• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2018

$TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposites were fabricated by precipitation of nanosized CuS via sonochemical method on electrospun $TiO_2$ nanofibers, and their structure, chemical bonding states, optical properties, and photocatalytic activity were investigated. In the $TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposite, the position of the conduction band for CuS was at a more negative than that of TiO; meanwhile, the position of the valence band for CuS was more positive than those for TiO, indicating a heterojunction structure belonging to type-II band alignment. Photocatalytic activity, measured by decomposition of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation (${\lambda}$ > 400 nm) for the $TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposite, showed a value of 85.94% at 653 nm, which represented an improvement of 52% compared to that for single $TiO_2$ nanofiber (44.97% at 653 nm). Consequently, the photocatalyst with $TiO_2/CuS$ nanocomposite had excellent photocatalytic activity for methylene blue under visible-light irradiation, which could be explained by the formation of a heterojunction structure and improvement of the surface reaction by increase in surface area.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.291-296
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• 2016

Application of photocatalytic nanoparticles has been recently gaining an increased attention as air purifying material for sustainable urban development. The present work reports the photocatalytic removal of gaseous phase nitrogen oxides ($NO_x$) using $TiO_2$-coated zeolite to be applied as a filter media for the urban green infrastructure such as raingardens. The $TiO_2$-coated zeolite was synthesized by simple wet chemistry method and tested in a continuous-flow photo-reactor for its removal efficiency of $NO_x$ under different conditions of the weight percentage of $TiO_2$ coated on the zeolite, and gas retention time. The removal efficiency of $NO_x$ in general increased as the weight percentage of $TiO_2$ coated on the zeolite increased up to 15-20%. Greater than 90% of $NO_x$ was removed at a retention time of one minute using the $TiO_2$-coated zeolite ($TiO_2$ weight percentage = 20%). Overall, $TiO_2$-coated zeolite showed greater efficiency of $NO_x$ removal compared to $TiO_2$ powder probably by providing additional reaction sites from the porous structure of zeolite. It was presumed that the degradation of $NO_x$ is attributed to both the physical adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation that could simultaneously occur at the catalyst surface.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.299-307
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• 2019

Photocatalysis is an environment friendly technique for degrading organic dyes in water. Tungsten oxide is becoming an active area of research in photocatalysis nanomaterials for having a smaller bandgap than the previously favored titanium dioxide. Synthesis of hierarchical structures, doping platinum (Pt), coupling with nanocomposites or other semiconductors are investigated as valid methods of improving the photocatalytic degradation efficiency. These impact the reaction by creating a redshift in the wavelength of light used, effecting charge transfer, and the formation/recombination of electron-hole pairs. Each of the methods mentioned above are investigated in terms of synthesis and photocatalytic efficiency, with the simplest being modification on the morphology of tungsten oxide, since it does not need synthesis of other materials, and the most efficient in photocatalytic degradation being complex coupling of metal oxides and carbon composites. The photocatalysis technology can be incorporated with water purification membrane by modularization process and applied to advanced water treatment system.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.100-105
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• 2006

The photocatalytic activity of phenol degradation was investigated with the variation of operating parameters in $UV/TiO_2$ honeycomb reactor. In the comparison of phenol degradation rates among various $TiO_2$, Ishihara (STS-02)-coated honeycomb exhibited a slightly higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25-coated honeycomb. On the other hand, honeycomb coated by alcohol-mixed $TiO_2$ (N Co.) did not exhibit any photocatalytic activity on phenol degradation. With the increase of Degussa P25 coating amounts, the honeycomb reactor exhibited the gradual increase of phenol degradation rates. The degradation rate of phenol over $UV/TiO_2$ (Degussa P25) honeycomb reactor was asymptotically increased up to 500 mL/min, subsequently followed by a slight decrease as the recirculation rate (100~700 mL/min) was increased. UV absorption at 269 nm was high due to partial degradation of phenol at initial reaction time because the honeycomb surface was pre-adsorbed by phenol prior to UV irradiation.

