Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of Ti[1 − x]VxO[2 − y]Cy whiskers in hydroquinone oxidation in aqueous solutions

• Published in: Russian journal of inorganic chemistry Vol. 55; no. 8; pp. 1184 - 1191
• Main Authors: Krasil’nikov, V. N., Shtin, A. P., Gyrdasova, O. I., Polyakov, E. V., Buldakova, L. Yu, Yanchenko, M. Yu, Zainullina, V. M., Zhukov, V. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 2010
• Subjects: Anatase; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Hydroquinone; Inorganic Chemistry; Oxidation; Photocatalysis; Quantum chemistry; Synthesis and Properties of Inorganic Compounds; Titanium; Titanium dioxide; Vanadium; Hydroquinone; Thermolysis Product; Photocatalytic Activity; Vanadium; Thermolysis
• ISSN: 0036-0236; 1531-8613
• DOI: 10.1134/S003602361008005X

Ti
1−
x
V
x
O
2−
y
C
y
(0 ≤
x
≤ 0.10 and
x
= 0.50) whiskers having the anatase structure were synthesized via thermolysis of vanadium-doped titanium glycolate of composition Ti
1−
x
V
x
(OCH
2
CH
2
O)
2
(0 ≤
x
≤ 0.10 and
x
= 0.50). The starting reagents used to prepare Ti
1−
x
V
x
(OCH
2
CH
2
O)
2
were mixtures of coprecipitated titanium and vanadyl hydroxides, which were heated in ethylene glycol at
T
≤ 200°C: (1 −
x
)TiO(OH)
2
+
x
VO(OH)
2
+ 2HOCH
2
CH
2
OH = Ti
1−
x
V
x
(OCH
2
CH
2
O)
2
+ 3H
2
O↑. Thermolysis of vanadium-doped titanium glycolate in various gas media over a wide range of temperatures is useful to prepare titania samples doped with both vanadium and carbon to form a phase of the general composition Ti
1 −
x
V
x
O
2 −
y
C
y
whiskers prepared by thermolyzing Ti
1 −
x
V
x
(OCH
2
CH
2
O)
2
in air at 450°C were found to have a high photocatalytic activity in hydroquinone oxidation in aqueous solutions irradiated in the UV spectral range; the photocatalyst’s activity increases with increasing vanadium concentration. When hydroquinone was irradiated in the blue, the maximal catalytic activity was discovered in a sample of composition Ti
0.50
V
0.50
O
2−
y
C
y
. Quantum-chemical calculations support experimental data that the double doping of titania (Ti
1−
x
V
x
O
2−
y
C
y
) enhances its photocatalytic activity compared to undoped anatase or anatase doped in one sublattice: Ti
1−
x
V
x
O
2
and TiO
2−
y
C
y
.