Photocatalytic inactivation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by reactive plasma processed nanocrystalline TiO2 powder

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ powder is synthesized using a novel reactive plasma process in which the precursor TiH₂ powder is oxidized through thermal plasma in-flight route to generate nanocrystalline TiO₂ powder. The synthesized powder consists of nano-sized TiO₂ particles, both anatase and rutile phases, in which anatase is the predominant phase. An additional feature of the plasma synthesized TiO₂ powder is the higher surface concentration of Ti³⁺ state and hydroxyl group that enhance its photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic inactivation of Gram-positive Enterococcus and Gram-negative Klebsiella bacteria is studied using the plasma synthesized TiO₂ nanopowder with 365 nm ultraviolet (UV) light. The mechanism behind the photocatalytic disinfection of bacteria is discussed. The plasma synthesized TiO₂ nanopowder catalyst is found effective in killing Enterococcus and Klebsiella. The results corroborated that the plasma synthesized TiO₂ powder can be used for waste water treatment and water purification.     

Synthesis and characterization of a POM-based nanocomposite as a novel magnetic photocatalyst

A novel magnetic photocatalyst, prepared by grafting polyoxometalates (POM) anions PW₁₂O₄₀³⁻ onto Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles via a layer of Ag, was synthesized and characterized. The coated Ag layer was used as an intermediate bond for anchoring POM anions onto the magnetite cores. Resulting materials have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, magnetization, and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). The activity of the photocatalyst was tested by the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B. It was found that, compared to pure POM, the decolorization fraction of Rhodamine B in 2 h operation was 2.8-3.4 times higher by using the POM-based nanocomposite. ICP analysis of the concentration of Fe, W and P in treated water showed that photodissolution was minimal. In addition, as the synthesized composite possesses a magnetite core, it is possible to retrieve the photocatalyst by exerting an external magnetic field, which is easier than the recovery of conventional TiO₂ fine particles and homogeneous POM photocatalysts. The exhibited photocatalytic activity and magnetization of the novel photocatalyst provide a promising solution for the degradation of water contaminants and photocatalyst recovery.     

Synthesis of titanium dioxide in O2/Ar/SO2/TiCl4 microwave torch plasma and its band gap narrowing

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were synthesized directly by injecting gas-phase titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) bubbled with a mixture of Ar and SO₂ into a 2.45 GHz microwave torch plasma operated in O₂ gas at atmospheric pressure. The absorption edge of the as-produced TiO₂ powders in the UV–Visible spectrum shifted from 457 nm to 483 nm as the SO₂ gas content in the mixture gas carrying the TiCl₄ was increased. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–Visible spectroscopy, the band gap narrowing was due to the incorporation of sulphur (S) species from the Ar and SO₂ mixture in the oxygen microwave torch plasma into the O site of TiO₂.     

The enhanced photocatalytic activity of CdS/TiO2 nanocomposites by controlling CdS dispersion on TiO2 nanotubes

CdS/TiO₂ nanocomposites were prepared via a simple wet chemical method, and characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their ability to degrade Acid Rhodamine B was investigated under visible light irradiation. The results indicate that CdS/TiO₂ nanocomposite with a mass ratio of 4:1(TiO₂:CdS) showed high photocatalytic activity and the CdS loaded on TiO₂ nanotube surface exhibited a hexagonal phase. The dispersion of CdS on TiO₂ nanotube surface had an important effect on the degradation efficiency of pollutant, which provides a strategy for practical industry application.     

Ag/TiO2 sol prepared by a sol–gel method and its photocatalytic activity

Ag/TiO₂ sol with narrow particle size distribution was synthesized using TiCl₄ as the starting material. TiCl₄ was converted to Ti(OH)₄ gel. The Ag/TiO₂ sol was prepared by a process where H₂O₂ was added and then heated at 90–97 °C. After condensation reaction and crystallization, a transparent sol with suspended Ag/TiO₂ was formed. Ag/TiO₂ was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, contact angle analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic properties of Ag/TiO₂ film were evaluated by degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution under UV light irradiation. The suspended Ag/TiO₂ particles were rhombus primary particles with the major axis ca. 40 nm and the minor axis ca. 10 nm. Ag nanoparticles were well dispersed on TiO₂ and the particle size was only 1–2 nm. Ag could restrain the recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes effectively. Transparent thin films could be obtained through dip-coating glass substrate in the sol. The thin film had strong hydrophilicity after being illuminated by UV light. Ag/TiO₂ film showed a significant increase in photocatalytic activity compared to the TiO₂ film. The high amount of surface hydroxyls on Ag/TiO₂ film also played an important role in its photocatalytic activity.     

