Local structure and photocatalytic activity of B2O3–SiO2/TiO2 ternary mixed oxides prepared by sol–gel method

The local structure and the photoactivity of B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ ternary mixed oxides (SiO₂ content was fixed as 30 at.% with respect to TiO₂) was investigated by using XRD, FT-IR, BET, UV-vis spectra, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurement. In FT-IR analysis, boron was incorporated into the framework of titania matrix with replacing Ti---O---Si with Si---O---B or Ti---O---B bonds. Also, paramagnetic species such as O⁻ and Ti³⁺ defects were formed by the boron incorporation. In SiO₂/TiO₂ mixed oxides, a blue shift in the light absorption band was observed due to the quantization of band structure. All B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ samples had pure anatase phase and no rutile phase was formed even though the calcination temperature was over 900 °C. Incorporating boron oxides of more than 10% enlarges the grain size of anatase phase and causes a red shift of the light absorption spectrum. The surface area was monotonically decreased with increasing the content of boron content. As a result, the photoactivity of B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ ternary mixed oxides was greatly influenced by the content of boron oxide. The highest photoactivity (g moles/min l) was obtained when the boron content was 5% and seven times higher than that of silica/titania binary mixed oxide. In addition, the specific photoactivity (g moles/m² l) was maximum still at 5%. It was concluded that the large reduction of surface area, the change of band structure, and more formation of bulk Ti³⁺ sites are responsible for the deterioration in the photoactivity of B₂O₃–SiO₂/TiO₂ ternary mixed oxides when the content of boron is over 10%, although their crystallinity was enhanced by increasing the calcination temperature with keeping anatase phase.     

Synthesis of nanosized TiO2/SiO2 particles in the microemulsion and their photocatalytic activity on the decomposition of p-nitrophenol

Nanosized pure TiO₂ particles were prepared by hydrolysis of TTIP in the sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles. TiO₂/SiO₂ nanoparticles were also prepared from TEOS as a silicon source and TTIP as a titanium source. These particles were characterized by TEM, XRD, FT-IR, BET, TGA and DTA. From thermal analysis and XRD analysis, the anatase structure of pure titania appeared in the 300–600 °C calcination temperature range and the rutile structure was showed above 700 °C. However, no rutile phase was observed for the TiO₂/SiO₂ particles up to 800 °C. The crystallite size decreased and the surface area of TiO₂/SiO₂ particles monotonically increased with an increase of the silica content. From FT-IR analysis, the band for Ti–O–Si vibration was observed and the band intensity for Si–O–Si vibration increased with an increase of the silica content. The micrographs of TEM showed that the TiO₂/SiO₂ nanoparticles had a spherical and a narrow size distribution. In addition, TiO₂/SiO₂ particles showed higher photocatalytic activity than pure TiO₂ and the TiO₂/SiO₂ (90/10) particles showed the highest activity on the photocatalytic decomposition of p-nitrophenol.     

Characterization and photocatalytic activity of transition-metal-supported surface bond-conjugated TiO2/SiO2

TM/TiO₂/SiO₂ photocatalysts were prepared by the photodeposition method using transition metal salts (TM=Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Cu²⁺) as precursors and the surface bond-conjugated TiO₂/SiO₂ as supporter in N₂ atmosphere, and were characterized by XRD, XPS, UV-Vis diffuse reflection and zeta-potential. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated using reactive brilliant red K-2G (K-2G) and cationic blue X-GRL (CBX) showing different adsorption behavior on the oxides. Fe, Cu supported TiO₂/SiO₂ can efficiently extend the light absorption to the visible region. XPS analysis verified that the introduction of transition metal lead to the changes of the electronic environmental of Ti cations and the zeta-potential of oxides. As a result, K-2G has higher adsorption on the modified TiO₂/SiO₂ than that on the baked one, while the adsorption of CBX has a little change on the both oxides. At the same time, for the photodegradation of K-2G, Fe³⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺-modified catalysts show that their photoactivities are 3.3–2.2 times higher than the bare one. On the contrast, all transition-metal-supported catalysts have no significant activity improvement except that Fe/TiO₂/SiO₂ shows 1.68 times higher activity for the photodegradation of CBX. The results indicate that the photoactivity could be increased in photodegradation of dyes by changing the performances of adsorption to dyes and absorption to light of photocatalyst.     

