Oxygen deficiency (O-vacancy) contributes to the photoefficiency of TiO₂ semiconductors by generating electron rich active sites. In this paper, the dispersion of O-vacancies in both bulk and surface of anatase and rutile phases was computationally investigated. The results showed that the O-vacancies dispersed in single- and double-cluster forms in the anatase and rutile phases, respectively, in both bulk and surface. The distribution of the O-vacancies was (roughly) homogeneous in anatase, and heterogenous in rutile bulk. The O-vacancy formation energy, width of defect band, and charge distribution indicated the overlap of the defect states in the rutile phase and thus eased the formation of clusters. Removal of the first and the second oxygen atoms from the rutile surface took less energy than the anatase one, which resulted in a higher deficiency concentration on the rutile surface. However, these deficiencies formed one active site per unit cell of rutile. On the other hand, the first O-vacancy formed on the surface and the second one formed in the subsurface of anatase (per unit cell). Supported by previous studies, we argue that this distribution of O-vacancies in anatase (surface and subsurface) could potentially create more active sites on its surface.

Most notable emerging water desalination technologies and related publications, as examined by the authors, investigate opportunities to increase energy efficiency of the process. In this paper, the authors reason that improving energy efficiency is only one route to produce more cost-effective potable water with fewer emissions. In fact, the grade of energy that is used to desalinate water plays an equally important role in its economic viability and overall emission reduction. This paper provides a critical review of desalination strategies with emphasis on means of using low-grade energy rather than solely focusing on reaching the thermodynamic energy limit. Herein, it is argued that large-scale commercial desalination technologies have by-and-large reached their engineering potential. They are now mostly limited by the fundamental process design rather than process optimization, which has very limited room for improvement without foundational change to the process itself. The conventional approach toward more energy efficient water desalination is to shift from thermal technologies to reverse osmosis (RO). However, RO suffers from three fundamental issues: (1) it is very sensitive to high-salinity water, (2) it is not suitable for zero liquid discharge and is therefore environmentally challenging, and (3) it is not compatible with low-grade energy. From extensive research and review of existing commercial and lab-scale technologies, the authors propose that a fundamental shift is needed to make water desalination more affordable and economical. Future directions may include novel ideas such as taking advantage of energy localization, surficial/interfacial evaporation, and capillary action. Here, some emerging technologies are discussed along with the viability of incorporating low-grade energy and its economic consequences. Finally, a new process is discussed and characterized for water desalination driven by capillary action. The latter has great significance for using low-grade energy and its substantial potential to generate salinity/blue energy.

In this paper, we report a unique property of inactivating Gram-positive/negative bacteria in the dark via apatite-covered Ag/AgBr/TiO2 nanocomposites (AAAT). We demonstrate that the inactivation mechanism is bacteriostatic based on the cellular integrity and motility of bacteria, and low toxicity and high durability of AAAT. From straight observations, the catalytic loading affects the bacterial replication and cell envelope, as well as inducing an anomaly in bacterial motility (continuous rotation) for both types of bacteria. Both simulation and experimental analyses suggest that the anomaly could be due to posterior intracellular signals rather than purely mechanical effects (e.g., size enlargement and motility retardation). Provoked by chemo-mechanical stimuli, these signals increase the frequency of flagellar tumbling and eventually entangle the bacteria.