TiO2/Polyester Non-woven Fabrics as a Kind of Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Formaldehyde Gas

The feasibility of photocatalytic degradation of the formaldehyde gas by titanium dioxide （TiO2）/polyester non-woven fabrics was studied. Tbe effects of parameters such as tbe concentration of TiO2 solution, pH value, and drying temperature on the photocatalytic degradation of the formaldehyde gas were also studied. The results showed that the photodegradation efficiency of the formaldehyde gas increased rapidly with the increasing of the concentration of TiO2 solution up to 15g/L, but when the concentration was in excess of 15g/L, the photodegradation efficiency decreased gradually and fluctuated due to light obstruction and disperse state of TiO2. Adjusting the pH value in the solution, the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of the formaldehyde gas could be improved. The mechanisms of the reaction and the role of the additives were also investigated. After 42hours, TiO2/ polyester non-woven fabric showed no significant loss of the photocatalytic activity.     

Preparation of Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes electrode and its application in pentachlorophenol photoelectrocatalytic degradation

Zn-doped titanium oxide （TiO2） nanotubes electrode was prepared on a titanium plate by direct anodic oxidation and immersing method in sequence. Field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） showed that the Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes were well aligned and organized into high density uniform arrays with diameter ranging from 50 to 90 nm. The length and the thickness were about 200 and 15 nm respectively. TiO2 anatase phase was identified by X-ray diffraction （XRD）. X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy （XPS） indicated that Zn ions were mainly located on the surface of TiO2 nanotubes in form of ZnO clusters. Compared with TiO2 nanotubes electrode, about 20 nm red shift in the spectrum of UV-vis absorption was observed. The degradation of pentachlorophenol （PCP） in aqueous solution under the same condition （initial concentration of PCP： 20 mg/L; concentration of Na2SO4：0.01 mol/L and pH： 7.03） was carried out using Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes electrode and TiO2 nanotubes electrode. The degradation rates of PCP using Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes electrode were found to be twice and 5.8 times as high as that using TiO2 nanotubes electrode by UV radiation （400 μw/cm^2） and visible light radiation （4500 μw/cm^2）, respectively. 73.5% of PCP was removed using Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes electrode against 45.5% removed using TiO2 nanotubes electrode in 120 min under UV radiation. While under visible light radiation, the degradation efficiency of PCP was 18.4% using Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes electrode against 3.2% using TiO2 nanotubes electrode in 120 min. The optimum concentration of Zn doping was found to be 0.909%. The PCP degradation efficiencies of the 10 repeated experiments by Zn-doped TiO2 nanotubes electrode were rather stable with the deviation within 3.0%.     

Formation of the Inclusion Complex of Orange II with β-Cyclodextrin and Its Photostability

Inclusion complex of Orange II with β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) and the anti-photolysis effect under UV-light were investigated. The molar ratio of inclusion complex of β-Cyclodextrin and Orange Ⅱ is 1∶1. The formation constant K=1.236×103 L/mol was determined by the UV and Fluorescence spectra respectively, which was quite in accordance with the calculation with a modified Benesi-Hildbrand equation. The inclusion complex was characterized by the IR spectra and the molar ratio of inclusion complex is 1∶1 too. The formation constant K=1.266×103 L/mol was determined by 1 H NMR analysis and was nearly the same by UV and fluorescence spectra. The photocatalytic decolorization rate of Orange Ⅱ solutions containing β-CD and TiO2 was smaller by 51.9% than that of the Orange Ⅱ solutions only containing TiO2, while in the case of direct photolysis of Orange Ⅱ solutions, β-CD can lower the photolysis rate by 48.1% under UV-light. This result indicates β-CD can inhibit the photolysis and photocatalytic decolorization of Orange Ⅱ under UV-light. The β-CD inclusion complex was found to be persistent to UV-light photolysis.     

