Factors driving the activity of commercial titanium dioxide powders towards gas phase photocatalytic oxidation of acetaldehyde

The photocatalytic activity of two commercial titanium dioxide powders (Cristal Global, Millennium PC500 and Evonik, P25) is compared towards acetaldehyde degradation in the gas phase. In contrast to the extensive literature available, we found a higher activity for the PC500 than for the P25 coating. Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of the bulk and surface properties of both powders. Our comparison shows that the material properties that dominate the overall photocatalytic activity in gas phase differ from those required for the photodegradation of water-borne pollutants. PC500 outperforms P25 in the gas phase photodegradation of acetaldehyde. The morphological properties outweigh the electronic properties in this case.