Characterization of titanium-boron binary oxides and their photocatalytic activity for stoichiometric decomposition of water

A titanium-boron binary oxide has been prepared by sol–gel method and used as a photocatalyst for the decomposition of water. The structure of titanium oxide species in the Ti/B binary oxide was amorphous before and crystal after calcination in O₂, while the boron oxide species maintained its amorphous state. With increasing calcination temperature, the crystalline structure of titanium oxides changed from an anatase phase to a rutile phase. Pt-loaded Ti/B photocatalysts decomposed water stoichiometrically in aqueous suspension system. Their photocatalytic activity decreased markedly with increase in the calcination temperature, indicating that the photocatalytic activity of the Ti/B binary oxide was strongly dependent on the crystal phase of the titanium oxide in the Ti/B binary oxide. A remarkable yield in the reaction of water decomposition was obtained when Na₂CO₃ was added in the Pt-loaded Ti/B binary oxide suspension.