Dye-sensitized TiO2@SBA-15 composites: Preparation and their application in photocatalytic desulfurization

Abstract

Photocatalytic oxidation desulfurization has become a research hotspot in recent years because of mild reaction conditions, less energy consumption and high selectivity. In this paper, TiO2 was loaded onto SBA-15 molecular sieves and sensitized with organic dyes (2, 9-dichloroquinacridone, DCQ) to extend its spectral response range from ultraviolet light to visible light. The catalyst DCQ-X%TiO2@SBA-15 was characterized by BET measurements, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection spectra, and then it was applied for photocatalytic oxidation desulfurization of gasoline. The effects of different catalytic systems, TiO2 concentration, catalyst dosage, and different model sulfur compounds on catalytic desulfurization performance were investigated. Experimental results show that DCQ-TiO2@SBA-15 has a better performance than the unsensitized TiO2@SBA-15, and the desulfurization rate can reach up to 96.1% in a reaction time of 90 min. Keywords: TiO2, Dye-sensitization, Gasoline desulfurization, Photocatalysis