Photocatalytic degradation of microcystin-LR using TiO2 nanotubes under irradiation with UV and natural sunlight

In order to investigate the catalytic performance of anodic TiO2 nanotubes and their practical application in the treatment of refractory microcystins(MCs) in natural-water samples,TiO2 nanotubes of diameter of 50-80 nm were fabricated by anodization in C2H2O4·2H2O containing NH4F.Under irradiation with natural sunlight,MC-LR was totally degraded after 1 d using the anodic TiO2 nanotubes.In contrast,the removal efficiency without TiO2 nanotubes was as low as 47.7% within 20 d.In addition,a mixture of anatase and rutile TiO2 gave higher photocatalytic activity than the single phase did.The pH also influenced the adsorption capacity of the TiO2 nanotubes.The order of MC-LR degradation efficiencies at different pH values was 3.5 > 8.0 > 10.0.After five repeated experiments on the degradation of MC-LR for 7 h,the degradation efficiency was still stable.     

Mechanism of electrochemical evolution of chlorine and oxygen at Ti/SnO2-IrO2 anode

The mechanisms of chlorine and oxygen electrochemical evolution at a novel Ti/SnO₂-IrO₂ anode were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and steady state current?potential measurements. For this study a laboratory constructed model cell was employed. Firstly, controlled potential electrolysis of 0.1 mol/L NaCl was performed and chlorine was observed to evolve at potential +1.2 V. The pH values of the solution decreased during electrolysis over the potential range of +1.0 V?+2.0 V, suggesting that oxygen evolution may involve in the reactions. Electrolysis with a de?oxygenated NaCl solution at a fixed potential of +2.0 V confirmed that O2 is one of the products generated at the anode. Further electrolysis of NaCl solution was conducted under steady state conditions. A potential?current density plot was constructed over the potential range of +1.00 V?+1.28 V. The slope of the plot at Tafel section was found to be 41 mV/decade. These results indicate that chlorine evolution at the anode is achieved via an intermediate layer formed by electrosorption of oxygen and chlorine on the electrode surface.     

Preparation of Rectorite-TiO2 and Its Application in the Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of Dye Wastewater

A photocatalyst consisting of TiO2 powder and rectorite was prepared and activated utilizing solar light and used for degradation of simulated dye wastewater （methyl solution）. The effects of roasting temperature, the way of adding rectorite, and the amount of the rectorite on the photocatalytic activity have been investigated. The results indicated that rectorite-TiO2 photocatalyst prepared with the right proportional amount of rectorite and titanium dioxide, could effectively degrade the methyl orange solution in sunlight. After reacting in sunlight for 8 hours, the methyl orange decolorization reached 96%. The photocatalytic activity of rectorite-TiO2 was much better than that of TiO2 in sunlight.     

Catalytic oxidation of phenol in wastewater-A new application of the amorphous Fe78Si9B13 alloy

The amorphous Fe78Si9B13 alloy was used as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst in the process of phenol degradation.The influences of main operating parameters such as reaction temperature,catalyst amount,hydrogen peroxide dosage and initial pH of solution on phenol degradation rate were investigated.The maximum mineralization of phenol was achieved at 60°C,6 g/L Fe78Si9B13, 0.31 mol/L hydrogen peroxide,with an initial pH of 2.5.More than 99%of phenol was completely removed under the optimum conditions within 10 min for a solution containing 1000 mg/L of phenol.Batch experiments for solutions containing phenol con- centrations ranging from 50 to 2000 mg/L were investigated under the above conditions and the same excellent degradation rate was obtained.The Fe78Si9B13 showed better catalytic activity than iron powder and Fe 2+ .Addition of n-butannol(hydroxyl radical scavenger)decreased the degradation rate of phenol,which demonstrates that hydroxyl radicals were mainly responsible for the removal of phenol.We demonstrated that phenol may be degraded by hydroxyl radicals decomposed by hydrogen peroxide on the surface of Fe78Si9B13 and illustrated the reaction mechanism for this process.This amorphous alloy exhibited high stability in recycling experiments and showed excellent reuse performance even after continuous operations of 8 cycles.     

