Preparation and application of efficient TiO2/ACFs photocatalyst

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) supported titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst was developed by sol-gel method. The surface morphology and microstructure of the photocatalyst were characterized with scan electron microscope(SEM), X-ray diffraction patterns and specific surface area analysis. The prepared photocatalyst is specially helpful for the removal of low molecular weight organic pollutants in wastewater. Decomposition efficiency of methylene blue solution by TiO2/ACFs catalyst reached almost 100% under 60 min reaction, while the decomposition efficiency by pure TiO2 was only 25% under 3 h reaction. The mineralization of toluene aqueous solution was measured by total organic carbon instrument, and the evolution of intermediate species was detected by gas chromatograph instrument. The results indicated that the prepared photocatalyst not only enhanced the photoactivity of TiO2, but also suppressed the emergence of intermediate species, which may be more deleterious to human. The enhancement of photocatalysis was due to increased efficiency of adsorption and desorption, which were control steps in heterogeneous photocatalysis.