Silver embedded C-TiO2 exhibits improved photocatalytic properties with potential application in waste water treatment

Non-metal element doping on photocatalysts demonstrates a wide range of disadvantages. Hence metal embedding on nanomaterials is considered to enhance photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, we employed silver nano particle embedding on C-TiO₂ photocatalyst to improve its phtotocatytic degradation efficiency of organic water pollutant such as methyl orange. Modified sol-gel methods based on self-assembly technique was used to prepare the nanoformulations. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectra (PL). Compared to non-silver formulation (C-TiO₂), silver embedded nanomaterial (C-TiO₂/Ag) displayed an increased shift in the light absorption towards visible spectrum. A low photoluminescence (PL) intensity by 1 wt% C-TiO₂/Ag indicated improved photocatalytic efficiency. Further, higher degradation of organic dye methyl orange confirmed that 1 wt% C-TiO₂/Ag exhibited the best photodegradation rate over its non Ag embedded C-TiO₂. Embedding of silver on C-TiO₂ extends optical absorption edge of C-TiO₂ to more visible spectrum and inhibits electron-hole recombination resulting in enhanced photocatalytic activity. Photocatalytic degradation on methyl orange organic pollutant was considerably improved indicating its potential use in water treatment applications.     

Solar light-induced photodegradation of chrysene in seawater in the presence of carbon-modified n-TiO2 nanoparticles

Photocatalytic degradation of chrysene in polluted seawater was successfully achieved under illumination of natural sunlight using carbon modified titanium oxide (C-TiO₂) nanoparticles. The morphological and structural characteristics of the as-synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The characterization results confirmed the successful incorporation of carbon into C-TiO₂ nanoparticles. As a result of C-modification, a significant enhancement of the photocatalytic degradation efficiency was observed for C-TiO₂, compared with pure TiO₂. In order to optimize the operating parameters, the impacts of catalyst loading and pH on the photocatalytic degradation of chrysene were investigated. The best degradation rate was obtained at pH 3 and C-TiO₂ loading of 1.0 g L⁻¹. The photodegradation of chrysene in seawater by using C-TiO₂ was found to follow a pseudo first-order kinetics in terms of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.     

Plasmon-resonance-enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of Ag quantum dots/TiO2 microspheres for methyl orange degradation

We successfully prepared Ag quantum dots modified TiO₂ microspheres by facile solvothermal and calcination method. The as-prepared Ag quantum dots/TiO₂ microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The Ag quantum dots/TiO₂ photocatalyst showed excellent visible light absorption and efficient photocatalytic activity for methyl orange degradation. And the sample with the molar ratio of 0.05 (Ag to Ti) showed the best visible light photocatalytic activity for methyl orange degradation, mainly because of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effects of Ag quantum dots to generate electron and hole pairs for enhanced visible light photocatalysis. Finally, possible visible light photocatalytic mechanism of Ag quantum dots/TiO₂ microspheres for methyl orange degradation was proposed in detail.     

Defect-assisted surface modification enhances the visible light photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4@C-TiO2 direct Z-scheme heterojunctions

To increase the number of active sites and defects in TiO₂ and promote rapid and efficient transfer of photogenerated charges, a g-C₃N₄@C-TiO₂ composite photocatalyst was prepared via in situ deposition of g-C₃N₄ on a carbon-doped anatase TiO₂ surface. The effects of carbon doping state and surface modification of g-C₃N₄ on the performance of g-C₃N₄@C-TiO₂ composite photocatalysts were studied by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-visible diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and electron paramagnetic resonance. With increasing carbon doping content, the carbon doping state in TiO₂ gradually changed from gap to substitution doping. Although the number of oxygen vacancies gradually increased, the degradation efficiency of g-C₃N₄@C-TiO₂ for RhB (phenol) initially increased and subsequently decreased with increasing carbon content. The g-C₃N₄@10C-TiO₂ sample exhibited the highest apparent reaction rate constant of 0.036 min^?1 (0.039 min^?1) for RhB (phenol) degradation, which was 150 (139), 6.4 (6.8), 2.3 (3), and 1.7 (2.1) times higher than that of pure TiO₂, 10C-TiO₂, g-C₃N₄, and g-C₃N₄@TiO₂, respectively. g-C₃N₄ was grown in situ on the surface of C-TiO₂ by surface carbon hybridization and bonding. The resultant novel g-C₃N₄@C-TiO₂ photocatalyst exhibited direct Z-scheme heterojunctions with non-local impurity levels. The high photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the synergistic effects of the improved visible light response ability, higher photogenerated electron transfer efficiency, and redox ability arising from Z-type heterojunctions.     

