Sonophotocatalytic activity of methyl orange over Fe(III)/TiO2

TiO₂ doped with Fe³⁺ was prepared by an impregnation technique and its sonophotocatalytic activity over methyl orange (MO) was investigated. The Fe/TiO₂ surface presented red shift to longer wavelength, resulting in a lower energy band gap. Fe loading of 0.1 wt% on TiO₂ provided the optimum degradation. The MO degradation rate constant under sonophotocatalytic conditions was 2.5 times higher than under photocatalytic conditions.     

Effect of Ag doping concentration on the electronic and optical properties of anatase TiO2: a DFT-based theoretical study

The electronic and optical properties of pure and Ag-doped anatase TiO₂ have been calculated by spin-polarized density functional theory. Ag-doped TiO₂ with different Ag doping concentrations ranging from 2.08 to 8.33 % was investigated, and the electronic and optical properties evaluated. Substitutional Ag doped at Ti sites introduced Ag 4d states just above the valence-band maximum, which may help in shifting visible-light excited electrons to the conduction band. Our results show that increasing the doping concentration will enhance visible-light absorption up to Ag doping concentration of 6.25 %; however, further increase of the doping concentration leads to a decrease in visible-light absorption. These results indicate the possibility of tailoring the band gap and optical absorption of TiO₂ doped with Ag by varying the doping concentration. The enhanced visible-light absorption for Ag-doped TiO₂ with doping concentration of 6.25 % may be due to the existence of widely distributed Ag 4d states above the valence-band maximum and the optimal doping concentration. Ag doping shifted the absorption edge of TiO₂ towards visible light, consistent with recent experimental results. Our calculation results provide a reasonable explanation for the experimental findings.     

Sol–gel preparation and characterization of Ag and Mg co-doped nano TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>: efficient photocatalytic degradation of C.I. Acid Red 27

In this study, we successfully prepared pure, mono-doped, and Ag, Mg co-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles using the sol–gel method, with titanium tetraisopropoxide as the Ti source. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), specific surface area and porosity (BET and BJH) measurement, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The XRD data showed that the prepared nanoparticles had the same crystals structures as the pure TiO₂. Also, DRS results indicated that the band gap of co-doped photocatalyst was smaller than that of the monometallic and undoped TiO₂ and that there was a shift in the absorption band towards the visible light region. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the prepared catalysts was evaluated by the degradation of C.I. Acid Red 27 in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The results showed that Ag (0.08 mol%), Mg (0.2 mol%) co-doped TiO₂ had the highest photoactivity among all samples under visible light. It was concluded that co-doping of the Ag and Mg can significantly improve the photocatalytic activity of the prepared photocatalysts, due to the efficient inhibition of the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The optimum calcination temperature and time were 450 °C and 3 h, respectively.     

Preparation,Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Lanthanum Doped Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide

Lanthanum doped mesoporous titanium dioxide photocatalysts with different La content were synthesized by template method using tetrabutyltitanate (Ti(OC₄H₉)₄) as precursor and Pluronic P123 as template. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric dif-ferential thermal analysis, N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis adsorption spectroscopy. The effect of La³⁺ doping concentration from 0.1% to 1% on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO₂ was investigated. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of about 10 nm with high surface area of 165 m²/g. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements in-dicated the presence of C in the doped samples in addition to La. Compared with pure mesoporous TiO₂, the La-doped samples extended the photoabsorption edge into the visible light region. The results of phenol photodecomposition showed that La-doped mesoporous TiO₂ exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than pure mesoporous TiO₂ under UV and visible light irradiation.     

Photocatalytic activity of nitrogen and copper doped TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by microwave-assisted sol-gel process

Cu and N-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized from titanium (IV) isopropoxide via a microwave-assisted sol-gel method. The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, photocurrent measurement technique, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms. Raman spectra and XRD showed an anatase phase structure. The SEM and TEM images revealed the formation of an almost spheroid mono disperse TiO₂ with particle sizes in the range of 9-17 nm. Analysis of N₂ isotherm measurements showed that all investigated TiO₂ samples have mesoporous structures with high surface areas. The optical absorption edge for the doped TiO₂ was significantly shifted to the visible light region. The photocurrent and photocatalytic activity of pure and doped TiO₂ were evaluated with the degradation of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) solution under both UV and visible light illumination. The doped TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit higher catalytic activity under each of visible light and UV irradiation in contrast to pure TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity and photocurrent ability of TiO₂ have been enhanced by doping of the titania in the following order: (Cu, N) - codoped TiO₂ > N-doped TiO₂ > Cu-doped TiO₂ > TiO₂. COD result for (Cu, N)-codoped TiO₂ reveals ∼92% mineralization of the MO dye on six h of visible light irradiation.     