• Archives of Metallurgy and Materials
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.1111-1116
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• 2020

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is an attractive photocatalyst, however, its practical photocatalytic applications are still faced with huge challenges. The aim of this research is to identify the correlation between synthetic conditions and properties of the g-C₃N₄ and derive an optimum synthesis condition for improving photocatalytic activities of the g-C₃N₄. In this study, novel and versatile g-C₃N₄ nanosheets were synthesized by the simple thermal pyrolysis of urea. In the synthesis process, the pyrolysis temperature and the heating rate, which can have the most significant influence on the structures and properties of g-C₃N₄, were set as variables, and the effects were systematically investigated. When synthesized at a relatively high temperature, the amount of material being synthesized is reduced, however it has been found to represent optical properties suitable for highly efficient photo-catalyst by the increase in the thickness and defects formed in the g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. The photocatalytic degradation experiment of MB dyes indicated that the highest degradation of 95.2% after the reaction for 120 min was achieved on the g-C₃N₄ nanosheets synthesized at 650℃.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.652-665
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• 2019

Analytical solutions of the reactant concentration inside porous spherical catalytic particles were obtained from unsteady reaction-diffusion equation by applying eigenfunction expansion method. Various surface concentrations as exponentially decaying or oscillating function were considered as boundary conditions to solve the unsteady partial differential equation as a function of radial distance and time. Dirac delta function was also used for the instantaneous injection of the reactant as the surface boundary condition to calculate average reactant concentration inside the particles as a function of time by Laplace transform. Besides spherical morphology, other geometries of particles, such as cylinder or slab, were considered to obtain the solution of the reaction-diffusion equation, and the results were compared with the solution in spherical coordinate. The concentration inside the particles based on calculation was compared with the bulk concentration of the reactant molecules measured by photocatalytic decomposition as a function of time.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.75-88
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• 1997

The rates of photodegradation, reactivities, and mechanisms of photooxidation for the aqueous solution containing with halogen derivatives of aliphatic hydrocarbons have been discussed with respect to the kinds of photocatalysts, concentration of photocatalytlc suspensions, strength of radiant power, time of illumination, changes of pH of substrate solution, wavelength of radiation, and pressure of oxygen gas saturated In the solution. These aqueous solutions suspended with 0.5 $gL^{-1}$ $TiO_2$ powder have been photodecomposed in the range of 100 and 93.8% per 1 hour if it is illuminated with wavelength (λ $\geq$ 300nm) produced from Xe-lamp(450W). The photocatalytic abilities have been increased In the order of $Fe_2O_3$ < CdS < $CeO_2$ < Y_2O_3$ <$TiO_2$, and rates of photodegradation for the solution have maldmum values in the condition of pH 6 ~ 8 and 3 psi-$O_2$ gL^{-1}$. These rates for the Photoolddation Per 1 hour were dependent on the size of molecular weight and chemical bonding for organic halogen compounds and the rates of photodegadation were increased in the order of $C_2H_5Br$ < CH_2Br_2$ < C_5H_11Cl C_2H_4Cl_2$ < tracts-$C_2H_2Cl_2$ < cis-C_2H_2Cl_2$ The T_{1/2}$ and t99% for these solutions were 5~21 and 40~90 minutes. respectively, and these values were coincided with Initial reaction kinetics(ro). It was found that reaction of photodegradation has the pseudo first-order kinetics controlled by the amount of $h^+_{VB}$ diffused from a surface of photocatalysts.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.3.1-3.1
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• 2010

