Foam-structured Activated Carbon-ceramic as TiO2 Supports for Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol

An activated foam-structured carbon-ceramic(AFCC) was prepared and investigated as TiO₂ support for the photocatalytic degradation of phenol. AFCC and TiO₂/AFCC catalysts were characterized by N₂ adsorption- desorption and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The effects of AFCC on the photocatalytic activity and the crystallinity of TiO₂ were studied. The results show that the crystallinity and anatase/rutile ratio of TiO₂ loaded on AFCC could be significantly influenced by the calcination temperature. The degradation rate of phenol benefited from the synergistic effects of the adsorption of activated carbon(AC) and the photocatalysis of TiO₂, which suggests that a high surface area of AC is essential to achieve high degradation rates and efficiencies. It was found that the larger mean cell size of AFCC increased the light transmission within the foam.