Study of the Photocatalytic Activity of Titanium and Tungsten Oxides Obtained by Electric Explosion of Metal Conductors in Air

Abstract

Oxides as a shape of micro- and nanosized powder, containing agglomerates of particles with a high specific surface, were obtained by means of electric Ti and W wire explosion in the air. An X-ray phase analysis showed that the only product of Ti destruction is TiO2, while the electric explosion of W conductors results in the formation of WO3 + W2O7 mixture, which tungsten anhydride WO3 dominates in, and traces of a residual metallic W come across. The photocatalytic properties of electroexplosive powder were studied using a model oxidation reaction of methylene blue. It was revealed that both TiO2 and the WO3 + W2O7 mixture demonstrate catalytic activity within a wide spectrum of radiation, including the visible one. The catalytic activity of the WO3 + W2O7 mixture under ultraviolet and incandescent lamp radiation was inferior to that of TiO2, however, in the solar radiation, the rate of dye degradation with the participation of tungsten oxides is higher. In this case, the average rate of decreasing concentration of the dye in water containing a mixture of WO3 + W2O7 depends but a little on the type of the radiation source.