Photocatalytic processes over semiconducting oxide surfaces have attracted worldwide attention aspotentially efficient, environmentally friendly and low cost methods for water/air purification as well as forrenewable hydrogen production. However, some limitations to achieve high photocatalytic efficiencies havebeen found due to the fast recombination of the charge carriers. Development of heterostucture photocatalystsby depositing metals on the surface of semiconductors or by coupling two semiconductors with suitable bandedge position can reduce recombination phenomena by vectorial transfer of charge carriers. To draw newprospects in this domain, three different kinds of heterostructures such as n-type/n-type semiconductor(SnO2/ZnO), metal/n-type semiconductor (RuO2/TiO2 and RuO2/ZnO) and p-type/n-type semiconductor(NiO/TiO2) heterojunction nanomaterials were successfully prepared by solution process. Their composition,texture, structure and morphology were thoroughly characterized by FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ramanspectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N2 sorption measurements. On the other hand, asuitable combination of UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) data provided the energy band diagram for eachsystem. The as-prepared heterojunction photocatalysts showed higher photocatalytic efficiency than P25 TiO2for the degradation of organic dyes (i.e. methylene blue and methyl orange) and the production of hydrogen.Particularly, heterostructure RuO2/TiO2 and NiO/TiO2 nanocomposites with optimum loading of RuO2 (5 wt %)and NiO (1 wt %), respectively, yielded the highest photocatalytic activities for the production of hydrogen.These enhanced performances were rationalized in terms of suitable band alignment as evidenced by XPS/UPSmeasurements along with their good textural and structural properties. This concept of semiconductingheterojunction nanocatalysts with high photocatlytic activity should find industrial application in the future toremove undesirable organics from the environment and to produce renewable hydrogen.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to develop modi ed tract-etched membranes using nanocomposite TiO2 for advanced water treatment processes. Photocatalytic oxidation and reduction reactions take place on TiO2 surfaces under UV light irradiation, therefore sunlight and even normal indoor lighting could be utilised to achieve this effect. In membrane ltration, caking is a major problem, by enhancing the anti-fouling properties of photocatalysts to mineralise organic compounds the membrane life and e ciency can be improved upon. In this study the rst approach in nanocomposite membrane development was to directly modify the surface of polyethylenetherephthalate (PET) track-etched membranes (TMs) with titanium dioxide (TiO2) using inverted cylindrical magnetron sputtering (ICMS) for TiO2 thin lm deposition. The second approach was rst to thermally evaporate silver (Ag) over the entire TM surface, followed by sputtering TiO2 over the silver-coated TM. As a result a noble metal-titania nanocomposite thin lm layer is produced on top of the TM surface with both self-cleaning and superhydrophilic properties. Reactive inverted cylindrical magnetron sputtering is a physical vapour deposition method, where material is separated from a target using high energy ions and then re-assimilated on a substrate to grow thin lms. Argon gas is introduced simultaneously into the deposition chamber along with O2 (the reactive gas) to form TiO2. The photocatalytic activity and other lm properties, such as crystallinity can be in uenced by changing the sputtering power, chamber pressure, target-to-substrate distance, substrate temperature, sputtering gas composition and ow rate. These characteristics make sputtering the perfect tool for the preparation of di erent kinds of TiO2 lms and nanostructures for photocatalysis. In this work, the utilisation of ICMS to prepare photocatalytic TiO2 thin lms deposited on track-etched membranes was studied in detail with emphasis on bandgap reduction and TM surface regeneration. Nanostructured TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared through template directed deposition on track-etched membrane substrates by exploiting the good qualities of ICMS. The TiO2-TM as well as Ag-TiO2-TM thin lms were thoroughly characterised. ICMS prepared TiO2 lms were shown to exhibit good photocatalytic activities. However, the nanocomposite Ag-TiO2 thin lms were identi ed to be a much better choice than TiO2 thin lms on their own. Finally a clear enhancement in the photocatalytic activity was achieved by forming the Ag-TiO2 nanocomposite TMs. This was evident from the band-gap improvement from 3.05 eV of the TiO2 thin lms to the 2.76 eV of the Ag-TiO2 thin lms as well as the superior surface regenerative properties of the Ag-TiO2-TMs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om verbeterde baan-ge etste membrane (BMe) met behulp van nano-saamgestelde titaandioksied (TiO2) vir gevorderde water behandeling prosesse te ontwikkel. Fotokatalitiese oksidasie- en reduksie reaksies vind plaas op die TiO2 oppervlaktes onder UV-lig bestraling, en dus kan sonlig en selfs gewone binnenshuise beligting gebruik word om die gewenste uitwerking te verkry. In membraan ltrasie is die aanpaksel van onsuiwerhede 'n groot probleem, maar die verbetering van die self-reinigende eienskappe van fotokatalisators deur organiese verbindings te mineraliseer, kan die membraan se leeftyd en doeltre endheid verbeter word. In hierdie studie was die eerste benadering om nano-saamgestelde membraan ontwikkeling direk te verander deur die oppervlak van polyethylenetherephthalate (PET) BMe met 'n dun lagie TiO2 te bedek, met behulp van reaktiewe omgekeerde silindriese magnetron verstuiwing (OSMV).Die tweede benadering was eers om silwer (Ag) termies te verdamp oor die hele BM oppervlak, gevolg deur TiO2 verstuiwing bo-oor die silwer bedekte BM. As gevolg hiervan is 'n edelmetaal-titanium nano-saamgestelde dun lm laag gevorm bo-op die oppervlak van die BM, met beide self-reinigende en verhoogde hidro liese eienskappe. OSMV is 'n siese damp neerslag metode, waar materiaal van 'n teiken, met behulp van ho e-energie-ione, geskei word, en dan weer opgeneem word op 'n substraat om dun lms te vorm. Argon gas word gelyktydig in die neerslag kamer, saam met O2 (die reaktiewe gas), vrygestel om TiO2 te vorm. Die fotokatalitiese aktiwiteit en ander lm eienskappe, soos kristalliniteit, kan be nvloed word deur die verandering van byvoorbeeld die verstuiwingskrag, die druk in die reaksiekamer, teiken-tot-substraat afstand, substraattemperatuur, verstuiwing gassamestelling en vloeitempo. Hierdie eienskappe maak verstuiwing die ideale hulpmiddel vir die voorbereiding van die verskillende soorte TiO2 lms en nanostrukture vir fotokatalisasie. In hierdie tesis word OSMV gebruik ter voorbereiding van fotokatalitiese TiO2 dun lms, wat gedeponeer is op BMe. Hierdie lms word dan in diepte bestudeer, met die klem op bandgaping vermindering en BM oppervlak hergenerasie. Nanogestruktureerde TiO2 fotokataliste is voorberei deur middel van sjabloongerigte neerslag op BM substrate deur die ontginning van die goeie eienskappe van OSMV. Die TiO2-BM dun lms, sowel as Ag-TiO2-BM dun lms, is deeglik gekarakteriseer. OSMV voorbereide TiO2 dun lms toon goeie fotokatalitiese aktiwiteite. Nano-saamgestelde Ag-TiO2 dun lms is egter ge denti seer as 'n veel beter keuse as TiO2 dun lms. Ten slotte is 'n duidelike verbetering in die fotokatalitiese aktiwiteit bereik deur die vorming van die Ag-TiO2 nano-saamgestelde BMe. Dit was duidelik uit die bandgapingverbetering van 3,05 eV van TiO2 dun lms in vergelyking met die 2,76 eV van Ag-TiO2 dun lms. 'n Duidelike verbetering is behaal in die fotokatalitiese aktiwiteit deur die vorming van die Ag-TiO2 nano-saamgestelde TMs.

This thesis presents Photocatalytic TiOx layers created by own PECVD reactor assembled in the building of Department of Applied Physics and Technics. Parameters of depositions were optimalized as well as the PECVD reactor itself. Final layers are compared to layers made by Degussa P25. As a result based on the included measurements, this thesis tries to answer the question whether PECVD is the suitable method for depositions of photocatalytic layers.

