Effect of Surface Chemistry and Crystallographic Parameters of TiO<sub>2</sub> Anatase Nanocrystals on Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A

Gregor Žerjav; Albin Pintar; Michael Ferentz; Miron Landau; Anat Haimovich; Amir Goldbourt; Moti Herskowitz

doi:10.3390/catal9050447

Catalysts (May 2019)

Effect of Surface Chemistry and Crystallographic Parameters of TiO<sub>2</sub> Anatase Nanocrystals on Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A

Gregor Žerjav,
Albin Pintar,
Michael Ferentz,
Miron Landau,
Anat Haimovich,
Amir Goldbourt,
Moti Herskowitz

Affiliations

Gregor Žerjav: Department for Inorganic Chemistry and Technology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Albin Pintar: Department for Inorganic Chemistry and Technology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Michael Ferentz: Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis and Process Development, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Miron Landau: Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis and Process Development, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
Anat Haimovich: School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
Amir Goldbourt: School of Chemistry, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
Moti Herskowitz: Blechner Center for Industrial Catalysis and Process Development, Department of Chemical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9050447
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 5
p. 447

Abstract

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The photocatalytic activity of a series of anatase TiO2 materials with different amounts of exposed (001) facets (i.e., 12% (TiO2-1), 38% (TiO2-3), and 63% (TiO2-3)) was tested in a batch slurry reactor towards liquid-phase bisphenol A (BPA, c0(BPA) = 10 mg/L, ccat. = 125 mg/L) degradation. Photo-electrochemical and photo-luminescence measurements revealed that with the increasing amount of exposed anatase (001) facets, the catalysts generate more electron-hole pairs and OH∙ radicals that participate in the photocatalytic mineralization of pollutants dissolved in water. In the initial stages of BPA degradation, a correlation between % exposure of (001) facets and catalytic activity was developed, which was in good agreement with the findings of the photo-electrochemical and photo-luminescence measurements. TiO2-1 and TiO2-3 solids achieved 100% BPA removal after 80 min in comparison to the TiO2-2 sample. Adsorption of BPA degradation products onto the TiO2-2 catalyst surface was found to have a detrimental effect on the photocatalytic performance in the last stage of the reaction course. Consequently, the global extent of BPA mineralization decreased with the increasing exposure of anatase (001) facets. The major contribution to the enhanced reactivity of TiO2 anatase (001) surface is the Brønsted acidity resulting from dissociative chemisorption of water on a surface as indicated by FTIR, TPD, and MAS NMR analyses.

Published in Catalysts

ISSN: 2073-4344 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology; Science: Chemistry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/catalysts

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