Synthesis and characterization of carbon modified TiO2 nanotube and photocatalytic activity on methylene blue under sunlight

Tentative photo-degradation mechanism diagram of the MB on the surface of carbon modified TNT. When the TiO2 was under ultraviolet light irradiation, the electrons were excited and transferred from the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB), leaving the holes on VB. The electrons were trapped...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied surface science 2015-07, Vol.344, p.176-180
Main Authors: Li, Yinchang, Wang, Yongqian, Kong, Junhan, Jia, Hanxiang, Wang, Zhengshu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption
Carbon
Crystallinity
Methylene blue
Nanostructure
Photocatalysis
Photocatalytic activity
Semiconductor
Sunlight
Surface chemistry
TiO2 nanotube
Titanium dioxide
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Summary:Tentative photo-degradation mechanism diagram of the MB on the surface of carbon modified TNT. When the TiO2 was under ultraviolet light irradiation, the electrons were excited and transferred from the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB), leaving the holes on VB. The electrons were trapped by O2 and formed superoxide anion (O2−). H2O around the TiO2 was oxidized by the holes leaved on VB to hydroxyl radicals (OH). When the TiO2 was modified by carbon, the same is that the electrons of C4+ would be excited from ground state to 2P orbital under visible light irradiation. The electrons and holes can also lead to the generation of the O2− and OH. The oxidability of O2− and OH created around the carbon modified TNT is strong, and could oxidize the MB to CO2 and H2O. •The TNT was successfully modified by carbon, its amount is about 4.95%.•The carbon modified TNT has a great enhancement of visible light absorption.•The photocatalytic ability of carbon modified TNT is higher than pristine TNT.•A tentative photo-degradation mechanism of carbon modified TNT is proposed. Carbon modified TiO2 nanotube was successfully synthesized via anodic oxidation method and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photodegrading methylene blue. The full width at half maximum of carbon modified TiO2 nanotube is smaller than that of pristine TiO2 nanotube, indicating the fact that carbon modifying leads to the increase of TiO2 crystallinity. TiO2 nanotube modified by carbon has a great enhancement on visible light absorption while contrasting with the pristine TiO2 nanotube. A tentative mechanism for the enhancement of sunlight absorption is proposed.
ISSN:0169-4332
1873-5584
DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.03.085