Photocatalytic Activity of N-doped TiO2 Photocatalysts Prepared from the Molecular Precursor (NH4)2TiO(C2O4)2

We developed a novel approach for the preparation of N-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts by calcining ammonium titanium oxalate at different temperatures. The structures of N-TiO₂ were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope. The N-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts calcined below 700 oC are the pure anatase phase but that calcined at 700 oC is a mixture of anatase and rutile phases. The doped N locates at the interstitial site of TiO₂ which leads to the narrowing of bad gap of pure anatase N-TiO₂. Among all photocatalysts, N-TiO₂ photocatalysts calcined at 600 and 400 oC exhibit the best performance in the photodegradation of methyl orange under the UV light and all-wavelength light illuminations, respectively; however, because of the perfect crystallinity and the existence of anatase-rutile phase junctions, N-TiO₂ photocatalyst calcined at 700 oC exhibits the highest specific photodegradation rate, i.e., the highest quantum yield, under both the UV light and all-wavelength light illuminations.     

Synthesis,characterization and photocatalytic performance of W,N, S-tri-doped TiO2 under visible light irradiation

W–S–N-tri-doped TiO₂ photocatalysts (WSNTiO₂) were prepared by a simple sol–gel method. Tungstic acid, sodium sulfate and urea were used as tungsten, sulfur and nitrogen sources, respectively. The morphology and microstructure characteristics of the photocatalysts were evidenced by means of XRD, BET, TEM, SEM and UV–vis DRS techniques. The XRD results show that the main crystal phase of samples is anatase. It was also found that the tri-doping of TiO₂ increases its BET specific surface area from 95 to 121 m²·g⁻¹. Besides, it was shown that tri-doping narrows the band gap of TiO₂ effectively, which has greatly improved the photocatalytic activity in the visible light region. The photocatalytic activity of tri-doped TiO₂ powders was compared to that of bi-doped ones through the degradation of Congo Red (CR) under visible irradiation. Thus, the prepared 0.5% W–N–S–TiO₂ heat treated at 450 °C showed the best photocatalytic activity compared to the prepared pure TiO₂, Degussa P25, and co-doped samples (WNTiO₂ and WSTiO₂). In particular, a Congo Red degradation rate of approximately 99% was reached after only 35 min of visible light irradiation in the presence of 0.5% of WNSTiO₂. Total organic carbon (TOC) removal of CR was up to 72% and confirmed its significant mineralization in the presence of 0.5% of WNSTiO₂ photocatalyst.     

掺杂Fe2O3对吸附相反应技术制备TiO2的形貌和光催化性能的影响

利用吸附相反应技术制备得到了掺杂不同浓度的Fe₂O₃的TiO₂复合光催化剂。通过透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外可见光谱和X射线衍射(XRD)研究不同掺杂浓度对TiO₂形貌和结晶过程的影响,并利用3种波长光源下的甲基橙光降解实验考评了各个复合光催化剂的催化活性。结果表明,掺杂后复合光催化剂中Fe₂O₃分散性较好较均匀。在TiO₂紫外可见吸收光谱中由于Fe₂O₃的掺杂而出现了红移,而且随着掺杂浓度增加红移越来越明显,复合光催化剂的禁带宽度也越来越小。在焙烧过程中无定形Fe₂O₃或Fe³⁺进入了TiO₂的晶格结构,从而抑制了TiO₂的结晶过程。半导体禁带宽度的减少以及TiO₂结晶过程的抑制作用,都导致紫外光下复合光催化剂催化活性的降低。但Fe₂O₃的掺杂也使得复合光催化剂在可见光区出现了一定的光催化活性。     

Preparation,characterization and enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ni<Superscript>2+</Superscript> doped titania under solar light

Anatase TiO₂ was prepared by sol-gel method through the hydrolysis of TiCl₄. Ni²⁺ was doped into the TiO₂ matrix in the concentration range of 0.02 to 0.1 at.% and characterized by various analytical techniques. Powder X-ray diffraction revealed only anatase phase for all the samples, while diffuse reflectance spectral studies indicated a red shift in the band gap absorption to the visible region. The photocatalytic activities of these photocatalysts were probed for the degradation of methyl orange under natural solar light. The photocatalyst with optimum doping of 0.08 at.% Ni²⁺, showed enhanced activity, which is attributed to: (i) effective separation of charge carriers and (ii) large red shift in the band gap to visible region. The influence of crystallite size and dopant concentration on the charge carrier trapping — recombination dynamics is investigated.     