臭氧修饰(001)晶面TiO2纳米片及其光催化降解甲苯研究

本文系统研究了臭氧修饰对(001)主导晶面锐钛矿型TiO₂光催化剂降解甲苯性能的影响. 利用自行搭建的光催化VOCs降解装置对催化剂光降解甲苯的性能进行了测试. 通过多种表征手段,结合原位DRIFTS和DFT计算研究了臭氧表面修饰及甲苯吸附和降解机理. 结果表明,用臭氧进行表面修饰可以显著提高(001)主导晶面TiO₂光催化降解甲苯的性能. (001)晶面上丰富的5c-Ti不饱和配位是臭氧分子的吸附位点,其解离后形成的Ti-O键与H₂O分子结合,在表面生成大量孤立的Ti_5c-OH. Ti_5c-OH 是甲苯分子的吸附位,它的形成显著提高了对甲苯分子的吸附能力. 在光照下Ti_5c-OH与光生空穴结合能形成·OH自由基. 通过臭氧解离产生的O₂也可以与光生电子结合形成超氧自由基. 这些具有强氧化性活性自由基的形成促进了对气相甲苯的光催化降解速率.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic oxidation of different organic dyes by using Mn2O3/TiO2 solid solution and visible light

Mn₂O₃/TiO₂ solid solution was prepared from two different oxides, manganese oxide (from KMnO₄ and ethanol) and TiO₂, these samples were characterized by BET, XRD, EDAX, SEM, FT-IR, ESR, XPS and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activities of Mn₂O₃/TiO₂ powder was investigated by photooxidation of different dyes like Rhodamine B, thymol blue, methyl orange and Bromocresol green under visible light (300-W Xe lamp; λ > 420 nm). The results show that the alloy of TiO₂ with 1 mol% of Mn₂O₃ (MNT1) exhibit photocatalytic activity 3–5 times higher than that of P25 TiO₂ for oxidation of various dyes (RB, TB, MO and BG). The average particle size and crystallite size of MNT1 were found to be 100 nm and 12 nm measured from SEM and XRD, respectively. The EPR spectra of the Mn₂O₃/TiO₂ samples is a sharp five-line Mn(III) component centered on g_eff = 1.99.     

Visible light sensitization effect of polyaminobenzoate adsorbed on TiO2 nanocrystal surface

Poly-o-aminobenzoate (POA) was prepared by oxidizing o-aminobenzoic acid with (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ in an acidic solution. POA was adsorbed on TiO₂ nanocrystal surface to obtain a POA-TiO₂ nanocomposite. The polymerization reaction, structure, adsorption reaction on TiO₂ surface, and visible light sensitization effect of the polymer adsorbed on TiO₂ surface were studied by FT-IR and UV-visible spectra, cyclic voltammetry, and measurements of visible light photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activities. Three kinds of POA with different long conjugate structures can be formed. These polymers have large absorbance in wide visible light region. POA molecules can be adsorbed on TiO₂ surface by anchoring their carboxylate groups to the TiO₂ surface with a multi-bridging chelating mode, which causes formation of the POA-TiO₂ nanocomposite with a high stability. POA adsorbed on the TiO₂ nanocrystal showed high visible light sensitization effect in the photocatalytic reaction.     

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry study on the enhanced visible photocatalytic mechanism of carbon-TiO2 nanohybrids

Carbon-TiO₂ nanohybrids (CTs, 5-10 nm TiO₂ nanocrystals evenly dispersed on carbon film) have been successfully prepared via a mild, one-step hydrothermal approach. The interactions and electronic structures of carbon and TiO₂ nanoparticles and the enhanced visible photocatalytic mechanism were investigated by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry in detail. Meanwhile, it was demonstrated that the as-obtained CTs had a large BET specific surface area of 304.6 m²/g and showed excellent photocatalytic abilities towards organic (Rhodamine B, benzene) and inorganic pollutant (K₂Cr₂O₇) degradation in visible light. This work provided a new approach for the high performance catalyst design towards new energy sources and environmental issues.     

Dispersion of V2O5 supported on a TiO2 by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy surface

The dispersion of V₂O₅ in V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalysis has been studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and a thermal gravimetric analysis for samples with various V₂O₅ content. The coverage, thickness and dispersion of vanadium oxide were calculated by a quantitative x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The experimental results show that V₂O₅ is well dispersed on a TiO₂ surface at low VEOs content. The coverage increases rapidly with the V₂O₅ content up to 10 wt%. Beyond that, the coverage increases very slowly, and considerable parts of the TiO₂ surface remain bare even at a V₂O₅ content as high as 40 wt%. The vanadium oxide is probably present on the TiO₂ surface as isolated patches or islands. This investigation shows that x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is also a powerful tool for obtaining information about the dispersion of supported species in catalytic research.     

