ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Preparation and properties of a new composite photocatalyst based on nanosized titanium dioxide

Peter Ševčík, Gabriel Čík, Tomáš Vlna, and Tomáš Mackuľak

Institute of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia

E-mail: peter.sevcik@stuba.sk

Received: 15 April 2008  Revised: 28 July 2008  Accepted: 15 August 2008

Abstract: The use of photocatalysts supported on adsorbents is receiving substantial attention. Supporting TiO₂ with zeolites is found to be one of the best solutions to increase the efficiency of TiO₂-based photocatalysts. This work was focused on simple preparation of a TiO₂/Na-ZSM-5 composite catalyst by the solid state dispersion (SSD) method and its modification with an organic photosensitizer — polythiophene (PT). Using the XRD diffractometry, structure of the new composite catalyst was proved. Beside this composite catalyst, mechanical mixtures of TiO₂-based catalysts with Na-ZSM-5 zeolite were prepared. The efficiency of all five available photocatalysts (TiO₂, TiO₂-PT, mechanical mixture of TiO₂ + Na-ZSM-5, mechanical mixture of TiO₂-PT + Na-ZSM-5, and the modified SSD-PT composite) on photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol was compared. By measuring the formation of chloride ions and decreasing the 4-chlorophenol concentration at two different initial concentrations of 4-chlorophenol in the basic aqueous solution, the photoefficiency and adsorption properties of our photocatalysts were determined.

Keywords: 4-chlorophenol - composite catalyst - heterogeneous photocatalysis - titanium dioxide - ZSM-5 zeolite - thiophene oligomers

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-008-0101-4

Chemical Papers 63 (2) 249–254 (2009)