可见光响应碳掺杂的光催化剂涂覆于塞流反应器上分解气态芳香化合物(英文)

A plug‐flow reactor coated with carbon‐doped TiO2 (C‐TiO2 ) powder was investigated for the control of vaporous aromatics (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o‐xylene (BTEX)) under a range of experimental conditions. The characteristics of the as‐prepared C‐TiO2 and a reference Degussa P25 TiO2 powder were examined using X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, diffuse‐reflectance ultraviolet‐visible‐near infrared spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The experimental conditions for the photocatalytic performance of the as‐prepared C‐TiO2 photocatalyst were controlled using three operational parameters, relative humidity, flow rate, and input concentration. Unlike other target compounds, very little benzene was removed by the C‐TiO2 photocatalyst under visible‐light irradiation. In contrast, the C‐TiO2 exhibited higher removal efficiencies for the other three target compounds (toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) compared with those achieved using unmodified TiO2 under visible‐light irradiation. The highest removal efficiency was obtained at a relative humidity value of 45%. Specifically, the toluene removal efficiency determined at a relative humidity of 45% was 78%, whereas it was close to 0%, 7.2%, and 5.5% for relative humidity values of 20%, 70%, and 95%, respectively. In addition, the removal efficiencies for the three target compounds decreased as the flow rate or input concentration increased. These findings indicate that the as‐prepared C‐TiO2 photocatalyst could be used for the removal of toxic vaporous aromatics under optimized operating conditions.     

Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic oxidation capability of carbon-doped TiO2 via coupling with fly ash

A carbon-doped TiO₂/fly ash support (C-TiO₂/FAS) composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized through sol impregnation and subsequent carbonization. The carbon dopants were derived from the organic species generated during the synthesis of the C-TiO₂/FAS composite. A series of analytical techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), were used to characterize the properties of the prepared samples. The results indicated that C-TiO₂ was successfully coated on the FAS surface. Coupling between C-TiO₂ and FAS resulted in the formation of Si–O–C and Al–O–Ti bonds at their interface. The formation of Si–O–C and Al–O–Ti bonds gave rise to a positive shift of the valence band edge of C-TiO₂ and enhanced its oxidation capability of photogenerated holes as well as photodegradation efficiency of methyl orange. Moreover, the C-TiO₂/FAS photocatalyst exhibited favorable reusability and separability. This work may provide a new route for tuning the electronic band structure of TiO₂.     

Photocatalytic applications of Au-deposited on TiO2 nanocomposite catalyst in dye degradation via photoreduction

The photocatalytic activity of gold deposited on Degussa P25 titanium dioxide (Au-DP25) in the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) was investigated. The as-prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques. The obtained results show that the gold (Au⁰) deposited TiO₂ exhibited visible light plasmon absorption band. The degradation experiment j reveals that the catalytic activity of Au-DP25 in the degradation of MO is higher than that of commercially available Degussa P25 TiO₂ (DP25) samples. In addition, the photocatalytic ability of composite Au-DP25 was hardly decreased after a five-cycle for MO degradation. The kinetics of the MO degradation fitted well the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.     