Tungsten and nitrogen co‐doped TiO2 nanobelts with significant visible light photoactivity

Tungsten and nitrogen co‐doped TiO₂ nanobelts (W/N‐TNBs) have been successfully synthesized via 1‐step hydrothermal method. The structure, morphology, and composition of prepared samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The prominent phase of all as‐prepared samples is anatase crystal. For samples with N doping, new energy states can be introduced on top of O 2p states which reduced the band gap by 1.1 eV. The reduced band gap leads to efficient visible light activity. The 3%‐W/N‐TNBs were found to exhibit the highest activity. The photocatalytic performance of 3%‐W/N‐TNBs under visible light is about 4.8 times than that of pure TiO₂ nanobelts, which emphasizes the synergistic effect of W and N co‐doping for effectively inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. In addition, our results testify the different redox potentials of the photoelectrons at different final states.     

Doping level effect on visible-light irradiation W-doped TiO2–anatase photocatalysts for Congo red photodegradation

A series of W-modified TiO₂ (W–TiO₂) photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple sol–gel method. The new photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis-diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analyzer. The photoactivity of the W–TiO₂ photocatalysts was evaluated by the photocatalytic oxidation of Congo red (CR) dye. It was found that the average size of the prepared photocatalysts is 10 nm. Moreover, they have high surface areas (∼ 216 m² g⁻¹) and their light-absorption extends to the visible region compared to pure TiO₂. The effects of W-loading and of the calcination temperature of the prepared photocatalysts on their photocatalytic activity were also studied. The obtained results show that the W_0.5–TiO₂ photocatalyst calcined at 350 °C is much highly photoactive than non-doped or highly doped TiO₂. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the weakly doped TiO₂ may be attributed to the increase in the charge separation efficiency and the presence of surface acidity on the W_0.5–TiO₂ photocatalyst.     

Understanding the synergistic effects,optical and electronic properties of ternary Fe/C/S‐doped TiO2 anatase within the DFT + U approach

Although TiO₂ is an efficient photocatalyst, its large band gap limits its photocatalytic activity only to the ultraviolet region. An experimentally synthesized ternary Fe/C/S‐doped TiO₂ anatase showed improved visible light photocatalytic activity. However, a theoretical study of the underlying mechanism of the enhanced photocatalytic activity and the interaction of ternary Fe/C/S‐doped TiO₂ has not yet been investigated. In this study, the defect formation energy, electronic structure and optical property of TiO₂ doped with Fe, C, and S are investigated in detail using the density functional theory + U method. The calculated band gap (3.21 eV) of TiO₂ anatase agree well with the experimental band gap (3.20 eV). The defect formation energy shows that the co‐ and ternary‐doped systems are thermodynamically favorable under oxygen‐rich condition. Compared to the undoped TiO₂, the absorption edge of the mono‐, co‐, and ternary‐doped TiO₂ is significantly enhanced in the visible light region. We have shown that ternary doping with C, S, and Fe induces a clean band structure without any impurity states. Moreover, the ternary Fe/C/S‐doped TiO₂ exhibit an enhanced photocatalytic activity, a smaller band gap and negative formation energy compared to the mono‐ and co‐doped systems. Moreover, the band edges of Fe/C/S‐doped TiO₂ align well with the redox potentials of water, which shows that the ternary Fe/C/S‐doped TiO₂ is promising photocatalysts to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. These findings rationalize the available experimental results and can assist the design of TiO₂‐based photocatalyst materials.     

