperature using UV-Visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Thanks to the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, it appeared that ANQ-MMA formed 1:1 and 1:2 complexes with lead (II) and ANQ-ST only 1:1 complex. For both molecules, the fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEM) signal intensity increased from 0 to 100 µmol.L-1 of lead (II) followed by a saturation for higher concentrations. The decomposition of the obtained EEMs gave a set of empiric fluorescent components that have been directly linked to the distribution of lead complexes obtained with the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy study. This correlation allowed to evidence metal/ligand complex stoichiometry and emerge as a new method to identify empiric components. Moreover, the two ligands showed a promising selectivity for Pb2+, turning them interesting probes for this hazardous metal.

Sr1/2Ce5/14□1/7WO4: a new modulated ternary scheelite compound.

For the first time, a ternary tetragonal scheelite structure tungstate with strontium and cerium cations, (Sr,Ce)WO4, was synthesized. As much as 35% Ce could be inserted into the structure, leaving 1\over 7 of the (Sr,Ce) cation sites vacant. Partial ordering of Sr and Ce, with atomic displacements, were shown by high-resolution electron microscopy. Two-dimensional incommensurate modulations occur in this material, in small domains 20 nm in size. The band gap of this compound is significantly lower than the band gap of SrWO4 and this was related to the distortions of WO4 and (Sr,Ce)O8 polyhedra. The band gap value of 3.2 eV makes Sr1/2Ce5/14□1/7WO4 a promising candidate for violet luminescence.

Highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for bisphenol A detection based on a diazonium-functionalized boron-doped diamond electrode modified with a multi-walled carbon nanotube-tyrosinase hybrid film.

A highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for the detection of Bisphenol A (BPA) in water has been developed by immobilizing tyrosinase onto a diazonium-functionalized boron doped diamond electrode (BDD) modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The fabricated biosensor exhibits excellent electroactivity towards o-quinone, a product of this enzymatic reaction of BPA oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase. The developed BPA biosensor displays a large linear range from 0.01 nM to 100 nM, with a detection limit (LOD) of 10 pM. The feasibility of the proposed biosensor has been demonstrated on BPA spiked water river samples. Therefore, it could be a promising and reliable analytical tool for on-site monitoring of BPA in waste water.

Monoclinic superstructure in orthorhombic Ce10W22O81 from transmission electron microscopy.

A complex rare-earth tungstate structure, present in a two-phased powder, was solved by electron diffraction, precession and high-resolution electron microscopy. The orthorhombic space group Pbnm and the atomic positions deduced from X-ray diffraction experiments were confirmed for Ce10W22O81. A C2/c monoclinic superstructure, with cell parameters a = 7.8, b = 36.1, c = 22.2 Šand ß = 100.2°, was shown and attributed to a partial oxidation of Ce(3+) leading to interstitial oxygen ions.

Room-temperature electronic template effect of the SmSi(111)-8x2 interface for self-alignment of organic molecules.

This work describes an innovative concept for the development of organized molecular systems based on the template effect of the pre-structured semi-conductive SmSi(111) interface. This substrate is selected because Sm deposition in the submonolayer range leads to a 8x2-reconstruction, which is a well-defined one-dimensional semi-metallic structure. Adsorption of aromatic molecules [1,4-di-(9-ethynyltriptycenyl)-benzene] on SmSi(111)- 8x2 and Si(111)-7x7 interfaces is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at room temperature. Density functional theory (DFT) and semi-empirical (ASED+) calculations define the nature of the molecular adsorption sites of the target molecule on SmSi as well as their self-alignment on this interface. Experimental data and theoretical results are in good agreement.

Complete supramolecular self-assembled adlayer on a silicon surface at room temperature.

The engineering of a complete adlayer of organic nanolines by supramolecular self-assembly has been achieved for the first time on a silicon-based surface at room temperature and has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. This complete adlayer has been successfully obtained thanks to the combination of a specific Si(111)-B square root 3x square root 3R30 degrees semiconductive surface and of strong hydrogen bonds between a pair of dipolar molecules.