Promoting visible-light degradation of toluene over a simple constructed TiO2/Pd nanocomposite as photocatalytic coating air purification filter

Badkoobeh Hezaveh, Saber; Ranjbar, Mohammad Taha; Nabavi, Bardia

doi:10.61186/CNJ.2.1.228

Promoting visible-light degradation of toluene over a simple constructed TiO2/Pd nanocomposite as photocatalytic coating air purification filter

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Saber Badkoobeh Hezaveh ¹

Mohammad Taha Ranjbar ²

Bardia Nabavi ¹

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 1458889694, Tehran, Iran

² School of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, 1439955961, Tehran, Iran

10.61186/CNJ.2.1.228

Abstract

A series of air filters based on the TiO₂/Pd nanophotocatalyst were prepared using the colloid solution method in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a surfactant. The morphology, surface area, and visible light adsorption properties, were investigated using FESEM, BET, and DRS analysis. As a result, the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms of the catalysts showed that the N₂ adsorption ability of the resulted nanophotocatalysts (1.5 Wt.% of PVA) was better than the TiO₂ and other catalyst samples with more surface area. The photocatalytic activity of the nanophotcatalyst filter was investigated in the experiments of the photocatalytic degradation of toluene in a gaseous phase under visible light illumination. Among all the filters, the 10 Wt.% nanophotcaotalyst filter demonstrated the highest photocatalytic ability to decompose toluene. The photocatalytic efficiency of the nanophotocatalyst with the 1.5 Wt.% of PVA was remarkably enhanced by toluene removal. The LED lamp-60 W achieved the highest photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photodegradation of toluene is possibly due to the improved adsorption ability and the enhanced electron-hole pairs separation due to the presence of Pd nanoparticles on the surface of TiO₂ nanocatalyst and the electron transfer between the conduction band/defect level and Pd nanoparticles.

Keywords

Photocatalysis

Toluene removal

Gaseous phase

TiO2/Pd nanophotocatalyst

Polyester nonwoven fabric

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