Abstract
Metal (Fe and Cr)-incorporated mesoporous nanocrystalline titania (Ti1−x−yMx+yO2, or TiMxO2) was synthesized using a simple solution combustion method. Structural characterization, microscopy, and spectroscopy techniques confirmed the incorporation of Fe and Cr into the TiO2 lattice. Photocatalytic benzene oxidation to phenol was investigated under ambient conditions, and under solar stimulator (AM1.5 or one sun condition) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Compared to pristine TiO2, TiO2 doped with 2 at% of Fe (Ti0.98Fe0.02O2) exhibited a higher catalytic activity for benzene-to-phenol oxidation, highlighting the importance of the introduction of the Fe dopant. Introduction of Fe and Cr into the TiO2 (Ti0.98Fe0.01Cr0.01O2) lattice further enhanced the oxidation of benzene to phenol under UV light and gave a phenol yield that was ∼2 times higher than that given by Ti0.98Fe0.02O2. The high photocatalytic activity of Ti1−x−yMx+yO2 and good photocurrent behaviour were mainly ascribed to the generation of an electron trapping level composed of Fe3+ and Cr3+ in the TiO2 conduction band, disordered mesoporosity, high mobility, and a short diffusion length for charge carriers.
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