Designing an efficient
hybrid structure photocatalyst for photocatalytic
decomposition and hydrogen (H2) evolution has been considered
a great choice to develop renewable technologies for clean energy
production and environmental remediation. Enhanced charge transfer
(CT) based on the interaction between a noble metal and a semiconductor
is a crucial factor influencing the movement of photogenerated electron–hole
pairs. Herein, we focus on the recent advances related to plasmon-enhanced
noble metals and the semiconductor nature to drive the photocatalytic
H2 production and photodegradation of the organic dye rhodamine
B (RhB) under UV and visible light irradiation. Specifically, the
combination of concerted catalysis and green nanoengineering strategies
to design ZnO-based composite photocatalysts and their decoration
with metallic Ag have been realized by the radio frequency (RF) sputtering
technique at room temperature. This simultaneity enhances the interface
coupling between Ag and ZnO and reduces the energy threshold. The
creation of charge transfer in the heterojunction and Schottky barrier
changes the photoelectronic properties of the as-synthesized Al-doped
ZnO (AZO); afterward, these effects promote the migration, transportation,
and separation of photoinduced charge carriers and enhance the light-harvesting
efficiency. As a result, the as-synthesized AZO-20 hybrid nanostructure
exhibits a photocurrent density of 2.5 mA/cm2 vs Ag/AgCl,
which is improved by almost 12 times compared with that of bare ZnO
(0.2 mA/cm2). The hydrogen evolution rates of AZO-20 were
∼38 and ∼24 μmol/h under UV and visible light
exposure, which are almost five- and tenfold higher than those of
pristine ZnO, respectively. Additionally, the RhB degradation efficacies
of the obtained AZO-20 were greater than almost 97 and 82% under UV
and visible light illumination, respectively. The achieved apparent
rate constant for the photocatalytic RhB decomposition was 0.014 min–1, indicating that it is 14-fold than that in pristine
ZnO (0.001 min–1). Heterostructure AZO photocatalysts
possess excellent practical stability in the water-splitting reaction
and photocatalytic RhB decomposition, posing as promising candidates
in practical works for pollution and energy challenges.
SummaryObjectivesTo explore clinical and virological characteristics and describe the epidemiology of dengue in patients who presented with acute undifferentiated fever (AUF) at primary health centers (PHC) in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted from 2001 to 2006 to study the aetiology in AUF patients. Demographic and clinical information was obtained, and dengue polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and serology were performed on a random selection of patients.ResultsThree hundred fifty-one serologically confirmed dengue patients including 68 primary and 283 secondary infections were included in this study. In 25% (86/351) dengue virus (DENV) was detected by RT-PCR among which 32 DENV-1, 16 DENV-2, 1 DENV-3 and 37 DENV-4 were identified. The predominant dengue serotype varied by year with seasonal fluctuation: DENV-4 in 2001–2002, DENV-1 and DENV-2 from 2003 to 2006. Primary dengue was more common in children. Higher viraemia levels (P = 0.010) were found in primary infections compared to secondary infections. DENV-1 infected patients had higher viraemia levels than DENV-2 (P = 0.003) and DENV-4 (P < 0.001) infected patients. Clinical symptoms were often seen in adults. Few differences in clinical symptoms were found between primary and secondary infection and no significant differences in clinical symptoms between the serotypes were observed.ConclusionsOur data provide insight in the epidemiology, clinical profile and virological features of mild symptomatic dengue patients who presented to PHC with AUF in Vietnam.
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