High activity of brookite TiO2 nanoparticles in the photocatalytic abatement of ammonia in water

Abstract The effects of the TiO 2 crystal structure and its surface modification with Pt nanoparticles on the photocatalytic oxidation of NH 3 in the aqueous phase were studied with home-made TiO 2 photocatalyst powders synthesized by a thermo-hydrolysis approach that allowed a fine control of the crystallographic phase composition. Ammonia conversion and the selectivity toward mildly oxidized N 2 and highly oxidized nitrite and nitrate anions were monitored during the runs. Pure brookite powders modified by Pt nanoparticles, deposited either from a colloidal suspension or by deposition–precipitation, were found to be the most efficient photocatalysts in NH 3 degradation, with a desired goo…

Effect of the TiO2 crystalline structure on the photocatalytic production of hydrogen

Effect of titanium dioxide crystalline structure on the photocatalytic production of hydrogen

The effect of the crystalline phase of TiO 2 (anatase, rutile and brookite) on its photocatalytic activity in hydrogen production from methanol-water vapours has been investigated by testing a series of both home-made and commercial TiO 2 photocatalysts, either bare or surface-modified by deposition of a fixed amount, i.e. 1 wt%, of platinum as co-catalyst. For all of the TiO 2 samples the rate of hydrogen production increased by one order of magnitude upon Pt deposition, because of the ability of Pt to enhance the separation of photoproduced electron-hole pairs. Under irradiation in the 350-450 nm wavelength range, brookite and anatase showed similar photoactivities, both superior to that …