Titania has been the focus of attention for several decades owing to its chemical stability, non-toxicity, inexpensiveness and robust surface chemistry. Its technological applications include use in diverse areas such as photocatalytic reactors, antibacterial coatings, dye sensitive solar cells (DSSC) and more recently the perovskite solar cells to name a few. All of these applications are based on the ability to inject or generate electronhole pairs in titania and transport them to a suitable interface at which they are ejected to either engender a reaction as in photocatalysis or drive a load as in photovoltaics. From a technological perspective it is also important that such science be achieved and controlled in supported titania structures. The research reported in this thesis, thus, started with the development of a process for obtaining adherent titania films by oxidation of sputtered Ti films on stainless steel, a very commonly used substrate. Challenges that had to be overcome included the need to oxidize titanium to obtain the right phase mixture while preventing film cracking or delamination due to compressive stresses generated during anodic oxidation of Ti. During this process of obtaining nanostructured TiO2 through anodization, it was serendipitously discovered that planar TiO2 films obtained by oxidation of sputtered Ti films did significantly better than anodized nanoporous titania in bactericidal studies. This was then replicated in organic dye degradation studies. Analysis of the material showed that this improved performance was due to the unintentional contamination during sputtering by Cu, Zn, Mo possibly due to arcing across brass contacts. This quaternary system was then systematically explored and it was shown that an optimal metastable composition in the Ti- Cu-Mo oxide ternary system performs the best. DFT studies showed that this was due to introduction of shallow and deep states in the band gap that, depending on the level of dopants, either enhances carrier lifetimes or leads to recombination. In continuation of this work on supported titania structures by oxidation of Ti, a novel photoanode for use in dye sensitized photovoltaics was developed by oxidation of Ti foam. This results in an interconnected 3-D network of TiO2 that possess at its core a network of Ti. Such architecture was designed to provide a large surface area for anchoring the sensitizer while simultaneously reducing the distance that charge carriers have to travel before reaching the ohmic contacts to prevent recombination losses. The thesis discusses the preparation of such anodes, the properties of the 3-D oxide and cells, with up to 4% efficiency, developed using such anodes. Reasons for such behaviour and avenues for further exploration to improve cell efficiency will also be discussed.

Neste trabalho foram desenvolvidos e avaliados sistemas integrados de fotodegradação de material orgânico precedendo a determinação voltamétrica, em batch e em fluxo, de metais pesados em níveis de traço, em amostras de água e outras matrizes. Em particular, pela primeira vez, foi proposto, para a abertura das amostras, o método da degradação fotocatalítica mediada por TiO2 (Degussa P-25, via de regra 0,1% em peso) em suspensão. O quelato Cd(II)-EDTA atuou como sistema modelo nesta investigação baseada na recuperação do sinal voltamétrico do metal, inicialmente suprimido, através da parcial ou total destruição do ligante orgânico. Mostrou-se que a degradação fotocatalítica permite acelerar significativamente o processo, especialmente na presença de scavengers de elétrons, como O2 e a temperaturas acima da ambiente. Além disso, o maior aproveitamento da região próxima ao visível do espectro de emissão das lâmpadas, proporciona uma serie de vantagens práticas, como o uso de bobinas de PTFE, no lugar das de quartzo, para a exposição das amostras à radiação ou o emprego de lâmpadas de fluorescência no lugar das de vapor de