Characterization, activity and mechanisms of a visible light driven photocatalyst: Manganese and iron co-modified TiO2 nanoparticles

An attempt was made to prepare Mn,Fe-codoped nanostructured TiO₂ photocatalyst for visible light assisted degradation of an azo dye (methylene blue) in aqueous solutions by a sol-gel process. The asprepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence spectra (PL) techniques. The photocatalytic activity of Mn,Fe-codoped TiO₂ catalyst was evaluated by measuring degradation rates of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. The results showed that doping with the manganese and iron ions significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity for MB degradation under visible light irradiation. This was ascribed to the fact that a small amount of manganese and iron dopants simultaneously increased MB adsorption capacity and separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. The results of DRS showed that Mn,Fe-codoped TiO₂ had significant absorption between 400 and 500 nm, which increased with the increase of manganese ion content. It is found that the stronger the PL intensity, the higher the photocatalytic activity. This could be explained by the points that PL spectra mainly resulted from surface oxygen vacancies and defects during the process of PL, while surface oxygen vacancies and defects could be favorable in capturing the photoinduced electrons during the process of photocatalytic reactions, so that the recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes could be effectively inhibited.     

Preparation and characterization of ZnTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>–TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/pillared montmorillonite composite catalyst for enhanced photocatalytic activity

ZnTiO₃–TiO₂/organic pillared montmorillonite (pMt) composite catalyst was successfully prepared in this paper by immobilizing ZnTiO₃–TiO₂ onto pMt. The composition and texture of the prepared composite catalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, ultraviolet–visible light (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was tested via photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue (MB) under both visible irradiation and UV light. The results indicated that the ZnTiO₃–TiO₂/pMt composite catalyst had an apparent absorption at the area of visible irradiation, and exhibited a higher efficiency of photocatalytic degredation of MB under visible irradiation. This was due to the heterostructure of ZnTiO₃–TiO₂, and the mesoporous structure and specific surface area of the ZnTiO₃–TiO₂/pMt composite. In addition, the results of the radical scavenging experiments showed that the holes and superoxide radicals are responsible for the degradation of MB under visible irradiation.     

Microwave‐Hydrothermal Preparation and Visible‐Light Photoactivity of Plasmonic Photocatalyst Ag‐TiO2 Nanocomposite Hollow Spheres

Visible‐light‐driven plasmonic photocatalyst Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite hollow spheres are prepared by a template‐free chemically‐induced self‐transformation strategy under microwave‐hydrothermal conditions, followed by a photochemical reduction process under xenon lamp irradiation. The prepared samples are characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherms, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/Vis and Raman spectroscopy. Production of ?OH radicals on the surface of visible‐light illuminated TiO₂ was detected by using a photoluminescence method with terephthalic acid as the probe molecule. The photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared samples was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of Rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under visible‐light irradiation. The results show that the surface plasmon absorption band of the silver nanoparticles supported on the TiO₂ hollow spheres was red shifted, and a strong surface enhanced Raman scattering effect for the Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite sample was observed. The prepared nanocomposite hollow spheres exhibits a highly visible‐light photocatalytic activity for photocatalytic degradation of RhB in water, and their photocatalytic activity is higher than that of pure TiO₂ and commercial Degussa P25 (P25) powders. Especially, the as‐prepared Ag‐TiO₂ nanocomposite hollow spheres at the nominal atomic ratio of silver to titanium ( R ) of 2 showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which exceeds that of P25 by a factor of more than 2.     

原位碳、氮共掺杂二氧化钛空心球的制备与可见光光催化性能

在H₂O₂-HF 的乙醇-水混合溶液中, 通过水热处理碳氮化钛(TiCN)制备了碳、氮共掺杂TiO₂ 空心球(CNTH). 用X 射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、X 射线光电子能谱(XPS)和紫外-可见(UV-Vis)吸收光谱表征了所制备的样品. 在可见光(λ≥400 nm)照射下, 通过降解甲基蓝检测了碳、氮共掺杂TiO₂空心球的光催化活性. 结果表明, 源于TiCN中的部分碳和氮原子原位掺入了TiO₂的晶格中, 部分碳掺入TiO₂点阵的间隙中. 该材料在整个可见光区展示了增强的可见光吸收, 其带边明显红移. 光催化研究表明在强可见光吸收和独特的空心球结构的协同作用下, 碳、氮共掺杂TiO₂空心球展示了比P25更高的可见光光催化活性.     