Photocatalytic degradation pathways and adsorption modes of H-acid in TiO2 suspensions

Effect of adsorption mode on photodegradation of H-acid in TiO2 suspension was studied using DFT calculation,UV-Vis spec-troscopy,FTIR,and ionic chromatography.At pH 2.5,H-acid was adsorbed on TiO2 surfaces by one dissociated sulfonic group.The adsorbed sulfonic group was attacked by surface ·OH,resulting in the production of SO42-and the cleavage of the naphtha-lene ring.At pH 5.0,H-acid was adsorbed on TiO2 surfaces by two sulfonic groups.The two adsorbed sulfonic groups were sim-ultaneously attacked by surface ·OH,leading to a faster initial production of SO42-and initial degradation rate of H-acid than those under pH 2.5.Microscopic adsorption structures may be more important than adsorption amount in controlling the photo-degradation pathways of organic pollutants.     

Sol-Gel Preparation of TiO2/SiO2 Nanocomposites and Their Application in Self- cleaning Textiles

The present study involves the preparation of TiO2/SiO2 nanocrystals and their application in self-clcaning wool-polyester fabrics. The TiO2/SiO2 nanocrystals were successfully synthesized and deposited onto wool-polyester fabrics using the low-temperature sol-gel technique. The as-prepared nanoeomposites and the nanocomposites coated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively. The XRD and SEM results showed that the single-phase anatase nanocrystallites were formed and loaded on the fabric surface successfully. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2 -coated and TiO2/SiO2-coated wool-polyester fabrics were measured by studying photodegradation of methylene blue dye. Comparison of the photocatalytic activity of the coated samples reveals superiority of TiO2/SiO2 modified sample with respect to that of pure TiO2 modified sample. Our observations indicate that by applying this technique to the fabrics, self-cleaning materials can be designed for practical application.     

Degradation of Azo Dyes by Photocatalysis of Fe(Ⅲ)-oxalate Complexes/H_2O_2 in Aqueous Non-ionic Surfactant Triton X-100 Solution

Two azo dyes,C.I.Reactive Red 195(RR195)and C.I.Acid Black 234(AB234)were degraded by photocatalysis of Fe(Ⅲ)-oxalate complexes/H2O2 in aqueous non-ionic surfactant,Triton X-100(TX-100)solution.Some factors affecting the dye degradation such as TX-100 concentration,irradiation intensity,and sodium chloride were investigated.The interaction and competition between dye and TX-100 during the degradation were also examined using spectrophotometry and maximum bubble pressure method,respectively.The results indicated that TX-100 showed a significant reduction effect on degradation of two azo dyes,but which was largely confined to TX-100 concentration below the Critical Micellar Concentration(CMC).And the reduction was considerably decreased above the CMC,especially in the case of AB234.Moreover,the reducing effect of TX-100 on dye degradation almost did not vary with irradiation intensity.And the impact of sodium chloride on dye degradation was limited by the addition of TX-100.     

Photocatalytic activity of ferric oxide/titanium dioxide nanocomposite films on stainless steel fabricated by anodization and ion implantation

A simple surface treatment was used to develop photocatalytic activity for stainless steel. AISI 304 stainless steel specimens after anodization were implanted by Ti ions at an extracting voltage of 50 kV with an implantation dose of 3 × 1015 atoms·cm?2 and then annealed in air at 450℃ for 2 h. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructure was characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue solution was carried out under ultraviolet light. The corrosion resistance of the stainless steel was evaluated in NaCl solution (3.5 wt%) by electrochemical polarization curves. It is found that the Ti ions depth profile resembles a Gaussian distribution in the implanted layer. The nanostructured Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ composite film exhibits a remarkable enhancement in photocatalytic activity referenced to the mechanically polished specimen and anodized specimen. Meanwhile, the annealed Ti-implanted specimen remains good corrosion resistance.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of ammonia by Bi2WO6 nanoplates using fluorescent light

Photocatalytic oxidation under fluorescent light with BizW06 was used to oxidize ammonia. The results showed that the NHa＋/NH3 could be totally converted into NO3- and trace amount of NO2- in an alkaline solution. It was revealed that the photocatalytic oxidation efficiency was affected by the pH values and the initial concentration of the pollutant. Possible mechanism of photocatalytic oxidation in the system is proposed. The superoxide spe- cies （O2-） captured by the superoxide dismutase levels could accelerate the photocatalytic oxidation reaction. The indoor fluorescent lamp as the light source will be a promising option for future applications of photocatalytic technology.     