mercúrio. Observou-se que a presença de partículas de TiO2 não afeta significativamente o sinal polarográfico (NPP) e voltamétrico (ASV) do Cd(II), apesar da deposição de certa quantidade deste óxido na superficie do eletrodo, ocasionando redução na sobretensão de H2 em meio ácido. Para metais com potencial redox menor que o Cd(II), a troca de eletrólito (em fluxo) representa uma elegante solução para contornar o problema. Já, fenômenos de adsorção do analito na superfície do TiO2, observado com Pb(II) mas não com Cd(II), puderam ser prevenidos no caso do Pb(II) com o uso de eletrólitos com pH<2. Examinou-se amplamente a operação em fluxo monosegmentado (MSFA), em sistemas integrados de injeção, fotodigestão, remoção de bolhas, desoxigenação, pré-concentração na superfície do EGPM e determinação, após eventual troca do eletrólito até níveis de Cd(II) da ordem de &#181;g L-1 e excessos de EDTA de até 1:500. Em particular, avaliou-se sistematicamente o uso de adaptadores FIA-EGPM. Estes estudos serviram de base para a idealização e a montagem de um sistema mecanizado prático e compacto, com operação de rotina controlado por software. Aplicações iniciais a alguns tipos de amostras ou matrizes reais (enriquecidas com padrão de Cd(II) e outros metais) que se seguiram ao aprofundado estudo do sistema modelo demonstraram a potencialidade da técnica, que passa a constituir atraente alternativa a ser considerada num leque de aplicações reais. / The present work aimed to develop and assess integrated devices for the photodegradation of organic matter prior to the voltammetric determination of trace heavy metals in water samples as well as in other matrixes, in batch and flowing systems. In particular, for the first time, for the sample digestion step a TiO2-mediated photocatalytic degradation method is proposed. This is based on the use of suspensions of Degussa P-25 TiO2, usually 0.1% w/w in the samples to be treated. The chelate Cd(II)-EDTA acted as a model system in investigations in which the voltammetric signal, suppressed at first, was recovered upon partial or total destruction of the organic ligand. Significant process enhancement speed is obtained with the photocatalytic degradation, especially in the presence of electron scavengers, such as dissolved O2, and at temperature above ambient values. In addition to this, thanks to this UV-TiO2-mediated method, it is possible not only to make use of a broader portion of the radiation but also to benefit from other advantages, such as the use of PTFE rather than quartz for the manufacture of the reactor coil and the utilisation of fluorescent lamps instead of mercury ones. It was observed that the presence of colloidal particles of TiO2 does not significantly affect the polarographic (NPP) nor the voltammetric (ASV) Cd(II) signal, even if a small amount is deposited onto the electrode surface. This causes the reduction of the H2 overvoltage in acidic medium. For metals with redox potential lower than cadmium\'s, the electrolyte exchange under flowing conditions represents an elegant way to overcome the problem. Phenomena of analyte adsorption on TiO2, observed for Pb(II) but not for Cd(II), were prevented in the case of Pb(II) bu operating at pH lower than 2. Monosegmented Flow Analysis systems (MSFA), integrating the injection, photodigestion, bubbles removal, degassing, preconcentration on the HMDE, determination and electrolyte exchange (as needed) steps, were thoroughly examined for Cd(II) levels of as little as few &#181;g L-1 in the presence of EDTA 1:500 (w/w). More notably, a number of FIA-MDE adaptors were systematically assessed. The investigations resulted in the design and construction of a practical and compact mechanised system, controlled by software, for routine analysis. Some applications on real samples or spiked real matrixes have shown the potentials of the technique which seems to represent an attractive alternative for a wider range of real applications.

