Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification
Abstract Photocatalytic water purification is an environmentally sustainable approach, but limited by low efficiency due to challenges with photocatalysts and mass transfer. Optofluidic microreactors can address these constraints, yet optimizing reactor configurations and photocatalyst designs remai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | npj Clean Water |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-024-00431-5 |
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| author | Yujiao Zhu Pui Hong Yeung Tsz Wing Lo Yao Chai Yat Lam Wong Ying Chen Huaming Yang Weixing Yu Anatoly V. Zayats Fengjia Xie Xuming Zhang |
| author_facet | Yujiao Zhu Pui Hong Yeung Tsz Wing Lo Yao Chai Yat Lam Wong Ying Chen Huaming Yang Weixing Yu Anatoly V. Zayats Fengjia Xie Xuming Zhang |
| author_sort | Yujiao Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Photocatalytic water purification is an environmentally sustainable approach, but limited by low efficiency due to challenges with photocatalysts and mass transfer. Optofluidic microreactors can address these constraints, yet optimizing reactor configurations and photocatalyst designs remains challenging. Here, we present a novel planar packed-bed optofluidic microreactor (PPOM) using titanium dioxide nanoflowers (TNFs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (Au/TNFs) and conduct a pilot study on efficient visible light-driven water purification. Compared to TNFs in slurry-mode, the Au/TNFs achieve 46-fold enhancement in photodegradation efficiency due to the plasmonic effect, further boosted to 2,700-fold enhancement in the PPOM configuration by improving surface area, light harvesting, and mass transfer. The PPOM also shows a 7-fold efficiency increase compared to planar film-mode microreactors. Theoretical analysis elucidates the influences of plasmonic effect and reactor configuration on the enhanced photocatalytic activity, emphasizing the potential of integrated optofluidic systems and plasmonic-semiconductor heterostructures for sustainable water treatment and energy applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4944a925d69d4094802bef4b3da02b9d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-7037 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Clean Water |
| spelling | doaj-art-4944a925d69d4094802bef4b3da02b9d2025-02-09T12:09:19ZengNature Portfolionpj Clean Water2059-70372025-02-018111210.1038/s41545-024-00431-5Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purificationYujiao Zhu0Pui Hong Yeung1Tsz Wing Lo2Yao Chai3Yat Lam Wong4Ying Chen5Huaming Yang6Weixing Yu7Anatoly V. Zayats8Fengjia Xie9Xuming Zhang10Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Institute of Laser Engineering, School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beijing University of TechnologyDepartment of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Physics and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King’s College LondonDepartment of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEngineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, China University of GeosciencesEngineering Research Center of Nano-Geomaterials of Ministry of Education, China University of GeosciencesKey Laboratory of Spectral Imaging Technology, Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Physics and London Centre for Nanotechnology, King’s College LondonDepartment of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityAbstract Photocatalytic water purification is an environmentally sustainable approach, but limited by low efficiency due to challenges with photocatalysts and mass transfer. Optofluidic microreactors can address these constraints, yet optimizing reactor configurations and photocatalyst designs remains challenging. Here, we present a novel planar packed-bed optofluidic microreactor (PPOM) using titanium dioxide nanoflowers (TNFs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (Au/TNFs) and conduct a pilot study on efficient visible light-driven water purification. Compared to TNFs in slurry-mode, the Au/TNFs achieve 46-fold enhancement in photodegradation efficiency due to the plasmonic effect, further boosted to 2,700-fold enhancement in the PPOM configuration by improving surface area, light harvesting, and mass transfer. The PPOM also shows a 7-fold efficiency increase compared to planar film-mode microreactors. Theoretical analysis elucidates the influences of plasmonic effect and reactor configuration on the enhanced photocatalytic activity, emphasizing the potential of integrated optofluidic systems and plasmonic-semiconductor heterostructures for sustainable water treatment and energy applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-024-00431-5 |
| spellingShingle | Yujiao Zhu Pui Hong Yeung Tsz Wing Lo Yao Chai Yat Lam Wong Ying Chen Huaming Yang Weixing Yu Anatoly V. Zayats Fengjia Xie Xuming Zhang Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification npj Clean Water |
| title | Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification |
| title_full | Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification |
| title_fullStr | Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification |
| title_short | Packed bed optofluidic microreactors with Au decorated TiO2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification |
| title_sort | packed bed optofluidic microreactors with au decorated tio2 nanoflowers for visible light photocatalytic water purification |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-024-00431-5 |
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