Photocatalytic effect of nature and modified V-bearing rutile

A natural rutile TiO2, which displays photocatalysis on degrading halohydrocarbon pollutants, was reported. The rutile contains up to 1.22% V2O5 (weight percent). Substitutions of Ti by V, as well as Fe, Cu and Zn, result in lattice distortions and defects. Grinding, heating and quenching modify the surface characteristics of ruffle, and consequently increase its photoactivity. It is found that the heating and quenching treatments enhance visible-light absorption of ruffle, especially at 1000 and 1100℃. Ground rutile is effective to degrade tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene. While, heating at 1000℃, and quenching at 1000 and 1100℃ distinctly improve degradation rate of samples. The special properties of the natural rutile have particular capabilities in photocatalytic oxidation, especially in degradation of halohydrocarbons.     

CNTs/TiO2 composites and its elect rochemical properties after UV light irradiation

Due to the unique structure and special physical and chemical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have potential applications in supercapacitors. Recently, CNTs and their composites as a kind of supercapacitor electrode material have been made many achievements. In this paper, a CNTs/TiO2 composite was prepared successfully with hydrothermal method, and was used as a supercapacitor electrode material. After the tests on surface chemistry and electrochemical property, it was found that: (1) the capacitance of the CNTs/TiO2 composite electrode increased by 56%, compared with pure CNTs electrode, (2) after UV light irradiation pretreatment, due to the special photoelectric effect of TiO2 which improves the interfacial property and electrochemical property of the composite electrode, the capacitance further increased by 53% when compared with the electrode without the pretreatment, and meanwhile, the cycle life also increased significantly, i.e., the capacitance was up to 97%, after 100 cycles of charge and discharge, (3) due to the improvement of the interfacial property, the ion transport in the composite electrode became smoother, and the pore utilization was also effectively enhanced during high-current charge and discharge, and (4) due to the generation of a large amount of oxygen-containing groups on the TiO 2 surface after UV pretreatment, the CNTs/TiO2 composite electrode earned extra large pseudo capacitance, and therefore the capacitance of the composite electrode was further increased. Based on the experimental results in the present study a new process to improve surface character and electrochemicalproperty of the electrode has been developed by using a metal oxide as both pseudo capacitive material and surface modification material of the composites with a UV light irradiation.     

Preparation of graphene and TiO2 layer by layer composite with highly photocatalytic efficiency

A process for fabricating graphene and TiO2 layer by layer composite was introduced to improve the photocatalytic activity by controlling the layers, thickness and the mass ratio between graphene and TiO2. The graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized from natural graphite pow der by the modified Hummers met hod. Large-area uniform GO and TiO2 thin films were made by a spin-coating process in turn. After exposure of the TiO2/GO multilayer film to UV light irradiation which allows the reduction of GO to graphene, a novel photocatalyt ic structure as graphene and TiO2 layer by layer composite was synthesized. The cross-sectional SEM image showed that a clear layer by layer microstructure with a single layer thickness of graphene or TiO2 was in the range of about 50 nm. The total thickness of the film was around 5 μm which was varied according to the layer number of spin coating process. Raman spectra revealed th at significant structural changes occurred through UV light irradiation. Photodegrada tion for methylene blue (MB) exhibited that the layer by layer com posite is of higher photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO2 layer.     

