Low temperature fabrication & photocatalytical activity of carbon fiber-supported TiO2 with different phase compositions

Zhifeng Wang; Kohji Yoshinaga; Xiu R Bu; Ming Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.01.033

Low temperature fabrication & photocatalytical activity of carbon fiber-supported TiO2 with different phase compositions

J Hazard Mater. 2015 Jun 15:290:134-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.01.033. Epub 2015 Jan 13.

Authors

Zhifeng Wang¹, Kohji Yoshinaga², Xiu R Bu³, Ming Zhang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Environmental Material and Environmental Engineering of Jiangsu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225002, China.
² Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 1-1 Sensui, Tobata, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 804-8550, Japan.
³ Department of Chemistry, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA. Electronic address: xbu@cau.edu.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Environmental Material and Environmental Engineering of Jiangsu Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225002, China. Electronic address: lxyzhangm@yzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 25791498
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.01.033

Abstract

Crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles with different phase compositions were fabricated on carbon fibers. The fabrication is achieved at low temperature. The process includes the treatment of Ti(OH)4 with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of carbon fibers. Neither additional acids nor bases, or additives are used during the process. Carbon fibers prior to and after TiO2 loading are characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was assessed via photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange solution, and found to be phase composition-dependent & pH dependent. Carbon fibers loaded with mixed-phase TiO2 led to the best photocatalytic performance. HRTEM reveals the anatase/rutile heterojunction which helps explain the high efficiency of photocatalysis. They have been demonstrated to be re-usable in the continuous photocatalytic degradation process.

Keywords: Anatase–rutile heterojunction; Carbon fibers; Nanoparticles; Photocatalysis; Titanium dioxide.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Azo Compounds / chemistry
Catalysis
Cold Temperature
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Photochemistry
Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
Titanium / chemistry*
X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

Azo Compounds
titanium dioxide
methyl orange
Titanium