Afin de satisfaire la demande croissante des systèmes de traitement de l'air, des procédés commerciaux basés sur la photocatalyse par TiO2 ont été commercialisés. Récemment le problème de la désactivation de ces systèmes a attiré l'attention des industriels ainsi que des chercheurs. Les Siloxanes Méthyliques Volatils (SMVs) présents dans l'air auraient été identifiés comme une source majeure contribuant à cette désactivation. Par ailleurs, dans les centres de stockage des déchets, la valorisation du biogaz nécessite de recueillir et de traiter le biogaz issu des déchets organiques en vue de produire de l'énergie renouvelable et inoffensive pour l'environnement. A nouveau, les SMVs ont été identifiés comme un frein principal au développement de cette filière, ces derniers conduisant après oxydation à des dépôts de silice abrasifs dans le moteur. Les difficultés de mesure des SMVs aussi bien dans le biogaz que dans l'air ambiant ainsi que l'évaluation de leur impact sur les systèmes photocatalytiques ou dans les procédés de valorisation du biogaz constituent par conséquent un vrai défi. Afin de répondre à ces problématiques, ce travail comporte trois volets principaux : Le premier volet est dédié à la mise au point d'une méthode de mesure des siloxanes méthyliques volatils dans le biogaz et dans l'air ambiant. Pour ce faire nous avons choisi de mettre en place un système d'échantillonnage des SMVs basé sur leur piégeage et préconcentration sur un support solide suivi d'une désorption thermique ou chimique (extraction par solvant) avant leur analyse par GC-MS. Puisqu'aucune étude systématique sur le choix des supports n'est relatée dans la littérature, nous avons comparé plusieurs types d'adsorbants en déterminant le volume de perçage pour chacun des SMVs afin de choisir le (les) meilleur(s). Le second volet est consacré à l'évaluation des teneurs en SMVs dans le biogaz ainsi que dans l'air ambiant en différents endroits. Une méthode d'analyse des SMVs fiable a été développée qui a permis de confirmer les résultats précédents obtenus au laboratoire en ce qui concerne le choix des adsorbants pouvant piéger quantitativement les SMVs. Enfin, dans le troisième volet, l'impact des SMVs sur les systèmes photocatalytiques en choisissant comme molécule modèle l'octaméthylcyclotétrasiloxane (D4) a été étudié / In order to address the growing demand for indoor air treatment, many commercial systems based in the potocatalytic degradation using TiO2 have reached the market. Recently, deactivation of these systems has been observed. Some of the potentially most important deactivation pollutants are volatile methyl siloxanes (VMS), which are becoming more and more abundant indoor and in ambient air. Moreover, the increasing interest in the utilization of biogas to generate renewable energy (production of heat or electricity), has created significant concerns about the presence of VMS in the biogas. During biogas combustion, VMS are oxidized to abrasive microcrystalline silica that causes serious damage to gas engines, thus reducing the economic benefits of using biogas. Hence, it is essential to be able to measure the concentration of such VMS in ambient air and in biogas by a reliable method, as well as to study their impact on the photocatalytic systems. To address these issues, this work has three main parts: The first part is dedicated to the development of a method for measuring volatile methyl siloxanes in biogas and in ambient air. We have chosen sampling gas through sorbent tube followed by thermal desorption or chemical desorption (solvent extraction) and analysed using GC-MS. Since no systematic study on the choice of materials is related in the literature, we compared several types of adsorbents based on the determination of the VMS breakthrough volume (BV), in order to choose an appropriate adsorbent and to obtain accurate quantification of VMS. The second part is devoted to the evaluation of VMS in biogas and in ambient air at different sites. A reliable analytical method has been developed, and results are in agreement with the previous results obtained in the laboratory regarding the choice of adsorbents. Finally, in the third part, for a better understanding of the impact of VMS on photocatalytic systems, D4 was chosen as a VMS model compound as it is one of the most important VMS

