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TiO2-coated Hollow Glass Microspheres with Superhydrophobic and High IR-reflective Properties Synthesized by a Soft-chemistry Method
Published on: April 26, 2017
Combining the Photocatalysis and Absorption Properties of Core-Shell Cu-BTC@TiO₂ Microspheres: Highly Efficient
Jing Liu1, Xiao-Min Li2, Jing He3
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Lignocellulosic Chemistry, College of Materials Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China. liujing@bjfu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
A core-shell Cu-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (Cu-BTC)@TiO₂ was successfully synthesized for photocatalysis-assisted adsorptive desulfurization to improve adsorptive desulfurization (ADS) performance. Under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, the TiO₂ shell on the surface of Cu-BTC achieved photocatalytic oxidation of thiophenic S-compounds, and the Cu-BTC core adsorbed the oxidation products (sulfoxides and sulfones). The photocatalyst and adsorbent were combined using a distinct core-shell structure. The morphology and structure of the fabricated Cu-BTC@TiO₂ microspheres were verified by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. A potential formation mechanism of Cu-BTC@TiO₂ is proposed based on complementary experiments. The sulfur removal efficiency of the microspheres was evaluated by selective adsorption of benzothiophene (BT) and dibenzothiophene (DBT) from a model fuel with a sulfur concentration of 1000 ppmw. Within a reaction time of 20 min, the BT and DBT conversion reached 86% and 95%, respectively, and achieved ADS capacities of 63.76 and 59.39 mg/g, respectively. The BT conversion and DBT conversion obtained using Cu-BTC@TiO₂ was 6.5 and 4.6 times higher, respectively, than that obtained using Cu-BTC. A desulfurization mechanism was proposed, the interaction between thiophenic sulfur compounds and Cu-BTC@TiO₂ microspheres was discussed, and the kinetic behavior was analyzed.
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