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis over Re-promoted Co supported on Al2O3, SiO2 and TiO2: Effect of water

The activity and selectivity of rhenium promoted cobalt Fischer–Tropsch catalysts supported on Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and SiO₂ have been studied in a fixed-bed reactor at 483 K and 20 bar. Exposure of the catalysts to water added to the feed deactivates the Al₂O₃ supported catalyst, while the activity of the TiO₂ and SiO₂ supported catalysts increased. However, at high concentrations of water both the SiO₂ and TiO₂ supported catalyst deactivated. Common for all catalysts was an increase in C₅₊ selectivity and a decrease in the CH₄ selectivity by increasing the water partial pressure. The catalysts have been characterized by scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), BET, H₂ chemisorption and X-ray diffraction (XRD).     

Preparation and characterization of TiO2–SiO2 nano-composite thin films

TiO₂ nanocrystalline particles dispersed in SiO₂ have been prepared by the sol-gel method using titanium- and silicon-alkoxides as precursors. Nano-composite thin films were formed on the glass substrates by dip-coating technique and heat treated at temperatures up to 500 °C for 1 h. The size of the TiO₂ nanocrystalline particles in the TiO₂–SiO₂ solution ranged from 5 to 8 nm. The crystalline structure of TiO₂ powders was identified as the anatase phase. As the content of SiO₂ increased, the anatase phase tended to be stabilized to higher temperature. TEM results revealed the presence of spherical TiO₂ particles dispersed in a disk-shaped glassy matrix. Photocatalytic activity of the TiO₂–SiO₂ (1:1) thin films showed decomposition of 95% of methylene blue solution in 2 h and a contact angle of 10°. The photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue increased and the contact angle decreased with the content of TiO₂ phase. TiO₂–SiO₂ with the molar ratio of 1:1 showed a reasonable combination of adhesion, film strength, and the photocatalytic activity.     

TiO2-SiO2 and V2O5/TiO2-SiO2 catalyst: Physico-chemical characteristics and catalytic behavior in selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3

TiO₂-SiO₂ with various compositions prepared by the coprecipitation method and vanadia loaded on TiO₂-SiO₂ were investigated with respect to their physico-chemical characteristics and catalytic behavior in SCR of NO by NH₃ and in the undesired oxidation of SO₂ to SO₃, using BET, XRD, XPS, NH₃-TPD, acidity measurement by the titration method and activity test. TiO₂-SiO₂, compared with pure TiO₂, exhibits a remarkably stronger acidity, a higher BET surface area, a lower crystallinity of anatase titania and results in allowing a good thermal stability and a higher vanadia dispersion on the support up to high loadings of 15 wt% V₂O₅. The SCR activity and N₂ selectivity are found to be more excellent over vanadia loaded on TiO₂-SiO₂ with 10–20 mol% of SiO₂ than over that on pure TiO₂, and this is considered to be associated with highly dispersed vanadia on the supports and large amounts of NH₃ adsorbed on the catalysts. With increasing SiO₂ content, the remarkable activity decrease in the oxidation of SO₂ to SO₃, favorable for industrial SCR catalysts, was also observed, strongly depending on the existence of vanadium species of the oxidation state close to V⁴⁺ on TiO₂-SiO₂, while V⁵⁺ exists on TiO₂, according to XPS. It is concluded that vanadia loaded on Ti-rich TiO₂-SiO₂ with low SiO₂ content is suitable as SCR catalysts for sulfur-containing exhaust gases due to showing not only the excellent de-NO_x activity but also the low SO₂ oxidation performance.     

