TiO2-anatase modified by carbon as the photocatalyst under visible light

Abstract

Abstract The photocatalytic oxidation of phenol in water under a visible light over anatase-type titanium dioxide (Tytanpol A11, Poland), modified by carbon deposited via n-hexane carbonisation, was investigated. The catalysts, which had small (0–0.2 mass%) and high (0.69–0.85 mass%) contents of carbon showed a little lower catalytic photoactivity than pristine TiO2. However, the catalyst with high content of carbon (0.85 mass%) gave almost 14-times lower turbidity in the phenol solution after the photocatalyst sedimentation. These two factors depend on the carbon content and have an influence on the ‘practical efficiency’ of the catalysts. The ‘practical efficiency’ of the catalyst under visible light, calculated from these two factors, was therefore 14-times higher for the catalyst containing 0.85 mass% carbon (whereas for UV radiation, it was found to be lower – 0.2 mass% –; this is the result of a previous work). The surface modification of the catalyst with 0.85% carbon seemed to be stable under visible light. The deposition of carbon on TiO2 by carbonisation of n-hexane was supposed to lead to obtain the catalyst, which could be easily used in a water-treatment system under visible light. To cite this article: A.W. Morawski et al., C. R. Chimie 9 (2006).