Authors: Mălina Răileanu Maria Crişan Nicolae Drăgan Dorel Crişan Anouk Galtayries Ana Brăileanu Adelina Ianculescu Valentin S Teodorescu Ines Niţoi Mihai Anastasescu
Publish Date: 2009/07/06
Volume: 51, Issue: 3, Pages: 315-329
Abstract
Among the great number of sol–gel prepared nanomaterials TiO2 has attracted significant interest due to its high photocatalytic activity excellent functionality thermal stability and nontoxicity The photocatalytic degradation of pollutants using undoped and doped TiO2 nanopowders or thin films is very attractive for applications in environmental protection as a possible solution for water purification The present work describes a comparative structural and chemical study of undoped TiO2 and the corresponding S and Agdoped materials The photocatalytic activity was established by testing the degradation of organic chloride compounds from aqueous solutions Sol–gel Agdoped TiO2 coatings prepared by cogelation and sol–gel Agdoped TiO2 coatings obtained from nanopowders were also compared Their structural evolution and crystallization behaviour lattice parameters crystallite sizes internal strains with thermal treatment were followed by thermal analysis Xray diffraction transmission electron microscopy atomic force microscopy and specific surface areas measurements Xray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were performed to characterize the surface composition and S or Ag speciation which was used to interpret the catalytic data
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