Electrodeposition and characterization of thermoelectric Bi_2Se_3 thin films

Bi2Se3 thin films were electrochemically deposited on Ti and indium tin oxide-coated glass substrates,respectively,at room temperature,using Bi(NO3)3·5H2O and SeO2 as starting materials in diluted HNO 3 solution.A conventional three-electrode cell was used with a platinum sheet as a counter electrode,and a saturated calomel electrode was used as a reference electrode.The films were annealed in argon atmosphere.The influence of cold isostatic pressing before annealing on the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of the films was investigated.X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the film grown on the indium tin oxide-coated glass substrate is pure rhombohedral Bi 2 Se 3,and the film grown on the Ti substrate consists of both rhombohedral and orthorhombic Bi 2 Se 3.     

Investigation on composite Au/TiO_2 nanoparticles (Ⅰ)——Synthesis and characterization

Nanometer sized Au/TiO\-2 particles were synthesized by irradiation of a HAuCl\-4 solution containing colloidal TiO\-2 with light of wavelength (λ)>330 nm. The absorption maximum attributed to the surface plasmon band of gold was observed at 540 nm, a red shift of about 20 nm from the position in aqueous solution. The Au clusters are situated on the surface of TiO\-2 in terms of microcrystallite, which was confirmed by HRTEM, EDS and XRD. The electronic interfaction between the metal and the suport was discussed.     

Study on anti-pollution nano-preparation or dimethomorph and its performance

The photocatalysis of nanometer TiO2/Ag was modified by sodium dodecyl sulfate, and its behavior of adsorption for pesticide was investigated on the surface of catalyst. Four kinds of water-solubility preparations were prepared by using TiO2/Ag, modified TiO2/Ag by 0.5% SDS, TiO2 and nothingness as photocatalyst with dimethomorph as effective component. They were besmeared on a piece of glass, and the photocatalytic experiment was done in sunlight. Degradation rates of 1.2 % dimethomorph are 71.5 %, 68.0 %, 45.5% and 28.3%, respectively, when it was degraded in five days. Degradation rate of 10% dimethomorph is 97.3% in eight days in sunlight and ti/2 is 2.8 d in nano-preparation, when it was sprayed on small cabbages after being diluted in rudimental experiments of toxicity for crop. The nano-preparation is of better biologic activity, the virulence of which is 1.235 times as great as original pesticide and 1.245 times as ordinary preparation under the same condition.     

Photocatalytic degradation investigation of dicofol

Photocatalytic degradation of dicofol was investigated on TiO2 nano particles （TiO2-NPs） under UV light irradiation. It was shown that dicofol could be completely degraded into inorganic chloride ion under the condition of 0.25 mg/mL TiO2-NPs, 2 h irradiation of 400 W high pressure mercury lamp with a wavelength of 365 nm and air at a rate of 100 mlJmin. The effects of the experimental conditions, including the amount of TiO2-NPs, irradiation time and the intensity of light, were studied. The apparent photodegredation rate constant was 0.167/min under the optimal condition. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of dicofol was also discussed.     

Addition of IrO2 to RuO2+TiO2 coated anodes and its effect on electrochemical performance of anodes in acid media

Ternary mixed metal oxide coatings with the nominal composition IrxRu(0.6-x)Ti0.4O2(x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) on the titanium substrate were prepared by thermal decomposition of a chloride precursor mixture. Surface morphology and microstructure of the coatings were investigated by Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis. Systematic study of electrochemical properties of these coatings was performed by cyclic voltammetry(CV) and polarization measurements. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was evaluated under accelerated conditions(j=2 A cm-2) in acidic electrolyte. The role of iridium oxide admixture in the change of electrocatalytic activity and stability of Ru0.6Ti0.4O2coating was discussed. Small addition of IrO2can improve the stability of the RuO2+TiO2mixed oxide, while the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is decreased. The shift of redox potentials for Ru0.6Ti0.4O2electrode that is slightly activated with IrO2and improvement in the stability can be attributed to the synergetic effect of mixed oxide formation.