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Continuous Photocatalysis Based on Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly of Separation‐Free TiO 2 /Reduced Graphene Oxide Film Catalysts with Increased Charge Transfer and Active Site
Author(s) -
Zhang Di,
Zhang Xu,
Sun Quan,
Zheng Shengliang,
Hao Juanyuan,
Wang You
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of inorganic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1099-0682
pISSN - 1434-1948
DOI - 10.1002/ejic.201801282
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , graphene , photodegradation , oxide , catalysis , rhodamine b , chemical engineering , chemistry , layer by layer , calcination , nanotechnology , layer (electronics) , materials science , organic chemistry , engineering
Although photodegradation is the most widely studied method for the purification of water, the challenges for the post‐separation of catalysts from water make the technique unsuitable for practical applications. In this study, separation‐free TiO 2 /reduced graphene oxide (rGO) multilayer films were first prepared through layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly of TiO 2 and graphene oxide (GO) on quartz slides, followed by a reduction of the assembled GO to rGO. For a proof‐of‐concept demonstration of novel continuous photocatalysis with potential for scaled‐up production, these quartz slides with TiO 2 /rGO film catalysts were further assembled into slide arrays in a home‐made rectangular quartz reactor and a model pollutant Rhodamine B (RhB) solution was circularly pumped over the slide surface under UV irradiation. It was found that the as‐prepared TiO 2 /rGO film catalysts show excellent enhanced photocatalytic activity for this pumping‐based continuous photocatalysis, with a photodegradation rate constant of 2.6 × 10 –2 min –1 exceeding the corresponding TiO 2 /GO and TiO 2 (TiO 2 /PSS) samples by a factor of 11.3 and 13, respectively. The enhanced performance is attributed to the formation of Ti–O–C bonds in film catalysts bridging TiO 2 and rGO to enable efficient charge separation and transfer, the Ti–O–C bond bridged electron transfer leading to increase in · O 2 – active sites on the rGO surface, and the porous‐like multilayer structure. The recycling experiments showed the film catalysts are stable and could be reused with the same efficiency for at least 8 cycles.