Carbon nanofibres as substrates for the preparation of TiO 2 nanostructured photocatalysts

M. Ouzzine, M. A. Lillo-Ródenas, A. Linares-Solano

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    17 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Carbon nanofibres from different origins have been used as substrates for the preparation of TiO 2/CNF hybrid materials and TiO 2 nanofibres. The influence of the CNFs on the final properties of the prepared materials is analysed. The results show that the crystallinity of the CNFs used is the parameter that most influences the quality of the TiO 2 deposition. CNFs with low-to-moderate crystallinities are suitable for preparing TiO 2/CNF materials with a uniform TiO 2 coating and with interesting properties: high surface areas, close to 400m 2/g, and anatase phase. Additionally, TiO 2 nanofibres maintaining such anatase phase and an important surface area can be prepared from these uniform TiO 2/CNF hybrids by burning the CNFs. These TiO 2/CNF hybrid materials and TiO 2 nanofibres, having larger surface areas than similar materials prepared in a previous work using carbon nanotubes, are analysed as photocatalysts for the oxidation of propene at low concentration (100ppmv) under UV light irradiation. The results show interesting photocatalytic activities (better for the hybrid materials than for the TiO 2 nanofibres), that can be further enhanced increasing the surface area and/or reaching a suitable anatase/rutile proportion.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)291-299
    Number of pages9
    JournalApplied Catalysis B: Environmental
    Volume127
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012 Oct 30

    Keywords

    • Carbon nanofibres
    • Photocatalytic activity
    • Propene
    • Titanium dioxide

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Catalysis
    • Environmental Science(all)
    • Process Chemistry and Technology

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