Second Generation Nitrogen Doped Titania Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Electronic and Microstructural Picture

A state‐of‐the‐art overview of N‐dopant characterizations in nano‐TiO₂ second‐generation photocatalysts is provided. The related literature is very rich and sometimes offers contrasting interpretations. Here we critically discuss up‐to‐date literature results and our own findings, as retrieved by several experimental (BET, HR‐TEM, XPS, DRS, HR‐XRPD, EXAFS, electrochemical tools) and theoretical (periodic DFT) techniques. Our intent is to pull together outcomes from very different and complementary sources to make an as much as possible coherent picture of the morphological, electrochemical and electronic properties of N‐TiO₂ materials. It is commonly accepted that critical issues to be considered in the design of high‐performing N‐TiO₂ photocatalysts are synthetic strategy, defect concentration and chemical nature of the lattice point defects. We focus on the latter two issues, with emphasis on sol‐gel prepared materials, according to the specific area of expertise of our group. The problem of the chemical nature of guest N species into the lattice is crucial, as substitutional (N_s) or interstitial (N_i) nitrogen place their valence states just above the valence band or deeper into the band gap. Overall, we show how synergism among experimental and theoretical techniques is decisive to disentangle structural, electronic and morphological effects in complex N‐doped TiO₂ matrices.     

Synthesis of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> using different hydrolysis catalysts and doped with Zn for efficient degradation of aqueous phase pollutants under UV light

In this work, various TiO₂ and TiO₂ doped with 0.1, 1.0, and 5.0 mol% of Zn were prepared by the sol–gel method varying different hydrolysis catalysts (HNO₃, OHAc, H₃PO₄) in order to be used as photocatalysts for environmental applications. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the different TiO₂ samples have presented the anatase as main phase, However, the acid nature has played an important role in the superficial and optical properties. The N-physisortion analysis has revealed that the specific surface area of calcined TiO₂ samples prepared using H₃PO₄, HOAc, and HNO₃ was 245, 100, and 90 m² g⁻¹, respectively, while the spectroscopic UV analysis, the band gap energy has shifted by 3.3–3.0 eV. In order to improve the optical properties of TiO₂, the last preparation was doped with different zinc concentrations. The result showed that, as the Zn concentration increase by 0.1–5.0 mol%, the surface area increased from 90 to 120 m² g⁻¹. Nevertheless, the E _g returned from 3.0 to 3.32. The SEM analyses have not revealed important morphological changes between no doped and doped materials. The catalytic activity of the composite was studied on the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and the activity results showed that small Zn concentrations decrease the t _1/2 in 28 min.     

RE/TiO2光催化剂的谱学特性与气相光催化性能的研究

采用改进的sol-gel法和浸渍法制备了TiO₂掺杂稀土离子La³⁺、Y³⁺、Gd³⁺、Er³⁺、Nd³⁺、Pr³⁺的RE/TiO₂光催化剂,运用FTIR、XRD、TEM、低温氮吸附/脱附、TG/DTA、UV-Vis DRS、表面光电压谱(SPS)等进行表征,以气相光催化降解乙烯、溴代甲烷作为探针反应,阐明了RE/TiO₂光催化剂的谱学特性与气相光催化性能的关系。结果显示,稀土离子掺杂后,TiO₂的锐钛矿含量增加,比表面积增大,粒径变小,吸收边发生蓝移,表面光电压的响应阈值增大,此外,Pr³⁺除外的其它稀土离子掺杂的TiO₂的表面光电压信号增强;光催化降解实验表明,与纯TiO₂相比,La³⁺、Y³⁺、Gd³⁺、Er³⁺、Nd³⁺掺杂TiO₂样品上乙烯、溴代甲烷的光催化活性均有不同程度的增强,而且表现出较强的矿化能力。但是,掺杂Pr³⁺的TiO₂的光催化性能降低恰好对应较弱的表面光电压信号。所以,本文认为提高光生电子-空穴对的分离效率是改善光催化性能的关键因素。     

掺镁钛酸钡纳米棒的水热合成和光催化性能

用水热法制备掺镁钛酸钡(Ba1-xMgxTiO3(x=0,0.10,0.20,0.30,0.40),BMT)纳米粉体。运用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、场发射扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外可见漫反射光谱技术(DRS)等手段对样品进行了表征,并在可见光照射下于溶液中考察了其光催化降解甲基橙反应活性。结果表明,通过控制氢氧根浓度可以得到不同形貌的纳米粉体。基于不同条件下制备的样品的微结构分析,提出了这些不同形貌的形成机制。制备出的BMT材料的带隙能约为2.61 eV。光催化反应结果表明BMT的光催化活性比掺氮TiO2高得多。OH-浓度为8 mol·L-1时制备的BMT纳米棒光催化效率最高,经可见光照射360 min,浓度为0.01 mmol·L-1甲基橙溶液的降解率可达到93.0%,且循环使用4次后,其光催化活性并没有明显降低,表明BMT是一种稳定有效的可见光催化剂.     

