Photocatalytic Properties of Co3O4-Coated TiO2 Powders Prepared by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition

• Published in: Nanoscale research letters 2017-08, Vol.12 (1), p.497-497, Article 497
• Main Authors: Zhao, Xi-Rui, Cao, Yan-Qiang, Chen, Jun, Zhu, Lin, Qian, Xu, Li, Ai-Dong, Wu, Di
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry and Materials Science; Co3O4; Commercial TiO2 powders (P25); Materials Science; Molecular Medicine; Nano Express; Nanochemistry; Nanoscale Science and Technology; Nanotechnology; Nanotechnology and Microengineering; P-n junction; Photocatalytic acitivity; Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition; Surface modification
• ISSN: 1931-7573; 1556-276X
• DOI: 10.1186/s11671-017-2269-4

Co 3 O 4 -coated commercial TiO 2 powders (P25) p-n junction photocatalysts were prepared by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technique. The structure, morphology, bandgap, and photocatalytic properties under ultraviolet light were investigated systematically. Although the deposition of Co 3 O 4 does not change the anatase structure and crystallite size of P25 powders, the ultraviolet photocatalytic activity has been improved evidently. For the Co 3 O 4 -coated P25 powders, the trace Co ions exist as Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles attached to TiO 2 powder surface instead of the occupation of Ti 4+ position in TiO 2 lattice. The Co 3 O 4 -coated P25 powders exhibit enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency of almost 100% for methylene blue in 1.5 h under ultraviolet light, compared with P25 of 80%. The Mott-Schottky plots of photocatalyst powders confirm the p-n heterojunction formation in Co 3 O 4 –TiO 2 nanocomposite materials, which is beneficial to increase the efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole separation. In addition, the Co 3 O 4 coating also promotes the adsorption of organic dyes of methylene blue on P25 powders.