Immobilizing TiO2 on nickel foam for an enhanced photocatalysis in NO abatement under visible light

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 57; no. 33; pp. 15722 - 15736
• Main Authors: Zeng, Qimiao, Chen, Jingwen, Wan, Yanshan, Ni, Jiupai, Ni, Chengsheng, Chen, Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-09-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical Routes to Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Continuous flow; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Foamed metals; Immobilization; Infiltration; Interdiffusion; Materials Science; Metal foams; Nanoparticles; Nickel oxides; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Photons; Pollutants; Pollution abatement; Polymer Sciences; Roasting; Solid Mechanics; Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-022-07628-4

TiO
2
photocatalyst has been adopted to abate typical pollutants, but the loading and immobilization of TiO
2
on a low-cost and lightweight support will benefit the commoditization of this technology. In this work, TiO
2
nanoparticles on porous metal foams were prepared by a facile infiltration and calcination for photocatalytic NO abatement. The porous structure of the Ni foam provided a sufficient contact of the photocatalyst with gaseous pollutants without severe blocking the penetration of photons. The calcination in air at 600 °C was found to impart an interdiffusion of NiO and TiO
2
to form NiTiO
3
and increase the adhesion of the particles on the support. The interdiffusion enhanced the NO removal efficiency under a LED lamp with photons > 400 nm, and this enhancement was more evident under photons > 450 nm. In the meantime, the composite was found to enhance the photocatalysis stability of TiO
2
under ultraviolet photons that would annihilate the surface oxygen vacancies responsible for the photocatalysis of TiO
2
under visible light. This demonstration provides a guideline in designing a practical photocatalyst for serving environmental needs.
Graphical abstract
The porous nickel foam supported TiO
2
nanoparticles prepared by infiltration and calcination was found to impart an interdiffusion of NiO and TiO
2
with the higher surface area, stronger adhesion and stable photocatalytic performance of visible light for a continuous flow reactor.