Photocatalytic performance of thermally prepared TiO2/C photocatalysts under artificial solar light

A simple method of preparation of artificial solar light-active TiO2 photocatalysts is presented. The new TiO2/C samples were obtained by thermal treatment (150, 250, 350 and 450 °C) of industrial titanium dioxide (TiO2-starting) in the presence of naphthalene vapours. The obtained nanomaterials were investigated by means of UV-vis/DR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy/diffuse reflectance infrared and X-ray powder diffraction methods. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area and carbon content were also measured. The photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts was investigated on the basis of phenol degradation under artificial solar light. TiO2/C photocatalysts show higher photocatalytic activity in comparison with TiO2-starting and commercial KRONOClean 7000 photocatalysts. It was noted that the highest decomposition and mineralisation degree of phenol and its degradation co-products were found for sample obtained at 450 °C and contained 0.19 wt.% of carbon. The carbon content, BET surface area and anatase crystallite size are the mean features, which strongly contribute the photocatalytic activity of new carbon-modified TiO2 photocatalysts under artificial solar light. Modification of TiO2 with naphthalene vapours is a promising method, especially taking the mineralisation of phenol and the co-products of its degradation into account.