Preparation of efficient titanium oxide photocatalysts by an ionized cluster beam (ICB) method and their photocatalytic reactivities for the purification of water

Abstract

Using an ionized cluster beam (ICB) method, titanium oxide photocatalysts were prepared on porous Vycor silica glass (PVG) and activated carbon fibers (ACF), and their photocatalytic reactivities for the degradation of 2-propanol diluted in water was investigated. Characterizations of these catalysts by means of SEM, XAFS, XRD, XPS and UV–Vis absorption techniques showed that the titanium oxide in transparent thin films could be formed on PVG and titanium oxide clusters could be deposited on the ACF. UV irradiation of these catalysts in a diluted aqueous solution of 2-propanol or 1,2-dichloroethane led to the efficient decomposition of these reactants into CO 2, H 2O and HCl. The titanium oxide catalysts prepared on these porous materials exhibited higher photocatalytic reactivities than TiO 2 powder and titanium oxide catalysts prepared by a conventional impregnation method. The present results have clearly shown that the ICB method is useful in the preparation of titanium oxide photocatalysts combined with porous supports such as PVG and ACF.