1. Correlations between photocatalytic activity and chemical structure of Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 nanoparticle compositesT. Čižmar, doktorska disertacija Opis: The objective of this dissertation was to examine how copper modification can improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2-SiO2 and to explain the correlation between Cu concentration and chemical state of Cu cations in the TiO2-SiO2 matrix, as well as the photocatalytic activity under the UV/solar irradiation.
The Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by a low temperature sol-gel method based on organic copper, silicon and titanium precursors with varied Cu concentrations (from 0.05 to 3 mol%). The sol-gels were dried at 150 °C to obtain the photocatalysts in the powder form. To test thermal stability, additional set of photocatalysts was obtained by calcinating dried samples in air at 500 °C for 1 h.
The photocatalytic activity was determined by a fluorescence-based method of terephthalic acid decomposition. Up to three times increase in photocatalytic activity of air-dried samples is obtained when TiO2-SiO2 matrix is modified with Cu in a narrow concentration range from 0.05 to 0.1 mol%. At higher Cu loadings the photocatalytic activity of Cu-modified photocatalyst is smaller than in the unmodified reference TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst. Calcined samples showed significantly reduced photocatalytic activity compared to air-dried samples.
XRD analysis showed that all Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites with different Cu concentrations have the same crystalline structure as unmodified TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites (air-dried or calcined). The addition of Cu does not change the relative ratio between the anatase and brookite phase or unit cell parameters of the two TiO2 crystalline structures. TEM analysis showed that the addition of Cu does not change the morphology of TiO2-SiO2 catalyst dried at 150 °C.
The Cu K-edge XANES and EXAFS analysis were used to determine valence state and local structure of Cu cations in Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst. The results elucidate the mechanism responsible for the improved or hindered photocatalytic activity. In the air-dried samples with low Cu content, which exhibit largest activity, Cu-O-Ti connections are formed, suggesting that the activity enhancement is due to Cu(II) cations attachment on the surface of the photocatalytically active TiO2 nanoparticles, so Cu(II) cations may act as free electron traps, reducing the intensity of recombination between electrons and holes at the TiO2 photocatalyst’s surface. At higher Cu loadings no additional Cu-O-Ti connections are formed, instead only Cu-O-Cu connections are established, indicating the formation of amorphous or nanocrystalline Cu(II) oxide, which hinders the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Calcination of Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts at 500 °C induces significant structural changes: Cu-O-Ti connections are lost, Cu partially incorporates into the SiO2 matrix and amorphous copper oxides, which again reduce the photocatalytic activity of the material, are formed.
Ključne besede: titanium dioxide, Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst, photocatalytic activity, Cu K-edge XANES, EXAFS.
Objavljeno v RUNG: 17.12.2018; Ogledov: 5684; Prenosov: 159
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2. Effects of Different Copper Loadings on the Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2-SiO2 Prepared at a Low Temperature for the Oxidation of Organic Pollutants in WaterT. Čižmar, Iztok Arčon, Mattia Fanetti, Urška Lavrenčič Štangar, 2018, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The objective of this research is to examine how Cu modification can improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2-SiO2, to explainthe correlation between the Cu concentration and the chemical state of Cu cations in the TiO2-SiO2 matrix, and the photocatalytic activity under UV/solar irradiation. The Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by a low-temperature sol–gel method from organic Cu, Si and Ti precursors with various Cu concentrations (0.05–3 mol %). The sol–gels were dried at 150 8C to obtain the photocatalysts in a powder form. The photocatalytic activity was determined by using a fluorescence- based method of terephthalic acid decomposition. An up to three times increase in photocatalytic activity is obtained if the TiO2-SiO2 matrix is modified with Cu in a narrow concentration
range from 0.05 to 0.1 mol%. At higher Cu loadings,
the photocatalytic activity of the Cu-modified photocatalysts is lower than that of the un-modified reference TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst. XRD was used to show that all Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 composites with different Cu concentrations have the same crystalline structure as un-modified TiO2-SiO2 composites. The addition of Cu does not change the relative ratio between the anatase and brookite phases or unit cell parameters of the two TiO2 crystalline structures. We used Cu K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analyses to determine the valence state and local structure of Cu cations in the Cu-modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalysts. The results elucidate the mechanism responsible for the improved photocatalytic activity. In samples with a low Cu content,
which exhibit the highest activity, Cu@O@Ti connections
are formed, which suggests that the activity enhancement is
caused by the attachment of CuII cations on the surface of the photocatalytically active TiO2 nanoparticles, so CuII cations may act as free-electron traps, which reduce the intensity of recombination between electrons and holes at the TiO2 photocatalyst surface. At higher Cu loadings no additional Cu@O@Ti connections are formed, instead only Cu@O@Cu connections are established. This indicates the formation of amorphous or nanocrystalline
copper oxide, which hinders the photocatalytic activity
of TiO2.
Ključne besede: Cu modified TiO2-SiO2 photocatalyst
Cu EXAFS, XANES, Organic pollutants
Objavljeno v RUNG: 30.08.2018; Ogledov: 4528; Prenosov: 0
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6. Correlations between photocatalytic activity and chemical structure of Cu-modified TiO2–SiO2 nanoparticle compositesT. Čižmar, Urška Lavrenčič Štangar, Iztok Arčon, 2016, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Copper-modified TiO2–SiO2photocatalysts were prepared by sol–gel method based on organic copper,silicon and titanium precursors. Copper concentration varied from 0.1 to 3.0 mol%. A widely appliedmodel reaction of photocatalytic oxidation of terephtalic acid (TPA) in water solution was used in order toevaluate the catalytic activities of elaborated samples. The crystal structures of the titania components ofall tested titania–silica species were studied using XRD analysis. The influence of Cu2+cation incorporationon the crystal structure of titania, as well as the chemical states and the neighbouring structures of coppercations, have been examined by means of Cu K-edge EXAFS and XANES analysis. The experimental datashow that there is a ten times increase in photocatalytic activity when TiO2–SiO2matrix is modified with0.1 mol% of Cu. It can be supposed that an enhancement of photocatalytic activity of low-concentratedcopper-modified titania–silica nanocomposites is probably due to a close attachment of Cu2+cationsto the surfaces of photocatalytically active TiO2nanoparticles. In this case, Cu2+cations may possiblyact as free electron traps reducing the intensity of recombination between opposite free charge carriers(electrons, holes) available at the photocatalyst’s surface.
Ključne besede: Cu-modified TiO2–SiO2photocatalysts, Titanium dioxide, Metal doping, Cu K-edge XANES, EXAFS, Photocatalytic activitya
Objavljeno v RUNG: 17.01.2017; Ogledov: 6113; Prenosov: 0
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