Preparation of a titania/X-zeolite/porous glass composite photocatalyst using hydrothermal and drop coating processes

Combinations of TiO2 photocatalysts and various adsorbents have been widely studied for the adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Herein, a TiO2-zeolite-porous glass composite was prepared using melt-quenching and partial sintering, hydrothermal treatment, and drop coating for preparation of the porous glass support and X-zeolite and their combination with TiO2, respectively. The obtained composite comprised anatase phase TiO2, X-zeolite, and the porous glass support, which were combined at the micro to nanometer scales. The composite had a relatively high specific surface area of approximately 25 m2/g and exhibited a good adsorption capacity for 2-propanol. These data indicated that utilization of this particular phase-separated glass as the support was appropriate for the formation of the bulk photocatalyst-adsorbent composite. Importantly, the photocatalytic decomposition of adsorbed 2-propanol proceeded under UV light irradiation. The 2-propanol was oxidized to acetone and then trapped by the X-zeolite rather than being released to the atmosphere. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the micrometer-scaled combination of TiO2 and zeolite in the bulk form is very useful for achieving both the removal of gaseous organic pollutants and decreasing the emission of harmful intermediates.