Pt助剂对N掺杂TiO2可见光光催化性能的影响

考察了Pt促进的N掺杂TiO2(Pt/N-TiO2)催化剂对光催化降解有机污染物性能的影响及其作用本质.采用X射线衍射、透射电镜、X射线光电子能谱、紫外-可见漫反射光谱、光电化学和荧光光谱等手段对催化剂进行了表征,并考察了样品在可见光下光催化降解甲基橙(MO)的反应性能.结果表明,Pt的存在并未明显改变N-TiO2的晶...     

Effect of Erbium on the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/Ag Nanocomposites under Visible Light Irradiation

Erbium co‐doped TiO₂/Ag catalysts are synthesized by using a simple, one‐step solvothermal method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman analysis, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The catalysts exhibit anatase crystal structures with increased visible light absorption compared with pure TiO₂. Enhanced photocatalytic activity is observed with Er co‐doped TiO₂/Ag nanocomposites for Rhodamine B degradation under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of 1 % Er co‐doped TiO₂/Ag is much higher than that of TiO₂/Ag, TiO₂/Er, pure TiO₂, and commercial Degussa P25. The kinetics of the degradation process are studied and the pseudo‐first‐order rate constant (k) and half‐life time (t_1/2) of the reaction are calculated. The enhanced activity might be accredited to the efficient separation of electron–hole pairs by silver and higher visible light absorption of TiO₂ induced by Er.     

Template‐free Fabrication of Hierarchical Macro‐/mesoporous N‐doped TiO2/graphene Oxide Composites with Enhanced Visible‐light Photocatalytic Activity

Hierarchical macro‐/mesoporous N‐doped TiO₂/graphene oxide (N‐TiO₂/GO) composites were prepared without using templates by the simple dropwise addition mixed solution of tetrabutyl titanate and ethanol containg graphene oxide (GO) to the ammonia solution, and then calcined at 350 °C. The as‐prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV‐Vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange in an aqueous solution under visible‐light irradiation. The results show that N‐TiO₂/GO composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity. GO content exhibited an obvious influence on photocatalytic performance, and the optimal GO addition content was 1 wt%. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the synergetic effects of three factors including the improved visible light absorption, the hierarchical macro‐mesoporous structure, and the efficient charge separation by GO.     

有机改性TiO2光催化剂的制备及可见光催化性能

以染料黄叱精(Chrysoidine G)和TiO₂ (Degussa P25)为原料, 利用甲苯二异氰酸酯为桥连体, 成功合成了一种有机改性的TiO₂光催化剂. 采用XRD, TEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis对所得催化剂进行了表征, 以亚甲基蓝降解为探针反应, 考察其可见光催化性能. 结果表明: 甲苯二异氰酸酯在黄叱精和TiO₂之间形成了稳定的化学键, 从而实现了对TiO₂的表面有机改性; 改性后的TiO₂在可见光区(400～550 nm)有明显的吸收; 与未改性TiO₂相比, 有机改性的TiO₂催化剂在可见光照射下表现出了很好的光催化性能.     

生物质C-N-P自掺杂TiO_2的合成及其对亚甲基兰的光催化降解活性

采用溶胶-超声辐照技术同步合成了生物质C-N-P自掺杂TiO_2复合催化剂,通过X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(FESEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis-DRS)及光致发光光谱(PL)对样品进行了表征.以亚甲基兰(MB)为目标污染物,研究了C-N-P共掺杂TiO_2的可见光光催化性能.实验结果表明,在可见光照射下,光催化反应时间为2 h时,C-N-P共掺杂TiO_2复合催化剂对亚甲基兰的降解效率最高可达9 8.5%;相比纯TiO_2,C-N-P共掺杂TiO_2复合催化剂的比表面积增大,吸收边带红移,禁带宽度减小,相变温度升高,光生载流子复合率降低.     

