Photocatalytic behavior of TiO 2 nanoparticles supported on porous aluminosilicate surface modified by cationic surfactant

Abstract

In order to utilize the photocatalytic function of TiO 2 nanoparticles in materials manufactured from organic polymeric compounds, such as paper, resins, and textiles, TiO 2 nanoparticles supported on aluminosilicate, which contained 1, 5, and 10 wt% of TiO 2 were prepared by mixing commercial TiO 2 nanoparticles and porous aluminosilicate at pH 7 in a cationic surfactant aqueous solution. Most of the supported TiO 2 nanoparticles on the aluminosilicate surface were observed by TEM–EDS (energy depressive X-ray spectroscopy) analysis. TiO 2 nanoparticles supported on aluminosilicate reduced the formaldehyde concentration from 20 to 0 ppm after UV irradiation for 20 h; the reduction of formaldehyde concentration under UV irradiation was obviously different from that in the dark. Moreover, a paper mixed with 20 wt% of TiO 2 nanoparticles supported on aluminosilicate bleached the stains colored with cigarette tar after UV irradiation for 6 h. However, the paper maintained its initial tensile strength even after UV irradiation for 1 year; in contrast, the paper mixed with a simple dry mixture of TiO 2 powder and aluminosilicate lost approximately half of its initial tensile strength after a year. TiO 2 nanoparticles supported on aluminosilicate could exhibit photocatalytic activity without decomposing the organic polymeric compounds.