<p>Ispitana je direktna i indirektna razgradnja odabranih&nbsp; &beta;-blokatora (metoprolol- tartarata, MET i propranolol-hidrohlorida, PRO) kao i diuretika (hidrohlortiazida, HCTZ) i njegovog stabilnog intermedijera hidrolize 4-amino-6-hlor-1,3-benzendisulfonamida (ABSA). Praćena je i kinetika razgradnje direktnom i indirektnom fotolizom uz primenu UVA, UVC, sunčevog i simuliranog sunčevog zračenja (SSZ). Najpre je ispitana&nbsp; stabilnost MET pod dejstvom SSZ, UVA, UVC, UVA/H₂O_{2 ,} i UVA/&nbsp; BrO₃^-. Dalje je ispitana efikasnost razgradnje MET pod dejstvom O₃i UVC/O_3. Identifikovano je deset intermedijera tokom UVC, O_3&nbsp;i UVC/O₃ razgradnje, pri&nbsp; čemu samo jedan ima značajno vi&scaron;u toksičnost prema algama i bakterijama u odnosu na ostale. Efikasnost fotokatalitičke razgradnje MET je ispitana u TiO₂ suspenzijama sa komercijalnim katalizatorima (Wackherr i Degussa P25). Mehanizam fotokatalitičke razgradnje je detaljno ispitan, pri&nbsp; čemu je identifikovano&nbsp; četrnaest intermedijera. EC₅₀ vrednost MET i njegovih sme&scaron;a nastalih pri fotokatalitičkoj razgradnji su određene na tri ćelijske linije sisara (H-4-II-E, HT-29 i MRC-5). Kako bi se povećala efikasnost&nbsp; rocesa fotokatalitičke razgradnje primenom komercijalnih katalizatora, ispitan je&nbsp; uticaj prisustva elektron-akceptora u suspenziji, pri čemu je upoređen uticaj O₂/H₂O₂, i O₂/ BrO₃^-&nbsp;na mehanizam razgradnje. Na osnovu teorije funkcionala gustine stekao se uvid u promene unutar molekula MET u prisustvu reaktivnih radikala. Takođe, ispitana je efikasnost nedopiranih TiO₂ , kao i dopiranih La(III) nanoprahova sintetisanih sol&minus;gel postupkom, u razgradnji MET. Uticaj temperature &nbsp;kalcinacije na fotokatalitičku efikasnost TiO 2 nanoprahova dopiranih pomoću La(III) &nbsp;ispitana je na supstratima MET i PRO, pri čemu je analiziran i uticaj strukture&nbsp; polaznog jedinjenja na&nbsp; informacija efikasnost fotokatalitičke razgradnje. Rezultati su upoređeni sa nedopiranim TiO₂nanoprahom i TiO₂Degussa P25 (pri pH-vrednosti 9). Pored toga, ispitana je kinetika i toksičnost PRO i njegovih intermedijera nastalih tokom razgradnje sa TiO₂Degussa P25. Ispitan je i uticaj strukture polaznog jedinjenja (MET, HCTZ i ABSA) na fotorazgradnju pod dejstvom&nbsp;UVA, sunčevog i simuliranog sunčevog zračenja, u odsustvu/prisustvu TiO₂ Degussa P25. Takođe, ispitan je i sinergistički efekat MET i ABSA na proces hidrolize, direktne fotolize i fotokatalize sa SSZ/TiO₂Degussa P25. Kako bi se stekao uvid u toksičnost proučavanih sistema, ispitan je njihov uticaj na rast odabranih ćelijskih linija sisara.</p> / <p>Direct and indirect degradation of selected&nbsp; &beta;-blockers (metoprolol tartrate, MET and&nbsp;propranolol hydrochloride, PRO) and also diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide, HCTZ) in &nbsp;addition to its stable hydrolysis intermediate 4-amino-6-chloro-&nbsp;&nbsp; 1,3-benzenedisulfonamide (ABSA) were investigated. The kinetics of their degradation obtained by direct and indirect photolysis under UVA, UVC, sunlight and simulated sunlight irradiation (SSI) have been followed. Firstly, the stability of MET under influence of SSI, UVA, UVC, UVA/H₂O₂ , and UVA/&nbsp; BrO₃^- has been investigated. Further, the efficiency of MET degradation under influence of O₃, and UVC/O₃ has been explored. Ten intermediates have been identified during the UVC, O₃, and UVC/O₃ treatments, while only one intermediate had significantly higher toxicity towards the algae and bacteria in respect to the others. Efficiency of&nbsp; photocatalytic degradation of MET was investigated in TiO₂ suspensions with&nbsp;commercial catalysts (Wackherr and Degussa P25). Mechanism of photocatalytic degradation was investigated in detail according to which fourteen intermediates were identified. EC 50 &nbsp;value of MET and its mixtures formed during the photocatalytic degradation has been determined at three mammalian cell lines (H-4-II-E, HT-29, and MRC-5). In order to improve the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation process applying commercial catalysts, the influence of presence of electron acceptors in suspension has been investigated and the influence of O₂/H₂O_2&nbsp;and O₂/BrO₃^- to the mechanism of degradation has been compared. Based on the density&nbsp; functional theory an insight to the changes within MET molecule in the presence of reactive radicals has been made. Also, the efficiency of bare TiO₂, as well as&nbsp;doped La(III) nanopowders synthesized by sol-gel procedure, in