Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2 Microspheres Functionalized with Porphyrin

Abstract

In order to utilize visible light more efficiently in the photocatalytic reaction, TiO2 microspheres sensitized by 5-(4-allyloxy)phenyl-10,15,20-tri(4-methylphenyl)porphyrin (APTMPP) were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen physisorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and so forth, The characterization results indicated that APTMPP-MPS-TiO2 was composed of the anatase crystal phase. The morphology of the composite materials was spheriform with size of 0.3–0.7 μm and the porphyrin was chemisorbed on the surface of TiO2 through a Si–O–Ti bond. The photooxidation of α-terpinene was employed as the model reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of APTMPP-MPS-TiO2 microspheres under visible light. The results indicated that the photodegradation of α-terpinene was significantly enhanced in the presence of the APTMPP-MPS-TiO2 compared with the nonmodified TiO2 under visible light.