Modification of titanium dioxide with graphitic carbon from anthracene thermal decomposition as a promising method for visible-active photocatalysts preparation

Abstract

This work investigated the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 photocatalysts modified with graphitic carbon under visible light with a very small component of UV. The graphitic carbon modification was conducted at 200-500 °C using thermal anthracene decomposition. The increase of calcination temperature leads to typical increase of crystallites size, decrease of the specific surface area and carbon content in modified samples. The characteristic peak for a skeletal in-plane vibrations of the anthracene ring located at 1522 cm-1 as well as the band at 1410 cm-1 assigned to C=C aromatic stretching vibrations mode were possible to observe. The analysis of the morphology using SEM confirmed the presence on new multi-layer carbonaceous flakes decorated with TiO2 nanoparticles. TEM analysis and Raman studies proved the presence of graphitic structures covering the surface of the prepared TiO2/C photocatalysts. The highest photocatalytic activity, calculated on the basis of phenol photodegradation under visible light, was found for the photocatalyst modified with graphitic carbon at 400 °C (TiO2/C-400).