abstract
This work describes the first Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition (AACVD) synthesis of photocatalytic titanium dioxide thin films embedded with synthetic hydroxyapatite, [Ca-10(PO4)(OH)(2)], nanoparticles. The hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were prepared using a low temperature continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis method; analysis of the hydroxyapatite powder showed that it was phase pure and that the as-prepared material was made up of nano-needles. The nanoparticles were then embedded into TiO2 coatings using the AACVD technique by suspending them in a solution of the titania precursor (titanium tetra-isopropoxide). Results showed that the hydroxyapatite, although present in very low concentrations in the coatings (not detectable by XRD or Raman spectroscopy), heavily affected their morphology, depending on their concentration in the precursor solution. Tests of the photocatalytic activity of the composite films showed that the inclusion of the hydroxyapatite led to an increase in methylene blue photodegradation (up to 50% higher) and that the materials were photostable. This study shows that TiO2 coatings embedded with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles have potential as highly efficient photocatalysts. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
keywords
CONTINUOUS HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS; PHOTOCATALYTIC DEGRADATION; FLOW SYNTHESIS; MODIFIED TIO2; OXIDATION; NANOPARTICLES; COATINGS; NANOCOMPOSITES; OXIDES; XPS
subject category
Chemistry
authors
Piccirillo, C; Denis, CJ; Pullar, RC; Binions, R; Parkin, IP; Darr, JA; Castro, PML
our authors
Rob Pullar
Collaboratoracknowledgements
This work was supported by National Funds from FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through the project UID/Multi/50016/2013 and 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. CP and RP thank FCT for the grants SFRH-BPD-86483-2012 and SFRH/BPD/97115/2013.