Partial oxidation of methane to CO and H2 over nickel and/or cobalt containing ZrO2, ThO2, UO2, TiO2 and SiO2 catalysts

The influence of different metal oxide supports (i.e. ZrO₂, ThO₂, UO₂, TiO₂ and SiO₂) on the performance of Ni- and/or Co-containing catalysts [Ni and/or Co/MO₂ mole ratio (where M=Zr, Th, U, Ti or Si)=1.0] in the oxidative methane-to-syngas conversion at very low contact time (GHSV=5.2×10⁵ cm³ g⁻¹ h⁻¹ at STP) was investigated. The nickel-containing ZrO₂, ThO₂ and UO₂ catalysts (with or without pre-reduction by hydrogen at 500°C) showed good performance in the process; the order of their performance is NiO–ThO₂>NiO–UO₂>NiO–ZrO₂. The NiO–TiO₂ showed appreciable catalytic activity only after its reduction at 800°C. However, this catalyst and the NiO–SiO₂ catalyst showed poor performance in the process. These two catalysts are also deactivated very fast, mostly because of sintering of Ni and/or formation of catalytically inactive binary metal oxide phases by solid–solid reaction at the high catalyst calcination and/or catalytic reaction temperature. Although the Ni-containing ThO₂, UO₂ and ZrO₂ catalysts showed good performance, carbon deposition on them during the process is fast. However, because of the addition of cobalt to these catalysts (with Co/Ni=1.0), the rate of carbon deposition on them in the process is drastically reduced. This Co addition however resulted in a significant decrease in both the conversion and selectivity; the decrease in the selectivity was small.     

Catalytic wall reactor: Catalytic coatings of stainless steel by VOx/TiO2 and Co/SiO2 catalysts

Catalytic wall (structured) reactors and structured supports are suitable to study the catalytic properties of nanosized materials. The coating of metallic (aluminum and stainless steel) plates by thin layers of active phase is presented in two cases, VO_x/TiO₂ and Co/SiO₂, catalysts used in the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane and in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) of clean fuels, respectively. The preparation of coated plates and their characterisation by various methods of physicochemical analysis are described. Both chemical and physical methods were used for coating. VO_x/TiO₂ layers were obtained by grafting of Ti (on Al or stainless-steel plates) and V (on TiO₂) alkoxides and use of sol–gel media or suspension. A silica primer was deposited (on stainless-steel plate) by plasma-assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) onto which Co oxide and silica were coprecipitated from sol–gel. The catalytic experiments in the respective reactions were carried out in special plate reactors and compared with those of catalytic powders. The study shows that the coating of a metallic substrate by a catalyst is not straightforward and requires specific studies dealing with both chemistry (chemical affinity between substrate and catalytic layers) and catalytic engineering (catalytic performance in taylor-made reactors).     

Photoresponse and AC impedance characterization of TiO2–SiO2 mixed oxide for photocatalytic water decomposition

TiO₂–SiO₂ mixed oxides were prepared by sol–gel processes with one-stage (mix up fully hydrolyzed titania- and silica-sol), two-stage (with pre-hydrolysis) and modified two-stage synthesis routes. The photoresponse and AC impedance characterization of the derived catalysts are studied and correlated for the first time with the photocatalytic activities in water decomposition under UV illumination. Synergistic effects in terms of photocatalytic activity and electronic properties including band-gap energy, flat band potential and doping density were observed on atomically mixing TiO₂ and SiO₂ by the two-stage synthesis route. Meanwhile, the decline of photocurrent density were found on TiO₂–SiO₂ relative to bare TiO₂, which could be attributed to low quality crystalline structure of the former compared to that of the latter. The superior photocatalytic performance of TiO₂–SiO₂ is ascribed to the higher flat band potential, band-gap energy, and doping density than those of bare TiO₂.     

