Photodegradation catalyst screening by combinatorial methodology

In this work, a combinatorial methodology was developed for photodegradation catalyst screening. A fluorescence imaging detection system was designed for high throughput analysis, 1,6-hexamethylenediamine was used as the probe molecule for catalyst testing. The photodegradation activity of catalysts was evaluated by 1,6-hexamethylenediamine consumption during the photodegradation reaction. The methodology could provide reliable results. We found that pure TiO₂, ZrO₂, Nb₂O₅, MoO₃, and WO₃ did not show much activity for 1,6-hexamethylenediamine photodegradation under visible light. TiO₂ catalysts doped with different metal ions were tested. When TiO₂ was doped with Ta₂O₅, Nb₂O₅, V₂O₅, MoO₃, or WO₃, higher activity for photodegradation was observed. The doping of La³⁺, Ba²⁺, and Br^? to TiO₂ did not improve the catalytic activities. When doping TiO₂ with Mn²⁺, Cl^?, Al³⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Li⁺, F^?, Co²⁺, or K⁺, catalytic activity was lower than that of pure TiO₂. After elaborate catalysts screening, we discovered new catalysts, such as 50–70% TiO₂/0–20% WO₃/20–40% VO_2.5 and 20–30% TiO₂/30–50% MoO₃/40–60% VO_2.5 as well as 30% WO₃/20% ZrO₂/50% NbO_2.5 (synthesized from ZrCl₄, NbCl₅, and (NH₄)₅H₅H₂(WO₄)₆]·H₂O in ethanol solution or suspension) and 60–70% WO₃/Nb₂O₅ (synthesized from WCl₆ and NbCl₅ in ethanol solution). We observed that the catalytic activity is sensitive to preparation methods and catalyst specific surface areas. When P123 (HO(CH₂CH₂O)₂₀(CH₂CH(CH₃)O)₇₀(CH₂CH₂O)₂₀H, designated EO₂₀PO₇₀EO₂₀) was used as template to synthesize mesoporous materials, the mesoporous catalysts showed higher activity than regular catalytic materials.