Photocatalytic Activity of Pt₃ti/WO₃ Photocatalyst Under Visible-Light Irradiation

Abstract

In the past decades, enormous attention has been focused on semiconductor photocatalysis for environmental remediation because it can utilize solar energy to decompose various organic compounds in air and aqueous systems. Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is most widely studied photocatalysts because of its low cost, high reactivity and stability. However, only 5 % of solar energy can be use by TiO 2 on account of its wide band gap energy. On the other hand, tungsten trioxide (WO 3 ) is a visible-light responsive photocatalyst with a narrow band gap energy and similar valence band potential like that of TiO 2 . Hence, a much effort has been made to prepare WO 3 based photocatalyst for decomposition of organic compounds. In the present study, we have prepared photocatalysts (Pt, Pt 3 Ti) by thoroughly mixed with WO 3 powder and precursor in a mortar. We have already reported that Pt 3 Ti ordered intermetallic compound is a promising catalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction and methanol, ethanol oxidations. 1,2 WO 3 loaded photocatalysts were characterized by p XRD, UV, TEM and XPS. Further, we examine organic compounds decomposition under visible light irradiation over cocatalysts loaded WO 3 . The details about the synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of catalysts would be discussed in the presentation. References 1. H. Abe, F. Matsumoto, L.R. Alden, S. C. Warren, H. D. Abruna, and F.J. DiSalvo, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 130, 5452 (2008). 2. G. Saravanan, H. Abe, Y. Xu, N. Sekido, H. Hirata, S. Matsumoto, H. Yoshikawa, and Y. Y.-Mitarai, Langmuir , 26, 11446 (2010). 3. G. Saravanan, T. Hara, H. Yoshikawa, Y. Yamashita, S. Ueda, K. Kobayashi, and H. Abe, Chem. Commun., 48 , 7441 (2012).