Photocatalytic conversion of CH4 and CO2 to oxygenated compounds over Cu/CdS–TiO2/SiO2 catalyst

Coupled semiconductor (CS) Cu/CdS–TiO₂/SiO₂ photocatalyst was prepared using a mutli-step impregnation method. Its optical property was characterized by UV–vis spectra. BET, XRD, Raman and IR were used to study the structure of the photocatalyst. Fine CdS was found dispersed over the surface of anatase TiO₂/SiO₂ substrate. Chemisorption and IR analysis showed methane absorbed in the molecular state interacted weakly with the surface of catalyst, and the interaction of CO₂ with CS produced various forms of absorbed CO₂ species that were primarily present in the form of formate, bidentate and linear absorption species. Photocatalytic direct conversion of CH₄ and CO₂ was performed under the operation conditions: 373 K, 1:1 of CO₂/CH₄, 1 atm, space velocity of 200 h⁻¹ and UV intensity of 20.0 mW/cm². The conversion was 1.47% for CH₄ and 0.74% for CO₂ with a selectivity of acetone up to 92.3%. The reaction mechanisms were proposed based on the experimental observations.     

CO hydrogenation over a rhodium vanadate catalyst: Reduction and regeneration of RhVO4 on SiO2

The hydrogenation of CO over an Rh vanadate (RhVO₄) catalyst supported on SiO₂ (RhVO₄/SiO₂) has been investigated after H₂ reduction at 500°C, and the results are compared with those of vanadia-promoted (V₂O₅–Rh/SiO₂) and unpromoted Rh/SiO₂ catalysts. The mean size of Rh particles, which were dispersed by the decomposition of RhVO₄ after the H₂ reduction, was smaller (41 Å) than those (91–101 Å) of V₂O₅–Rh/SiO₂ and Rh/SiO₂ catalysts. The RhVO₄/SiO₂ catalyst showed higher activity and selectivity to C₂ oxygenates than the unpromoted Rh/SiO₂ catalyst after the H₂ pretreatment. The CO conversion of the RhVO₄/SiO₂ catalyst was much higher than that of V₂O₅–Rh/SiO₂ catalyst, and the yield of C₂ oxygenates increased. We also found that the RhVO₄/SiO₂ catalyst can be regenerated by calcination or O₂ treatment at high temperature after the reaction.     

Catalytic activity of dispersed CuO phases towards nitrogen oxides (N2O, NO, and NO2)

A systematic reactivity study of N₂O, NO, and NO₂ on highly dispersed CuO phases over modified silica supports (SiO₂–Al₂O₃, SiO₂–TiO₂, and SiO₂–ZrO₂) has been performed. Different reaction paths for the nitrogen oxide species abatement were studied: from direct decomposition (N₂O) to selective reductions by hydrocarbons (N₂O, NO, and NO₂) and oxidation (NO to NO₂). The oxygen concentration, temperature, and contact time, were varied within suitable ranges in order to investigate the activity and in particular the selectivity in the different reactions studied. The support deeply influenced the catalytic properties of the active copper phase. The most acidic supports, SiO₂–Al₂O₃ and SiO₂–ZrO₂, led to a better activity and selectivity of CuO for the reactions of N₂O, NO, and NO₂ reductions and N₂O decomposition than SiO₂–TiO₂. The catalytic results are discussed in terms of actual turnover frequencies starting from the knowledge of the copper dispersion values.     

C2H2 oxidation by plasma/TiO2 combination: Influence of the porosity, and photocatalytic mechanisms under plasma exposure

Plasma/catalyst combination is an active solution to reach high conversion rates at low energetic cost. TiO₂ is one of the catalysts frequently used in dielectric barrier discharges. Plasma/TiO₂ synergy was already exhibited but the mechanisms still have to be understood. This work distinguishes three main effects involved in the synergy: (a) effect of catalyst on the injected power, (b) the effect of porosity on C₂H₂ oxidation, and (c) the photocatalytic degradation of C₂H₂ on TiO₂ under plasma exposure. Different glass fibres-based catalytic materials coated with SiO₂ and/or TiO₂ nano-particles are used to separate these three contributions regarding to C₂H₂ conversion. It is reported that at constant voltage the injected power is mainly increased by the presence of glass fibres. C₂H₂ oxidation is mainly enhanced by the macroporosity of glass fibres and in a minor way by the nano-particles. The production of O atoms close to the surface is probably responsible for the higher C₂H₂ removal efficiency with porous material. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ is negligible in the plasma except if additional UV lamps are used to activate TiO₂. With external UV, photocatalytic activity is more efficient in the plasma phase than in a neutral gas phase. This plasma/photocatalysis synergy is due to the use of O atoms in photocatalytic mechanisms.     

