Anchoring effect on (tetra)carboxyphenyl porphyrin/TiO2 composite films for VOC optical detection

The optical gas sensing properties of Zn-(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(3-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (m-ZnTCPP) and Zn-(II)-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (p-ZnTCPP) bound to microcolumnar TiO2 thin films have been compared and explained in terms of their different molecular structure and anchoring to the titania surface. This different binding has been confirmed by specular reflectance FTIR revealing that m-ZnTCPP is bound by its four carboxylic groups…

Synthesis of metallic silver nanoparticles and silver organometallic nanodisks mediated by extracts of Capsicum annuum var. aviculare (piquin) fruits

Silver-based nanostructures were prepared through reduction/oxidation reactions of aqueous silver nitrate solutions mediated by extracts of red fruits of the piquin pepper (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare) at room temperature. Detailed morphological and microstructural studies using X-ray diffraction, conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction revealed that the product was constituted by…

A low-temperature single-source route to an efficient broad-band cerium(III) photocatalyst using a bimetallic polyoxotitanium cage

Aqueous hydrolysis of a series of cerium-containing polyoxotitanium cages gives Ce(III)-doped TiO2 [TiO2(Ce)] or TiO2-supported Ce(III)2Ti2O7, depending on the starting Ti : Ce ratio of the precursor. TiO2-supported Ce2Ti2O7 exhibits superior photocatalytic activity to the Ce-doped TiO2 materials and unusual broad-band absorption behaviour across the visible and near-infrared regions.