Photocatalytic Activity of Pt3Ti/WO3 Photocatalyst under Visible-Light Irradiation

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 (TiO₂) is most widely studied photocatalysts because of its low cost, high reactivity and stability. However, only 5 % of solar energy can be use by TiO₂ on account of its wide band gap energy. On the other hand, tungsten trioxide (WO₃) is a visible-light responsive photocatalyst with a narrow band gap energy and similar valence band potential like that of TiO₂. Hence, a much effort has been made to prepare WO₃based photocatalyst for decomposition of organic compounds. In the present study, we have prepared photocatalysts (Pt, Pt₃Ti) by thoroughly mixed with WO₃ powder and precursor in a mortar. We have already reported that Pt₃Ti ordered intermetallic compound is a promising catalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction and methanol, ethanol oxidations.^1,2 WO₃ loaded photocatalysts were characterized by pXRD, UV, TEM and XPS. Further, we examine organic compounds decomposition under visible light irradiation over cocatalysts loaded WO₃. 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).