Microstructure and photocatalytic activity of natural rutile from China for oxidation of methylene blue in water

Summary Natural rutile from China was found to have good photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB). Under UV irradiation, 50% of MB was decomposed in three hours by natural rutile, 90% in 77 hours and 100% in 119 hours. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of natural rutile w...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mineralogy and petrology 2008-05, Vol.93 (1-2), p.143-152
Main Authors: Chuan, X.-Y., Lu, A. H., Chen, J., Li, N., Guo, Y. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalysts
Crystal defects
Decomposition
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Geochemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Irradiation
Methylene blue
Microstructure
Mineralogy
Oxidation
Petrology
Photocatalysis
Rutile
Specific surface
Transmission electron microscopy
Ultraviolet radiation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Summary Natural rutile from China was found to have good photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB). Under UV irradiation, 50% of MB was decomposed in three hours by natural rutile, 90% in 77 hours and 100% in 119 hours. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of natural rutile was only 0.4495 m 2 /g. In order to explain the decomposition of MB, rutile was characterized by XRD, FESEM and TEM, revealing a modulated structure. Crystal structural parameters are consistent with the data from JCPDS. Chemical composition approximates to Ti 1.019 O 2 . Photocatalytic properties of rutile are believed to relate to metal ionic substitution, vacancies and defects in its microstructure. Natural rutile is a practical photocatalyst, although its reaction rate is a fifth of anatase. Rutile might be effective and practical for a large-scale photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants in quiet and still waters (e.g. pools and lakes) since it is relatively cheap and widely available.
ISSN:0930-0708
1438-1168
DOI:10.1007/s00710-007-0226-0