Effect of nitrogen-doping temperature on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the B,N-doped TiO2

B,N-TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized by boron doping firstly and subsequently nitrogen doping in NH₃ at variable temperatures. The effects of the nitrogen doping temperature on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the B,N-codoped TiO₂ were investigated. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic activity was evaluated with photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye (MO) under visible light and UV-visible light irradiation. The results suggested that the boron and nitrogen can be incorporated into the TiO₂ lattice either interstitially or substitutionally or both, while the Ti-O-B-N structure plays a vital role in photocatalytic activity in visible light region. The optimal nitrogen doping temperature is 550 °C. Higher temperature may form many oxygen vacancies and Ti³⁺ species, resulting in the decrease of photocatalytic activity in visible light.     

Structural and photoelectrochemical characterization of MWCNT-TiO2 matrices sensitized with Bi2S3

Structural and photoelectrochemical characterization of multiwall carbon nanotubes–titanium oxide (MWCNT-TiO₂) matrices, sensitized with bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃), are presented as a function of MWCNT-TiO₂ annealing temperature and Bi₂S₃ deposition time. Random matrices of multiwall carbon nanotubes were grown on stainless steel substrates by spray pyrolysis and then functionalized with a thin layer of TiO₂. Air annealing modifies the morphology and C/TiO₂ ratio in the hybrid materials, from MWCNT-TiO₂ core and shell structures at 400 °C to carbon-doped TiO₂ (C-TiO₂) at 550 °C. Both matrices increase the amount of Bi₂S₃ deposited by the chemical bath, but the best photoelectrochemical performance is observed in electrodes based on C-TiO₂. Electrodes based on core–shell structures of MWCNT-TiO₂ show large capacitive currents that interfere with photocurrent generation, demonstrating the storage potential of MWCNT and the critical role of MWCNT/TiO₂ ratio for photoelectrochemical applications. Regardless of the superior properties of C-TiO₂ photoanodes, the power conversion efficiency of Bi₂S₃-sensitized C-TiO₂ is limited by the appearance of an electron collection barrier at the substrate/film interface.     

Graphite-like carbon deposited anatase TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals as efficient visible-light photocatalysts

Graphite-like carbon deposited single-crystal anatase TiO₂ with exposed {001} facets was fabricated through a two-step solvothermal process by using glucose as carbon source. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy, Raman, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface photovoltage spectroscopy. These results demonstrated that graphite-like carbon layers were deposited on the surface of TiO₂ single-crystal nanosheets with exposed highly reactive {001} facets via the dehydration of glucose during the process of hydrothermal treatment. The loading of the graphite-like carbon layers could effectively extend the light absorption edge of the single-crystal anatase TiO₂ nanosheets to visible light region and accelerate the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes, contributing an excellent visible-light driven photocatalytic performance to the graphite-like carbon deposited single-crystal anatase TiO₂ nanosheets for the degradation of methyl orange.     

具有高可见光催化活性的Ti3+和碳共掺杂改性的TiO2光催化剂

以乙醇为碳源,采用操作简单的真空活化法一步实现对TiO₂的Ti³⁺与C的共掺杂改性,TiO₂用X衍线衍射、紫外-可见光谱、顺磁共振、X射线光电子能谱和红外光谱等手段表征了催化剂的结构、组成、光学性质. 结果表明, 经Ti³⁺与C共掺杂改性后的催化剂表现出高的可见光降解甲基橙活性. 复合在催化剂表面的石墨可以增强催化剂对可见光的响应范围,而Ti³⁺与氧缺陷形成的掺杂能级则可以提高光生电子的迁移效率. 实验表明,两者之间的协同作用促进了其可见光催化活性的提高.