TiO2 thick films supported on reticulated macroporous Al2O3 foams and their photoactivity in phenol mineralization

TiO₂ thick films deposited on macroporous reticulated Al₂O₃ foams with pore size of 10 ppi and 15 ppi were prepared using dip coating from slurries of Aeroxide^® P25 nanopowder and precipitated titania. All prepared films have sufficiently good adhesion to the surface of the substrate also in case of strongly cracked films. No measurable release of deposited TiO₂ after repeated photocatalytic cycles was observed. The photocatalytic activity was characterized as the rate of mineralization of aqueous phenol solution under irradiation of UVA light by TOC technique. The best activity was obtained with Aeroxide^® P25 coated Al₂O₃ foam with the pore size of 10 ppi, annealed at 600 °C. The optimal annealing temperature for preparation of films from precipitated titania could be determined at 700 °C. Films prepared by sol-gel deposition technique were considerably thinner compared to coatings made of suspensions and their photocatalytic activity was significantly smaller.     

Effects of native defects on the electronic structure and photocatalytic activity in anatase TiO2 by first principles calculations

The crystal structure, electronic structure, optical properties and photocatalytic activity of the native defects in anatase TiO₂ were investigated based on the density-functional theory (DFT). The results show that oxygen vacancies (V_O) have the lowest formation energy, and thus are easiest to form in the bulk structure. The conduction and valence band moves to the high or low energy region, and the energy gap becomes narrower for the native point defect models. In particular, oxygen interstitials (O_i) have a direct band gap, and new gap states appear in the band gap, which can be responsible for the high photocatalytic efficiency in anatase TiO₂. The phenomenon of “impurity compensation” takes place for the oxygen and titanium interstitials. Ti vacancy (V_Ti) can promote the utilization of solar light by analyzing the absorption spectra. All the calculated results show that O_i and V_Ti are beneficial in improving the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ in the UV–visible light range.     

从可溶性单源分子前驱体采用溶胶凝胶法制备ZnO/TiO2 纳米复合物

合成了单源分子前驱体Cl₂TiZn(dmae)₄ (dmae为2-二甲基乙醇胺),并以乙醇为溶剂,加入等摩尔量的水对其进行可控水解得ZnO/TiO₂纳米复合凝胶,经pH=9沉淀,在200、400和600 oC 烧结得到不同的产物T₂₀₀、T₄₀₀、T₆₀₀. XRD分析表明未烧结产物为无定形粉末并随着烧结温度升高晶型改善. ZnO呈纤锌矿结构(六方晶系),TiO₂呈板钛矿型结构(正交). BET分析和扫描电镜表明颗粒的大小随着烧结温度的提高而增加. 红外光谱证明Zn-O和Ti-O的特有的振动频率,OH基团烧结后的产物中被去掉. 所有的样品都显示良好的光催化活性, 且T₆₀₀活性最高.     

Anatase TiO2 films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition using Ti target

TiO₂ films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition using a metallic Ti target in an O₂ gas ambient. The microstructure along with optical and photocatalytic properties of the deposited films were systematically studied by changing the deposition parameters and substrates. It was found that TiO₂ films having nearly pure anatase phase grew effectively in O₂ atmosphere. When the films were fabricated at a substrate temperature of 400°C, their phase structures were greatly affected by the O₂ gas pressure, and nearly pure anatase phase with typical (101) and (004) peaks can be obtained under an O₂ pressure of 15 Pa. For the deposition at 700°C, the crystal structure of the TiO₂ films exhibited a strong anatase (004) peak and was inert to the oxygen pressures. Two modes, namely a substrate-temperature-controlled mode and an oxygen-pressure-controlled mode, were considered for the growth of the anatase TiO₂ films under different substrate temperatures. In addition, the optical and photocatalytic properties were found to be sensitive to both the microstructure and grain size of the TiO₂ films.     

Plasma Production of TiO2 from TiCl4

The TiO₂ production by a 1–10 kW dc power plasmatron from TiCl₄ and O₂ is described. The reaction chamber material and geometry as well as AlCl₃ additive influence on the chemical plasma reactions are presented and discussed.     

