abstract
Carbon-modified commercial anatase (KRONOClean 7000 (R)) was quantitatively characterised with XRD for the first time - full phase composition (both crystalline and amorphous content) and microstructure. The material was found to be bimodal anatase, mostly similar to 4 nm diameter, but with a small amount of a larger fraction between similar to 12 and 15 nm. Absorption in the visible range was confirmed by UV-Vis analysis, whilst XPS showed that an aromatic carbon compound is at the origin of that absorption. Also, the photocatalytic activity of this commercial nano-TiO2 was assessed, monitoring the abatement of NOx using a white LED lamp, irradiating exclusively in the visible region. Experiments simulated an indoor environment, highlighting the potential of this nano-TiO2 for adoption as a standard for visible-light photocatalytic activity, i.e. applications for innovative interior eco-building materials.
keywords
CARBON-MODIFIED TITANIA; ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS; ANATASE TIO2; NANO-TITANIA; DEGRADATION; DIOXIDE; BEHAVIOR; OXIDES; SEMICONDUCTOR; REMOVAL
subject category
Chemistry
authors
Tobaldi, DM; Seabra, MP; Otero-Irurueta, G; de Miguel, YR; Ball, RJ; Singh, MK; Pullar, RC; Labrincha, JA
our authors
Projects
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UID/CTM/50011/2013)
RMNE-UA-National Network of Electron Microscopy (REDE/1509/RME/2005 )
acknowledgements
Authors are grateful to the ECO-SEE project (European Union's Seventh Framework Programme funding, grant agreement no 609234). This work was developed in the scope of the project CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (Ref. FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when applicable co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. R. C. Pullar acknowledges the support of FCT grant SFRH/BPD/97115/2013. M. Ferro and RNME - University of Aveiro, FCT Project REDE/1509/RME/2005 - are kindly acknowledged for HR-TEM analysis. Dr C. Scherer (Fraunhofer-Institut fur Bauphysik, Germany) is kindly acknowledged for his helpful discussion. G. Otero-Irurueta would like to thank FCT from Portugal for his Post-Doctoral research grant (SFRH/BPD/90562/2012).