the degradation of&nbsp; MET has been investigated. The influence of calcination temperature on&nbsp; hotocatalytic efficiency of TiO_2&nbsp;nanopowders doped with La(III) has been studied on the MET and&nbsp; PRO substrates, and the influence of structure of the starting compound on the&nbsp; efficiency of &nbsp;photocatalytic degradation had been analyzed. Results have been&nbsp; compared with bare TiO_2&nbsp;nanopowder and TiO₂ Degussa P25 (at pH value of 9). Besides, kinetics and toxicity of PRO and its intermediates formed during the degradation with TiO₂ Degussa P25 have been investigated. The influences of starting compound&rsquo;s structure (MET, HCTZ, and ABSA) to photodegradation under UVA, sunlight and SSI, in the absence/presence of TiO₂ Degussa P25, have been investigated. Also, the synergistic effects of MET and ABSA to the process of&nbsp; hydrolysis, direct photolysis, and photocatalysis with SSI/TiO₂ Degussa P25 have been investigated. In order to get &nbsp;an insight into the toxicity of the studied systems, their influence on the growth of selected mammalian cell lines has been investigated as well.</p>

The design of the Church “Seslání Ducha Svatého” with the spiritual center in Líšeň, Brno answers the question: "How should the contemporary church look like?" Analysis of the site, awareness of the character and requirements of today's time, historical and cultural continuity and liturgical changes of the last century gave rise to 7 points of the architecture of the new church. This program describes the new liturgy, defines the form of the subordinate community of believers, characterizes the work with the material envelope of the inner space, establishes the relation between the horizontal and the vertical and the curved and rectangular, explains the theme of orientation and work with the interior. The final urban and architectural solution is based on these assumptions. The spiritual center, consisting of a multifunctional hall, a classroom, a club-room, a rectory, a cafeteria with a library, and underground garages with technology, is geometrically rigid, layered and precisely fitted, while church is completely different in its shape and scale, indicating functional and sacral differences. The abstract form of the church refers to the inviolability of God. The interior of the Church is a place of silence, a pure and noble space, formed by higher order principles. Another important way of expression becomes light as the creator of the spiritual space. An important part of the proposal is also the principle of organizing a church with a spiritual center around the inner square opened to the south by a wide entrance staircase.

This diploma thesis is focused on the preparation of hybrid titania-silica layers. Titanium tetraisopropoxide and tetraethyl orthosilicate with Levasil were used as the precursors for TiO2 and SiO2 synthesis, respectively. The layers were deposited on substrates by material printing. Furthermore, this work is focused on study of the photocatalytic activity of prepared titania/silica hybrid layers. Photocatalytic activity of prepared layers was studied by measuring the oxidation of 2,6-dichlorindofenolu, oxidative degradation of stearic acid and oxidation of terephthalic acid. The influence of hybrid layers number on the photocatalytic activity was investigated.

Master’s thesis deals with synthesis of anatase and its anion doping by carbo-nitridation. Prepared samples were used for testing of the photocatalytic activity. Low-temperature anatase was synthesized at 80 °C for 6 hours and carbo-nitridatation was carried out in ammonia/tetrachloromethane atmosphere at 500 °C for 3 hours. The influence of silver content on low-temperature crystallization of anatase was studied by reaction of titanium tetraisopropoxide with water. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of silver nitrate by D-glukose and sodium citrate. One of the results is the draft for one-pot synthesis of anatase by titanium tetraisopropoxide with complexing agent (sodium citrate, ammonium citrate, citric acid). The study of photocatalysis water splitting was carried out in the presence of 20 % vol. of methanol. Anatase prepared with citric acid has the highest photocatalytic activity (Pt 0,5 %) in UV/VIS spectral region. The activity achieved 38,6 % effectiveness of TiO2 standard (Degussa P25). Doping by nitrogen didn’t lead to increase of photocatalytic activity.