Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025.
The purpose of this thematic issue is to show, by bringing together useful and informative articles, the diversity of the factors influencing the capabilities of photocatalytic materials. Accordingly, we hope that the researchers in the field of photocatalysis will be interested in contributing to this thematic issue.
The characteristics of the photocatalytic materials can include the synthesis, the treatments, the chemical composition (optionaly comprising the combination of several materials, the support and deposition methods), the structure, the texture, the optical and electrical properties, the stability, the lack of toxicity, the potential cost, etc.
Assessing the potential of the photocatalytic materials will require tests that are as appropriate as possible for the expected use.
Each manuscript will be published immediately once accepted and proofread, with a clear mention of the thematic issue, without waiting for more articles to complete the issue. Therefore, there is no deadline for submitting.
Obviously, submissions of manuscripts on photocatalysis topics that are not included in this thematic issue will continue to be welcomed, as usual.
Keywords
Porous Cu(Mn):ZnO-MgO composites synthesized by polymeric sol-gel method were characterized. The crystal structure, morphology, spectral properties, the ability of the photogeneration of chemically active singlet oxygen under external visible irradiation, photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of porous composites were studied. Obtained composites consist of small ZnO and MgO crystals having size less than 20 nm. It was found that Cu2+ and Mn2+ ions are embedded into the lattices of ZnO and MgO crystals, altering their crystal cell parameters. The band gap values of obtained composites are 3.41 ÷ 3.42 eV which are slightly higher than the band gap of pure ZnO. Prepared materials demonstrate a high ability of photogeneration of chemically active singlet oxygen under blue light (λ = 405 nm) irradiation. It was found that dependencies of the intensity of singlet oxygen photogeneration from the power density of visible irradiation are linear. Photocatalytic decomposition of the diazo dye Chicago Sky Blue in solutions under UV and blue light irradiation proceeds rapidly in the presence of the prepared composites (constants rate of photocatalytic dye decomposition under UV irradiation are 0.024 min−1 and 0.025 min−1 for ZnO-MgO composites doped with Cu and Mn, correspondingly). Porous composites demonstrate superior antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria. These materials are promising for practical application in medicine and photocatalytic technologies of air and water cleaning.
