Solution Plasma Process-Derived Defect-Induced Heterophase Anatase/Brookite TiO₂ Nanocrystals for Enhanced Gaseous...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely used photocatalyst, but its efficiency can be limited.
• Existing methods for enhancing TiO2 photocatalytic activity often require high temperatures or complex doping procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, room-temperature synthesis route for enhancing TiO2 photocatalyst reactivity.
• To investigate the structural and optical property changes in TiO2 after treatment.
• To evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the modified TiO2 for acetaldehyde degradation.

Main Methods:

• A solution plasma process (SPP) was employed to treat pure anatase TiO2 feedstock at room temperature.
• Characterization of the treated TiO2 included analysis of crystalline phase, oxygen vacancy defects, and light absorption properties.
• Photocatalytic performance was assessed by measuring the degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde to CO2.

Main Results:

• SPP treatment transformed the anatase phase of TiO2 into an anatase/brookite heterocrystalline phase with introduced oxygen vacancies.
• The SPP-treated TiO2 exhibited enhanced absorption of both UV and visible light.
• TiO2 treated for 3 hours via SPP showed a significant increase in photocatalytic performance (91.1%) for acetaldehyde degradation, outperforming untreated TiO2 (51%) and nitrogen-doped TiO2 (66%).

Conclusions:

• The SPP technique offers a facile and efficient method for enhancing TiO2 photocatalyst activity at room temperature.
• The enhanced performance is attributed to the phase transformation and introduction of oxygen vacancies, leading to improved light absorption.
• This method holds promise for modifying various catalyst materials for diverse energy and environmental applications.