Issue 7, 2023

Thermal vacuum de-oxygen fabrication of new catalytic pigments: SiO2@TiO2−x amorphous photonic crystals for formaldehyde removal

Abstract

Eliminating benzene and formaldehyde pollution is indispensable after the popularity of colorful home decoration in current society. The possibility and advantages of vividly colorful amorphous photonic crystals (APCs) as catalytic pigments were established. Biomimetic synthesis of APCs is an effective approach to obtaining angle-independent structural colors. Herein, we introduce oxygen vacancies through thermal vacuum de-oxygenation to synthesize SiO2@TiO2−x APCs for angle-independent structural colors and enhanced photocatalytic performance in one step. Core–shell nanospheres with controllable particle size were synthesized using a mixed-solvent method as the structural unit of APCs to prepare seven structural colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. The photocatalytic activity of in situ fabricated SiO2@TiO2−x APCs was conspicuously enhanced by thermal vacuum deoxidation. An amorphous layer formed on the TiO2 nanocrystals provides TiO2−x with excellent spectral response to visible light, transient photocurrent, and surface photovoltage up to 38.44 μA cm−2 and 28.8 mV, respectively. Black TiO2−x absorbs incoherent scattering, causing APCs to generate vividly angle-independent structural colors. The existence of oxygen vacancies in TiO2−x promotes electron activation and a synergistic effect with the photonic local effect of APCs in improving the degradation of formaldehyde by catalytic pigments, effectively protecting the beautiful living environment of human beings.

Graphical abstract: Thermal vacuum de-oxygen fabrication of new catalytic pigments: SiO2@TiO2−x amorphous photonic crystals for formaldehyde removal

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Oct 2022
Accepted
05 Jan 2023
First published
05 Jan 2023

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2023,11, 1533-1544

Thermal vacuum de-oxygen fabrication of new catalytic pigments: SiO2@TiO2−x amorphous photonic crystals for formaldehyde removal

L. Feng, F. Wang, H. Luo, Z. Xu, T. Zhao, J. Zhu and Y. Qin, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2023, 11, 1533 DOI: 10.1039/D2TB02209E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements