Open AccessPreparation of photocatalyst with high reactivity from cellulose-based graphitic carbon
Author(s) -
Chao Chen,
Kang Sun,
Ao Wang,
Hao Sun,
Xiaoqing Lu,
Wei Xu,
Siqun Wang,
Jianchun Jiang
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
bioresources
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 69
ISSN - 1930-2126
DOI - 10.15376/biores.14.3.7213-7228
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , graphene , reactivity (psychology) , cellulose , composite number , catalysis , oxide , sawdust , chemical engineering , lignin , methyl orange , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , metallurgy , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
A photocatalyst with high reactivity was prepared in liquid phase through the in situ deposition of TiO2 on cellulose-based graphitic material that had been oxidized via Hummers’ method that was followed by a heating treatment at 200 °C. The composite had excellent photocatalytic activity for degrading methyl orange (MO), and reducing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) under ultraviolet irradiation as well as the reported graphene oxide/TiO2 composite. Under the optimal condition, the reaction rates for treating MO and Cr(VI) using the new catalyst system were 4.6 and 1.6 times higher, respectively, than that of commercial TiO2 (P25). In addition, the composite had good catalytic activity in acid solutions. Unlike the reported graphene oxide/TiO2 composite, TiO2 nanoparticles in the prepared composite aggregated to large particles of approximately 1 μm in size on the carbon substrate. When synthesized in the same procedure from other biomass materials, such as lignin, walnut shell, or fir sawdust, the composite had much lower reactivity, similar to that of neat TiO2; the lower graphitic degree of those materials might be the reason for the disparity in reactivity.