Photocatalytic activity of nanostructured {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite powder formed via a polyelectrolyte-multilayer-assisted sol-gel reaction

Journal Article · Sun Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2011.10.017· OSTI ID:22212380

Logar, Manca ^[1]; Kocjan, Andraz; Dakskobler, Ales ^[2]

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1. Advanced Materials Department, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)
2. Engineering Ceramics Department, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PEM assisted synthesis for {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite powder is developed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nanoparticulate TiO{sub 2} layer results in high specific surface area composite powder. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite powder exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity. -- Abstract: Nanostructured, {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite powder was fabricated via an in situ, sol-gel reaction of titanium iso-propoxide in a self-assembled, polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) formed on the surface of high-specific-area, polycrystalline, {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} lamellas. The infiltration of the titanium precursor into the PEM, followed by the hydrolysis and condensation reactions with the water absorbed in the PEM after annealing, resulted in the formation of a nanostructured TiO{sub 2} layer on the surface of the {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} lamellas. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to evaluate the morphology, the chemical composition and the crystallinity of the {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} particles of the composite powder. The as-formed, nanostructured, {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite powder exhibited a 2.7-times-higher photo-activity in the near-UV region compared to commercially available TiO{sub 2} (Degusa P25), as monitored by the photo-decomposition of a methylene blue (MB) dye.

• OSTI ID: 22212380
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 47, Issue 1; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
HYDROLYSIS
LAYERS
METHYLENE BLUE
NANOSTRUCTURES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOCATALYSIS
POLYCRYSTALS
POWDERS
SPECIFIC SURFACE AREA
TITANIUM
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY