Photocatalytic activity of TiO2 containing anatase nanoparticles and rutile nanoflower structure consisting of nanorods.

A series of TiO2 with different crystal phases and morphologies was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process using titanium n-butoxide and concentrated hydrochloric acid as raw materials. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by degradation of Methyl Orange in aqueous solution under UV-Visible light irradiation. On the basis of detailed analysis of the characterizing results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurement, it was concluded that the photo-activity of the catalyst is related directly to the 3D morphology and the crystal phase composition.

AgIO3-modified AgI/TiO2 composites for photocatalytic degradation of p-chlorophenol under visible light irradiation.

Semiconducting silver iodate (AgIO(3)) was used to modify the visible light response of an AgI/TiO(2) (AIT) catalyst by a facile method. The uncalcined AIT (AITun) and AIT calcined at 200°C (AIT200) consisted of AgIO(3), AgI, and TiO(2) semiconductors, while that calcined at 450 °C (AIT450) was composed of AgI and TiO(2). The activity in p-chlorophenol (PCP) degradation under visible light irradiation using either AITun or AIT200 was much higher than that with AIT450, which was mainly attributed to the fact that the presence of AgIO(3) provided a new matching band potential.