A method for the manufacture of a catalyst comprising substrate particles having gold nanoparticles thereon, the method comprising providing a first solution comprising gold nanoparticles; providing a second solution comprising substrate particles having polyelectrolyte on the surface thereof; and combining the solutions to form substrate particles having gold nanoparticles thereon. A catalyst comprising substrate particles having gold nanoparticles thereon, wherein the gold nanoparticles comprise capping agent comprising polyelectrolyte. A catalyst as a component of a cigarette filter, an air conditioning unit, an exhaust, or a diesel exhaust.

Catalyst structures and corresponding methods are described for the desulfurization of sulfur-containing light oil or model compounds under a specified gas atmosphere. The sulfur-containing feedstock is effectively converted while producing valuable hydrocarbon products such as BTX and carbon disulfide, as well as utilizing methane or natural gas resources, providing an economical and environmental innovation in the petroleum industry.

A photocatalytic composition is disclosed that includes a silver halide in combination with one or more rare earth elements. The composition may be used for the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants.

The invention discloses environment-controlling fibers, method manufacturing the same and fabrics using the same, which adopts polyolefin material, optoelectronic material, thermoelectric material, piezoelectric material and catalyst material, to make fibers and fabric by melting, mixing, drawing and weaving. The fabrics are used in all kinds of environmental control products or for organic agriculture. To use green energy such as solar light energy, solar thermal energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy and other renewable energy to stimulate the function of the special material within the fibers, so that the fabrics can remove pollutants in the environment and produce self-purification function to achieve the purpose of improving the environmental conditions or promote plant growth.

The invention discloses environment-controlling fibers, method manufacturing the same and fabrics using the same, which adopts polyolefin material, optoelectronic material, thermoelectric material, piezoelectric material and catalyst material, to make fibers and fabric by melting, mixing, drawing and weaving. The fabrics are used in all kinds of environmental control products or for organic agriculture. To use green energy such as solar light energy, solar thermal energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy and other renewable energy to stimulate the function of the special material within the fibers, so that the fabrics can remove pollutants in the environment and produce self-purification function to achieve the purpose of improving the environmental conditions or promote plant growth.

A photocatalyst and a method for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water by photocatalytic electrolysis are disclosed. The photocatalyst includes a photoactive material and metal or metal alloy material (15)—e.g. pure particles or alloys of Au, Pd and Ag—capable of having plasmon resonance properties deposited on the surface of the photoactive material. The photoactive material includes a p-n junction (17) formed by contact of a n-type semiconductor material (10), such as mixed phase TiO2 nano particles (anatase to rutile ratio of 1.5 to 1 or greater), and a p-type semiconductor material (16), such as CoO or Cu2O.

Disclosed is a photocatalyst, and methods for its use, that includes a photoactive material comprising a photonic band gap and an electronic band gap, wherein the photonic band gap at least partially overlaps with the electronic band gap, and an electrically conductive material deposited on the photoactive material.

The invention relates to a composition that contains a first semiconductor SC1, particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state selected from among an element of groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB, IIIA, IVA and VA of the periodic table, and a second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide, with said first semiconductor SC1 being in direct contact with said particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state, with said particles being in direct contact with said second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide in such a way that the second semiconductor SC2 covers at least 50% of the surfaces of the particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state. The invention also relates to its preparation method as well as its application of photocatalysis.

The invention relates to a composition that contains a first semiconductor SC1, particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state selected from among an element of groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB, IIIA, IVA and VA of the periodic table, and a second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide, with said first semiconductor SC1 being in direct contact with said particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state, with said particles being in direct contact with said second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide in such a way that the second semiconductor SC2 covers at least 50% of the surfaces of the particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state. The invention also relates to its preparation method as well as its application of photocatalysis.

Described is a method of reducing CO.sub.2 to CO using visible radiation and plasmonic photocatalysts. The method includes contacting CO.sub.2 with a catalyst, in the presence of H.sub.2, wherein the catalyst has plasmonic photocatalytic reductive activity when exposed to radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm. The catalyst, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2 are exposed to non-coherent radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm such that the catalyst undergoes surface plasmon resonance. The surface plasmon resonance increases the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO as compared to the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO without surface plasmon resonance in the catalyst.