Effect of promoters including tungsten and barium on the thermal stability of V2O5/sulfated TiO2 catalyst for NO reduction by NH3

The effect of tungsten and barium on the thermal stability of V₂O₅/TiO₂ catalyst for NO reduction by NH₃ was examined over a fixed bed flow reactor system. The activity of V₂O₅/sulfated TiO₂ catalyst gradually decreased with respect to the thermal aging time at 600 °C. The addition of tungsten to the catalyst surface significantly enhanced the thermal stability of V₂O₅ catalyst supported on sulfated TiO₂. On the basis of Raman and XRD measurements, the tungsten on the catalyst surface was identified as suppressing the progressive transformation of monomeric vanadyl species into crystalline V₂O₅ and of anatase into rutile phase of TiO₂. However, the NO removal activity of V₂O₅/sulfated TiO₂ catalyst including barium markedly decreased after a short aging time, 6 h at 600 °C. This may be due to the transformation of vanadium species to inactive V–O–Ba compound by the interaction with BaO which was formed by the decomposition of BaSO₄ on the catalyst surface at high reaction temperature of 600 °C. The addition of SO₂ to the feed gas stream could partly restore the NO removal activity of thermally aged V₂O₅/sulfated TiO₂ catalyst containing barium.     

Role of the support on the activity of silica-supported TiO2 photocatalysts: Structure of the TiO2/SBA-15 photocatalysts

Immobilization of TiO₂ on silica materials has been commonly proposed in order to make easier the separation of the catalyst after the photocatalytic reactions in aqueous systems. The main drawback of the supported photocatalysts is that they usually show lower activities in comparison with powdered TiO₂ materials. The aim of this work is to elucidate the structure of some silica-supported TiO₂ photocatalysts recently developed as well as to evaluate the role that the porous structure of the support can play in the observed photocatalytic activities. In comparison with the use of an amorphous silica support, the use of the mesostructured silica SBA-15 produces an ordered structure in which TiO₂ crystals of similar sizes, independently of titania loading, are located inside the mesoporous channels of the support. The photocatalytic treatment of several cyanide-containing compounds is analyzed and the results are explained in terms of the structure of every catalyst. Depending on the model compound, the characteristic structure of the TiO₂/SBA-15 materials allows increasing up to eight times the activity achieved by the Degussa P25 TiO₂. The main conclusion of this work is the strong influence of the textural properties of the support on the catalytic activity of immobilized TiO₂ photocatalysts.     

On the comparison of photocatalysts activity: A novel procedure for the measurement of titania surface in TiO2/SiO2 materials

The distribution of two different phases in a mixed oxide material could be investigated through several physicochemical characterization techniques. However, the estimation of the fraction of the total surface area corresponding to each oxide is a very difficult task. In this work, we present a novel procedure for the determination of the titanium dioxide surface in titania–silica materials. This new method is based on the measurement of the phosphorus content of the mixed oxide after reaction with phenylphosphonic acid. The quantification of the TiO₂ surface has permitted the comparison of the catalytic activity of different materials in processes in which titanium dioxide is the only catalytically active phase and silica behaves as an inert support, as, for instance, in photocatalytic reactions. The activity of several TiO₂/SiO₂ photocatalysts for cyanide and methanol photooxidation have been analysed and compared with pure TiO₂ materials in terms of equal mass of semiconductor, photonic efficiency and active surface area. The results suggest the possibility of achieving surface activity rates even higher than the material Degussa P25 when using nanocrystalline titania supported on silica.     

