Anatase TiO2 nanoparticle coating on porous COK-12 platelets as highly active and reusable photocatalysts. Issue 52 (12th May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wee, L. H.; Meledina, M.; Turner, S.; Custers, K.; Kerkhofs, S.; Sree, S. P.; Gobechiya, E.; Kirschhock, C. E. A.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Martens, J. A.
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 6:Issue 52(2016)
• Page Start: 46678
• Page End: 46685
• Publication Date: 2016-05-12
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra06141a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : Coating of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles on ordered mesoporous silica COK-12 platelets for effective photodegradation of various organic pollutants under UV light irradiation. Abstract : Nanoscale TiO2 photocatalysts are widely used for biomedical applications, self-cleaning processes and wastewater treatments. The impregnation/deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles is indispensable for facile handling and separation as well as the improvement of their photocatalytic performance. In the present study, ordered mesoporous COK-12 silica thin platelets with a high-aspect-ratio and rough surfaces are demonstrated as a potential nanoporous support for homogeneous TiO2 nanoparticle coatings with high loading up to 16.7 wt%. The photocatalytic composite of COK-12 platelets and TiO2 nanoparticles is characterized in detail by HRSEM, SAXS, XRD, N2 physisorption analysis, solid-state UV-vis spectroscopy, HAADF-STEM, EDX analysis, and electron tomography. HAADF-STEM-EDX and electron tomography studies reveal a homogeneous dispersion of nanosized TiO2 nanoparticles over COK-12 platelets. The final composite material with anatase TiO2 nanoparticles that demonstrate a blueshifted semiconductor band gap energy of 3.2 eV coated on a highly porous COK-12 support shows exceptional photocatalytic catalytic activity for photodegradation of organic dyes (rhodamine 6G and methylene blue) and an organic pollutant (1-adamantanol) under UV light radiation, outperforming the commercial P25 TiO2 (Degussa) catalyst.