Heterostructured TiO₂/WO₃Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Degradation of Toluene under Visible Light

Abstract

Toluene, as a strong carcinogen, is widely found in the newly renovated rooms, shopping malls, and workshops. Photocatalytic oxidation has great superiority and application prospects for the degradation of toluene. However, low photocatalytic efficiency under visible-light irradiation arising from easy agglomeration of the solid catalysts hinders their photodegradation of toluene gas. In this work, heterostructured TiO 2 /WO 3 photocatalysts were fabricated via an electrospinning technology combining the hydrothermal treatment. The special microstructure and composition allowed the photogenerated electrons quickly transfer from the TiO 2 nanofibers to the WO 3 nanorods, and thus effectively reduced the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Coupling TiO 2 with the narrow band-gap WO 3 broadened the spectral response range of TiO 2 . The heterostructured TiO 2 /WO 3 photocatalysts exhibited a remarkably higher degradation rate of toluene gas than that of the bare TiO 2 nanofibers under visible-light irradiation. The photocatalysts were deposited onto the inner walls of the photoreactor and some nylon meshes. The meshes were also placed in the photoreactor in a direction perpendicular to the air flow. The meshes increased the contact between photocatalysts in solid phase and toluene in gas phase, and about 85.3% of the toluene had been degraded in the experimental conditions.

Elastomagnetic nanofiber wires by magnetic field assisted electrospinning

“…In the recent years, innovative electrospun nanocomposites have been produced for photocatalytic, conductive, mechanical and biomedical applications [1][2][3][4][5]. At the same time, several improvements of the standard electrospinning process have been performed to achieve specific objectives, such as tri-axial processing [6], temperature control [7,8], double-switching voltage [9], stepped airflow coupled to friction twisting [10] and bubble electrospinning [11].…”

Formation of Effective CuI‐GaN Heterojunction with Excellent Ultraviolet Photoresponsive Photovoltage

“…This is an important step to develop GaN‐based 2D‐layered van der Waals (VdWs) heterostructure devices. Heterostructures have been used for optoelectronics, nanoelectronics, photocatalysis, and various other applications to overcome the shortcomings of single or monostructure materials . Recently, graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) layers were combined with GaN to develop VdWs heterostructure devices .…”

Conformal Filling of TiO2 Nanotubes with Dense MxSy Films for 3D Heterojunctions: The Anion Effect

“…TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) endow the intriguing merits of high surface area and ordered alignment, and usually exhibit n ‐type semiconducting properties . Filling the nanotubes with other p ‐type semiconductors to form three‐dimensional (3D) heterojunctions has drawn numerous attention; in such junctions of interdigitated feature, the large interfacial area renders rapid charge separation and the vertical alignment facilitates charge transport . Thus, it has been extensively applied in optoelectronic, photovoltaic, photocatalytic and biological fields.…”