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of TiO2-coated granular activated carbon composites by a molecular adsorption-deposition method

TiO₂ nanoparticle-coated granular activated carbon (GAC) composite photocatalysts (CPs) were successfully prepared by a molecular adsorption-deposition (MAD) method. The CPs were detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), BET surface area and UV-Vis adsorption spectroscopy, and their photoactivity was evaluated by methyl orange (MO) photodegradation. The results show that small-sized TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed well, deposited on the surface of GAC, and showed slight blue shift in comparison with pure TiO₂. With the increase in TiO₂ content, the CPs showed band gaps in lower energy, smaller surface areas and the higher content of Ti³⁺ ions. Compared with pure TiO₂ and others CPs samples, CPs-382 sample showed the highest photoactivity due to the optimum TiO₂ content and surface area besides the synergic effect of photocatalytic degradation of TiO₂ and adsorptive property of GAC. In addition, the CPs could be very easily reclaimed, recycled and reused for methyl orange removal while high photoactivity is preserved.     

Photo Catalytic Degradation of Azo Dyes over Mn2+ Doped TiO2 Catalyst under UV/Solar Light:An Insight to the Route of Electron Transfer in the Mixed Phase of Anatase and Rutile

Mn²⁺ ion was doped into the TiO₂ matrix and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated for the degradation of a mono azo dye methyl orange (MO) and a di‐azo dye brilliant yellow (BY) under UV/solar light. X‐ray diffraction results revealed the phase transformation from anatase to rutile due to the inclusion of Mn²⁺ ion into the TiO₂ matrix. All the doped catalysts showed a red shift in the band gap to the visible region. The degradation reaction of the dyes was found to be dependent on its structure. It was found that mono azo dye degrades faster than di azo dye under UV/solar light. The rate constant under identical conditions calculated for the degradation of MO is 2.4 times (under UV light) and 4.5 times (under solar light) higher compared to BY. Among the photocatalysts studied, Mn²⁺(0.06 at.%)‐TiO₂ showed higher activity under both UV and solar light illumination. The synergestic effect in the bicrystalline framework of anatase and rutile effectively suppresses the charge carrier recombination and enhances the photocatalytic activity. The degradation reaction was followed by UV‐visible spectroscopy and the photoproducts formed were analyzed by GC‐MS techniques.     

Synthesis of V5+‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts were prepared via the ion exchange method. The catalysts were characterized using X‐ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray, X‐ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopies. The V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalysts show much higher photocatalytic activities than Ag/AgCl under visible light irradiation for methyl orange (MO) decomposition. Especially, the 2.0 wt% V⁵⁺‐doped Ag/AgCl photocatalyst shows the highest photocatalytic activity and also high stability after five cycles. The MO degradation rate during each cycle is almost maintained at 97%. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy and radical trapping experiments reveal that holes play an important role in the photocatalytic process.     

铂修饰的稀土掺杂TiO2的光催化制氢活性

采用溶胶-凝胶浸渍法和光沉积法制备了系列Pt/RE/TiO₂纳米光催化剂, 通过XRD和电化学等手段进行了表征. 以甲醛为电子给体, 考察了光催化剂在紫外光照射下的制氢活性. 稀土掺杂提高了Pt/TiO₂光催化制氢活性, 其顺序分别为La/TiO₂＞Sm/TiO₂＞Eu/TiO₂＞Dy/TiO₂＞Er/TiO₂. 掺入稀土元素后, 阻止了TiO₂从锐钛矿晶型向金红石晶型的转变, 这是光催化剂活性提高的原因之一. 计算晶格畸变应力e数据表明, Ti^4＋可能反掺入了表面稀土氧化物的晶格中. 电化学实验表明稀土掺杂TiO₂的平带电位负移, 其原因可解释为晶格畸变促使费米能级升高, 导致催化剂导带的平带电位负移, 因此导带上被激发电子具有更强的还原能力, 从而有利于光催化制氢活性的提高.