Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/ZSM-5 composites in the presence of SO4 ion

TiO₂/ZSM-5 composites were prepared from SiO₂ of rice husk ash and TiO₂ sol from hydrolyzed TiOSO₄ salt. The combined effect of these two materials greatly enhanced the photocatalytic decolorization of methylene blue dye solution. The instant decolorization of the dye solution in the dark by the composite, TiO₂/ZSM-5 (wt ratio 1:1), resulted from the combination of the adsorption by ZSM-5 zeolite and TiO₂ nano-particles, and of Na₂SO₄ salt adhering to the composite surface. As a strong flocculating agent, the SO₄²⁻ ion caused the precipitation of the dye onto the composite surface which consequently enhanced the photocatalytic decolorization of the dye under UV irradiation. The composite, TiO₂/ZSM-5 (wt ratio 1:5), completely decolorized the methylene blue dye in 2.5 h, giving an equivalent performance to that of TiO₂, P-25 powder.     

Direct fabrication of TiO2 nanoparticles deposited on hydroxyapatite crystals under mild hydrothermal conditions

TiO2 nanoparticles-deposited on hydroxyapatite (HAp) have been successfully synthesized by direct (single step) hydrothermal treatments of a CaCO3 suspension in a H3PO4 solution with 10 vol% TAS-FINE (titanium amine complex) at 150 degrees C for 6 h or 120 degrees C for 12-24 h under nearly neutral pH conditions. The obtained products were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDX, visible, Raman, and TEM. The XRD and Raman results showed the formation of HAp and TiO2 anatase phases under these hydrothermal conditions. SEM and TEM observations revealed that anatase TiO2 nanoparticles with the size of about 10 nm were deposited on the surfaces of the HAp crystals.     

Synthesis of Tri-S-Triazine Based g-C3N4 Photocatalyst for Cationic Rhodamine B Degradation under Visible Light

Topics in Catalysis - In this research, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts were synthesized through a simple calcination process at various temperatures, which were 400, 500, 550, and...     

Synthesis and characterization of anatase photocatalyst powder from sodium titanate compounds

The synthesis of anatase photocatalyst powder from sodium titanate compounds prepared from rutile and sodium carbonate powder was studied. The sodium titanate compounds were derived from the solid-state reactions of three different (1:4, 1:1.58 and 1:0.73) (m/m) ratios of TiO₂:Na₂CO₃ at 850 °C. Then, the powder was dissolved in 5 M H₂SO₄ solution, filtered, washed, dried and calcined at 400, 500 or 600 °C for 2 h. The effects of processing parameters on the resultant phase structure, crystallite size, morphology and the surface area of the synthesized powders were investigated. It was found that the anatase powder with a crystallite size of about 102 nm and a specific surface area of 16.7 m²/g synthesized from sodium titanate compounds with a 1:1.58 (m/m) ratio of TiO₂:Na₂CO₃ and calcined at 600 °C showed the best photocatalytic activity to degrade of methylene blue in aqueous solution under UV irradiation.     

Surface characteristics of water-repellent polyelectrolyte multilayer films containing various silica contents

Water-repellent films were dip-coated onto glass substrate by mimicking a unique surface feature of the lotus leaf by a layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolyte, followed by SiO₂ particle to modify surface roughness, and finally a semifluorinated silane to lower the surface energy. Two types of the SiO₂, a fine-sized Aerosil^® 200 and a coarse-sized Aeroperl^® 300/30, were employed at various contents to modify the films' surface roughness. SEM and AFM analysis revealed that the Aerosil^® 200 had more uniform deposition onto the etched polyelectrolyte layer due to its very fined size while the Aeroperl^® 300/30 had less uniform deposition due to its coarser size. In both cases, higher SiO₂ content in the films led to more surface roughness and more hydrophobicity, although the effect was not dramatic in the case of Aerosil^® 200. The films containing the Aerosil^® 200 had very high contact angles of 167-175°and very low surface energy of 0.03-0.51 mJ m^− 2, while the films containing the Aeroperl^® 300/30 had lower contact angles of 132-154°and higher surface energy of 3.07-11.29 mJ m^− 2.