Water splitting reaction using photocatalysts is of great interest in the utilization of solar energy [1]. In the present work, visible light-responsive $TiO_2$ thin films (Vis-$TiO_2$) were prepared by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) deposition method and applied for the separate evolution of $H_2$ and $O_2$ from water as well as the photofuel cell. Special attentions will be focused on the effect of HF treatment of Vis-$TiO_2$ thin films on their photocatalytic activities. Vis-$TiO_2$ thin films were prepared by an RF-MS method using a calcined $TiO_2$ plate and Ar as the sputtering gas. The Vis-$TiO_2$ thin films were then deposited on the Ti foil substrate with the substrate temperature at 873 K (Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti). Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti thin films were immersed in a 0.045 vol% HF solution at room temperature. The effect of HF treatments on the activity of Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti thin films for the photocatalytic water splitting reaction have been investigated. Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti thin films treated with HF solution (HF-Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti) exhibited remarkable enhancement in the photocatalytic activity for $H_2$ evolution from a methanol aqueous solution as well as in the photoelectrochemical performance under visible light irradiation as compared with the untreated Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti thin films. Moreover, Pt-loaded HF-Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti thin films act as efficient and stable photocatalysts for the separate evolution of $H_2$ and $O_2$ from water under visible light irradiation in the presence of chemical bias. Thus, HF treatment was found to be an effective way to improve the photocatalytic activity of Vis-$TiO_2$/Ti thin films. Furthermore, unique separate type photofuel cell was fabricated using a Vis-$TiO_2$ thin film as an electrode, which can generate electrical power under solar light irradiation by using various kinds of biomass derivatives as fuel. It was found that the introduction of an iodine ($I^-/{I_3}^-$) redox solution at the cathode side enables the development of a highly efficient photofuel cell which can utilize a cost-efficient carbon electrode as an alternative to the Pt cathode.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.152-156
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• 2016

Experimental research on the preparation of photocatalyst for the decomposition of brilliant blue FCF ($C_{37}H_{31}O_9N_2S_3Na_2$) was performed. $TiO_2$ and ZnO powders were prepared from titanium (IV) sulfate and zinc acetate at low reaction temperature and atmospheric pressure by hydrothermal precipitation method without calcination. In addition, $TiO_2$ was prepared with cationic surfactant CTAB (Hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) at the same conditions. The physical properties of prepared $TiO_2$ and ZnO, such as crystallinity, average particle size and absorbance, were investigated by XRD, Zeta-potential meter and DRS. And, the photocatalytic degradation of brilliant blue FCF has been studied in the batch reactor under UV radiation. For the photocatalysts prepared without CTAB, $TiO_2$ has smaller particle size and larger absorbance and photocatalytic reaction rate than ZnO. And $TiO_2$, prepared with CTAB whose concentration is 1/10 of that of precursor, shows 15% higher than that prepared without CTAB in final photocatalytic degradation ratio of brilliant blue FCF.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.284-289
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• 2003

Titanium mesoporous materials have received increasing attention as a new photocatalyst in the field for photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds. The photocatalytic degradation of chlorothalonil by mesoporous titanium oxo-phoswhate (Ti-MCM) was investigated in aqueous suspension for comparison with $TiO_2$, (Degussa, P25) using as an effective photocatalyst of organic pollutants. Mesoporous form of titanium Phosphate has been prepared by reaction of sulfuric acid and titanium isopropoxide in the presence or n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The XRD patterns of Ti-MCM are hexagonal phases with d-spacings of 4.1 nm. Its adsorption isotherm for chlorothalonil reached at reaction equilibrium within 60 min under dark condition with 28% degradation efficiency. The degradation ratio of chlorothalonil after 9 hours under the UV radiation condition (254 nm) exhibited 100% by Ti-MCM and 88% by $TiO_2$. However, these degradation kinetics in static state showed a slow tendency compared to that of stirred state because of a low contact between titanium matrices and chlorothalonil. Also, degradation efficiency of chlorothalonil was increased with decreasing initial concentration and with increasing pH of solution. As results of this study, it was clear that mesoporous titanium oxo-phosphate with high surface area and crystallinity could be used to photo- catalytic degradation of various organic pollutants.