Remarkable catalytic activity of Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocomposites prepared by hydrothermal method for the degradation of methyl orange

Visible light Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites are successfully prepared with different dosages of Bi₂O₃ by hydrothermal process. All the as-prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopes (SEM and TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis (BET), N₂ adsorption-desorption measurement, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). XRD and Raman spectra reveal the anatase phase of both TiO₂ and Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction patterns demonstrate that the bismuth ions did not enter into the lattice of TiO₂, and Bi₂O₃ is extremely dispersive on the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The incorporation of Bi₂O₃ in TiO₂ leads to the spectral response of TiO₂ in the visible light region and efficient separation of charge carriers. The enhanced visible light activity is tested by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange under light illumination, and the performance of Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites are superior than that of pure TiO₂ which is ascribed to the efficient charge separation and transfer across the Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ junction. Bi₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposite (20 mg) loaded with 0.25 of Bi₂O₃ dispersed in 50 ml of 5 ppm methyl orange solution exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity of 98.86% within 240 min of irradiation, which is attributed to the low band gap, high surface area, and the strong interaction between Bi₂O₃ and TiO₂.     

Electrophoreted Zn-TiO2-ZnO nanocomposite coating films for photocatalytic degradation of 2-chlorophenol

TiO₂-ZnO nano-powders with different TiO₂/ZnO ratios have been synthesized by hydrothermal method. Nanocomposite coating films consisting of TiO₂-ZnO and Zn with thickness of 20 μm have been electrophoreted on steel plates by rapid plating from a ZnO-based alkaline bath. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis were used to investigate the structure, the size distribution, and the composition of prepared nano-powders and plated materials. The effect of the operating parameters such as powder contents, pH and current density on the electrophoresis process has been investigated and optimum conditions of coating process were determined. Corrosion properties of plated samples have been studied by salt spray test. The catalytic activity of the prepared nanocomposite Zn-TiO₂-ZnO films for the photocatalytic degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) was measured.     

Preparation of N-doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photocatalyst by atmospheric pressure plasma process for VOCs decomposition under UV and visible light sources

The nitrogen doped (N-doped) titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photocatalyst was prepared by the atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced nanoparticles synthesis (APPENS) process operated under normal temperature, i.e. the dielectric barrier discharge plasma process. The N₂ carrier gas is dissociated in the AC powered nonthermal plasma environment and subsequently doped into the TiO₂ photocatalyst that was capable of being induced by visible light sources. The APPENS process for producing N-doped TiO₂ showed a higher film deposition rate in the range of 60–94 nm/min while consuming less power (<100 W) as compared to other plasma processes reported in literatures. And the photocatalytic activity of the N-doped TiO₂ photocatalyst was higher than the commercial ST01 and P25 photocatalysts in terms of toluene removals in a continuous flow reactor. The XPS measurement data indicated that the active N doping states exhibited N 1s binding energies were centered at 400 and 402 eV instead of the TiN binding at 396 eV commonly observed in the literature. The light absorption in the visible light range for N-doped TiO₂ was also confirmed by a clear red shift of the UV-visible spectra.     

Comparative study on the process behavior and reaction kinetics in sonocatalytic degradation of organic dyes by powder and nanotubes TiO2

Sonocatalytic degradation of various organic dyes (Congo Red, Reactive Blue 4, Methyl Orange, Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue) catalyzed by powder and nanotubes TiO₂ was studied. Both catalysts were characterized using transmission electron microscope (TEM), surface analyzer, Raman spectroscope and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA). Sonocatalytic activity of powder and nanotubes TiO₂ was elucidated based on the degradation of various organic dyes. The former catalyst was favorable for treatment of anionic dyes, while the latter was more beneficial for cationic dyes. Sonocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanotubes could be up to four times as compared to TiO₂ powder under an ultrasonic power of 100 W and a frequency of 42 kHz. This was associated with the higher surface area and the electrostatic attraction between dye molecules and TiO₂ nanotubes. Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) was used to identify changes that occurred on the functional group in Rhodamine B molecules and TiO₂ nanotubes after the reaction. Sonocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B by TiO₂ nanotubes apparently followed the Langmuir-Hinshelwood adsorption kinetic model with surface reaction rate of 1.75 mg/L min. TiO₂ nanotubes were proven for their high potential to be applied in sonocatalytic degradation of organic dyes.     

Characterization and photocatalytic activity of Zn–TiO2/AC composite photocatalyst

Activated carbon (AC) supported Zn²⁺–TiO₂ photocatalyst was prepared by sol–gel method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron micrograph, nitrogen absorption, diffuse reflectance UV/VIS and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using toluene as a pollution target, the photocatalytic activity of photocatalyst was evaluated. The results showed that prepared photocatalyst was obviously helpful for the removal of toluene in air. The photocatalytic degradation of toluene by Zn²⁺–TiO₂/AC reached 100% for 40 min and remained 75% after 160 min, while degradation by TiO₂ was only 30%. It indicated that the photocatalytic activity of prepared photocatalyst was enhanced. It is due to Zn²⁺-doping increased the oxidation and reduction of hole–electron pairs, which was the important factor in heterogeneous photocatalysis.