Effect of substrate on the phase transformation of TiO2 in pearlescent pigment

The TiO₂/substrate pearlescent pigments were prepared by the hydrolysis of TiOCl₂ on the substrate followed by a calcinations process. The natural mica (muscovite), synthetic mica (fluorophlogopite) and -alumina flake were selected as the substrates for pearlescent pigments. The effect of substrate on the anatase to rutile (A–R) phase transformation of TiO₂ was studied. The A–R phase transformation of TiO₂ during the preparation of pearlescent pigments and their proportion in the TiO₂ layer have been analyzed by XRD measurements. The phase compositions of TiO₂ layer in each pearlescent pigment are quite different depending on the substrates. The TiO₂ layer deposited on -alumina has higher rutile fraction than those on the natural and synthetic mica. The XPS analysis showed that the cations originally present in the substrates diffused into the TiO₂ layer. The TiO₂ layer deposited on -alumina contains Al, while those on the natural and synthetic mica substrates contain Si and K in addition to Al. The metal cations diffusing from the substrate into TiO₂ layer might retard the A–R phase transformation of TiO₂. The suppressing effect on the A–R transformation of TiO₂ by mixed cations seems to be much stronger than that of single cation, resulting in relatively higher rutile fraction in the case of TiO₂ layer deposited on -alumina.     

微球形SiO2-Al2O3制备及其流化床蒽醌加氢性能研究

采用喷雾分散-油柱成型制备方法,以硅溶胶为硅源,制备不同含量SiO2掺杂改性的微球形氧化铝载体,研究SiO2含量对氧化铝载体结构及以其为载体的负载型催化剂性能的影响。研究表明,通过掺杂SiO2有效改善了氧化铝微球的热稳定性,且氧化铝载体的孔容、比表面积及酸中心数量均随SiO2含量的增加而增加,孔径随SiO2含量的增加而减小。Pd/SiO2-Al2O3催化剂结构表征及流化床蒽醌加氢性能评价结果表明,掺杂SiO2质量分数6%时,Pd/SiO2-Al2O3催化剂氢化效率大于12.5g·L^-1,选择性大于98.3%。     

Hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophenes over molybdenum catalyst supported on TiO2–Al2O3

Composite types of TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supports, which are γ-aluminas coated by titania, have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using TiCl₄ as a precursor. Then supported molybdenum catalysts have been prepared by an impregnation method. As supports, we employed γ-alumina, anatase types of titania, and composite types of TiO₂–Al₂O₃ with different loadings of TiO₂. We studied the conversion of Mo from oxidic to sulfidic state through sulfurization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained spectra unambiguously revealed the higher reducibility from oxidic to sulfidic molybdenum species on the TiO₂ and TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supports compared to that on the Al₂O₃ support. Higher TiO₂ loadings of the TiO₂–Al₂O₃ composite support led to higher reducibility for molybdenum species. Furthermore, the catalytic behavior of supported molybdenum catalysts has been investigated for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and methyl-substituted DBT derivatives. The conversion over the TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supported Mo catalysts, in particular for the 4,6-dimethyl-DBT, is much higher than that obtained over Al₂O₃ supported Mo catalyst. The ratio of the corresponding cyclohexylbenzene (CHB)/biphenyl (BP) derivatives is increased over the Mo/TiO₂–Al₂O₃. This indicates that the prehydrogenation of an aromatic ring plays an important role in the HDS of DBT derivatives over TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supported catalysts.     

Efficient destruction of pathogenic bacteria with AgBr/TiO2 under visible light irradiation

The photocatalytic inactivation of pathogenic bacteria in water was investigated systematically with AgBr/TiO₂ under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. The catalyst was found to be highly effective for the killing of Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium, and Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive bacterium. The decomposition of the cell wall and cell membrane was directly observed by TEM and further confirmed by K⁺ leakage from the inactivated bacteria. A possible cell damage mechanism by visible light-driven AgBr/TiO₂ is proposed. In addition, the effects of pH, inorganic ions on bacterial photocatalytic inactivation were investigated. The electrostatic force interaction of the bacteria–catalyst is crucial for the efficiency of disinfection. Moreover, AgBr/TiO₂ supported on porous nickel showed much higher bactericidal activity than fixed P25 TiO₂ under visible or near UV light irradiation.