Comparison of Nickel Foam/Ag-Supported ZnO, TiO₂, and WO₃for Toluene Photodegradation

Abstract

Photocatalytic activities of three composites, namely nickel foam/Ag-TiO 2 , nickel foam/Ag-ZnO, and nickel foam/Ag-WO 3 , were evaluated for toluene degradation in a home-made cuboid photoreactor. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry were employed to characterize these photocatalysts. The photodegradation effects of the three photocatalysts peaked under 60% relative humidity, with nickel foam/Ag-TiO 2 exhibiting the highest rate of photocatalytic toluene degradation. Controlling humidity could enhance the photocatalytic toluene degradation activities of the three composites, which are significantly affected by a wider band gap. In this study, a dynamic model was proposed and analyzed according to the time-dependent photodegradation of toluene.

Enhanced Degradation of Ethylene in Thermo-Photocatalytic Process Using TiO2/Nickel Foam

“…Nickel foam stands out for its high porosity, excellent conductivity and affordability, making it particularly useful for photocatalytic systems [ 27 ]. It has been previously reported that TiO 2 combined with nickel foam can be used for the photocatalytic degradation of various pollutants, including toluene [ 28 ], formaldehyde [ 29 ] and acetaldehyde [ 30 , 31 , 32 ]. As stated in our previous paper [ 31 ], nickel foam used in combination with TiO 2 considerably enhanced charge separation in TiO 2 and positively affected the formation of superoxide anion radicals, which were utilised in photocatalytic reactions.…”

The Superiority of TiO2 Supported on Nickel Foam over Ni-Doped TiO2 in the Photothermal Decomposition of Acetaldehyde

“…The other structures, such as metal nanowires coated by TiO 2 , have also been prepared and tested for acetaldehyde removal [22,23]. There are some reports on the application of nickel foam with loaded TiO 2 for different purposes, such as anodes for lithium-ion batteries [24], hydrogen evolution from water splitting [25], toluene and acetaldehyde decomposition [26,27], nitrogen oxides removal [28], and others. Nickel foam has also been used as a support and catalyst for different materials in photocatalytic processes [29][30][31].…”

Enhanced Degradation of Ethylene in ThermoPhotocatalytic Process Using TiO2/Nickel Foam: Reaction Mechanism

“…Nickel foam stands out for its high porosity, excellent conductivity and affordability making it particularly useful for photocatalytic systems [22]. It has been previously reported that TiO2 combined with nickel foam can be used for photocatalytic degradation of various pollutants, including toluene [23], formaldehyde [24], acetaldehyde [25][26][27]. As stated in our previous paper [26] the nickel foam used in combination with TiO2 considerably enhanced charge separation in TiO2, what positively affected formation of superoxide anion radicals, which were utilized in the photocatalytic reactions.…”