We present an optical characterization of photonic glasses, composed of randomly arranged, monodisperse dielectric spheres packed at high filling fractions. We provide a detailed optical study of the resonant behavior of diffuse light transport through such systems. By means of independent static and dynamic measurements, we show resonances in the transport mean free path, diffusion constant, and also energy velocity of light. We also show that the main transport parameters can be controlled by varying the sphere diameter.

Twelve Ir(iii) triscyclometalated compounds containing up to three azobenzene fragments on their structure have been synthesized based on photochromic 2-phenylpyridyl type ligands . These complexes are intended to study the possibility of transferring the photochromicity of the azobenzene fragment to the organometallic compound, and the effect of the substitution pattern, relative distance of the azobenzene to the metal centre, and number of azobenzenes on their properties.

A new synthetic route toward photochromic azobenzeneappended bipyridyl ligands has been developed, and 20 new cationic iridium(III) bis-cyclometalated complexes containing up to four azobenzene fragments on their structure have been synthesized and characterized electronically and spectroscopically. These compounds incorporate photochromic azobenzene units in their neutral pyridyl ligands 1−5, and in four of them azobenzenes have been also introduced a posteriori on their phenylpyridyl ligands by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling. UV−vismonitored light-triggered trans-to-cis isomerization of the azobenzeneappended ligands revealed a strong inhibition of this process upon coordination to the d 6 -metal ion. TD-DTF calculations revealed that this inhibition could be a consequence of a metal to ligand charge transfer relaxation process.

Ni-, Pt-and (Ni/Pt)-doped TiO2 nanophotocatalysts: A smart approach for sustainable degradation of Rhodamine B dye, Applied Catalysis B, Environmental http://dx.

A novel nanocomposite material made of two-dimensional BiOCl nanoplates assembled into highly porous titania has been successfully prepared following a facile sol-gel reaction. Both the TiO2 (anatase) and BiOCl components are crystalline as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses. TiO2 exhibits a highly porous network and possesses a small crystallite size, whereas BiOCl forms micrometer-sized plates with nanometer thicknesses. Aqueous photocatalytic activity tests with this novel material have been performed on photodegradation of Rhodamine B under ultraviolet-visible light irradiation. Interestingly, the attachment of the BiOCl nanoplates to the TiO2 network significantly enhances the photocatalytic activity of the material compared to that of pure TiO2 due to the formation of BiOCl/TiO2 heterojunctions. Thus, this pertinent synergistic combination of TiO2 and BiOCl proves to be a promising strategy for the large-scale production of a new generation of photocatalysts with excellent properties for the degradation of organic pollutants.