Browsing by Author "Van Hulle, Stijn"

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    Development of photocatalytic semiconductors and nanocomposites with excellent optoelectronic and electrochemical properties for dye effluent remediation -A review
    (Elsevier, 2024-12) Oyetade, Joshua; Van Hulle, Stijn; Machunda, Revocatus; Hilonga, Askwar
    Myriads of photocatalytic semiconductors and their corresponding nanocomposites have been investigated for the remediation of toxic dye molecules in textile effluent however, notable challenges are reported of their performance. These challenges are based on the optoelectronic and electrochemical features that precede their photocatalytic performance in dye effluent remediation. Thus, the need arises to investigate the development of state-of-the-art photocatalytic semiconductors and their composites fabricated with excellent optoelectronic and electrochemical features having proficient activities under visible photon irradiation. The study focused on vital optoelectronic and electrochemical features needful for the development of high-performance photocatalysts under a green photon source. It also provides concise synthetic and composite fabrication approaches aimed at developing photocatalytic semiconductors with these properties. The report presents various doping processes and introduction of elements into the structural lattices of the semiconductors while equally offering a recent approach to developing nanocomposites with heterostructures. The review evaluated bandgap modification, separation of charge carries, structural defects and mobility concerning the investigated process. The study was able to present an inorganic doping technique with intercalated nitrogen, codoping and nanocomposite fabrication as the versatile and industrially scalable approach for the development of high-performance photocatalytic semiconductors.
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    Development of ternary PANI/GO-Fe3O4@AgNps nanocomposites for photocatalytic remediation of toxic dye effluent under energy-efficient system
    (Elsevier, 2025-03) Oyetade, Joshua; Van Hulle, Stijn; Machunda, Revocatus; Hilonga, Askwar; Buysser, Klaartje
    The environmental toxicity of effluents contaminated with synthetic industrial dyes and their resistance to conventional treatments drive the need for developing innovative treatment technologies such as visible photoactive catalysts in a photocatalytic system. In this study, novel nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized for photocatalytic remediation of toxic dye effluent under energy-efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) irradiation. Concise instrumental analysis was used to investigate the morphological, functional, particle size, thermal and optoelectronic features of the developed photocatalytic nanocomposites. Their performance was tested with cationic (methylene blue) and anionic (methyl orange) model dyes. The instrumental elucidation reveals the coating of amorphous polyaniline with other composites, giving the blend rapid reactivity, which promotes photocatalyst-dye interaction. The composites exhibit lowered bandgap (2.66 eV, 2.85 eV and 2.27 eV) when compared to polyaniline (3.34 eV) used as macromolecular support via in situ coupling. This accounts for the efficiency of 95 % and 98 % reported for methylene blue and methylene orange, respectively, at optimal experimental conditions of 90 min irradiation time, pH of 5 and dosage of 20 mg/100 mL dye effluent. The study also proposed a Z-scheme mechanism with the vital role of •O2 –, •OH and h+ reactive species in the photodegradation of the dye molecules.