SiO2/TiO2 and SiO2/TiO2-Prussian Blue nanostructured particles and aerogels for application in heterogeneous photocatalysis

Author(s)

Elias Paiva Ferreira Neto

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC/BT)
• Defense date: 2018-05-21

Examining board members

Ubirajara Pereira Rodrigues Filho; Caue Ribeiro de Oliveira; Sidney José Lima Ribeiro

• Advisor: Ubirajara Pereira Rodrigues Filho; Marcus Andre Worsley

Abstract

Despite its potential as a promising and sustainable approach for environmental remediation, heterogeneous photocatalysis still has limited practical applicability due to the low efficiency of the existing photocatalysts. In this context, research on the Chemistry/Materials Science interface is of utmost importance for the development of synthetic routes that allow preparation of novel multi-component photocatalysts with controlled properties and enhanced photocatalytic performance. The studies reported in this thesis describe newly developed or improved synthetic routes for the preparation of nanostructured photocatalysts in the form of particles and aerogels through incorporation of highly photoactive TiO2 nanoparticles in silica materials as thermally stable structural supports. Additionally, the prepared silica-titania photocatalysts were further modified with Prussian Blue (PB), hexacyanometallate Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3, in order to enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic reduction reactions. In order to correlate the observed photocatalytic performance with the physical/structural properties of the photocatalysts, the prepared photocatalysts were characterized using an array of complimentary techniques. In the first part of the study, core-shell SiO2@TiO2 particles were prepared by the adsorption and controlled hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide precursor on the surface of submicron silica particles. The rate of titania deposition and the resultant particle morphology as well as TiO2 loading could be effectively controlled by changing solvent composition (isopropanol/ethanol ratio). The prepared SiO2@TiO2 core-shell particles showed superior performance for crystal violet dye photodegradation as compared to unsupported TiO2, in addition to their improved thermal stability due to the formation of Si-O-Ti interfacial bonds. In the second part of thesis, new synthetic routes were developed for the preparation of high surface area silica-titania aerogels employing TiCl4 as an alternative titania precursor. We explored the thermohydrolysis of TiCl4 to promote thermo-induced deposition of titania on silica monolithic gels and epoxide-assisted gelation method for formation of titania gel network around silica aerogel particles, thus yielding SiO2@TiO2 core-shell and SiO2/TiO2 composite aerogels, respectively. The prepared silica-titania aerogels displayed remarkable physical properties, including high surface area, large pore volume and outstanding thermal stability of the supported anatase nanoparticles. The robust thermally stable mesoporous structure of the prepared aerogels, coupled with the ability of silica to inhibit anatase-to-rutile transformation, led to the enhancement of photocatalytic activity with an increase in annealing temperature to as high as 1000 ºC. In fact, the photocatalytic activity of silica-titania aerogels annealed at 1000 ºC outperforms that of both pristine titania aerogels and Degussa P25 commercial photocatalyst. In the final part of the study, the prepared TiO2-based particles and aerogels were further modified with PB and PB/MoS2 by photodeposition method. We could demonstrate that PB can act as an efficient co-catalyst for the photocatalytic reduction of highly toxic Cr(VI) species to the non-toxic Cr(III), thus largely improving the photocatalytic performance of TiO2-based photocatalysts under UV illumination. Finally, simultaneous modification of the titania-based photocatalysts with both PB and the visible-light active semiconductor MoS2 lead to a synergistic enhancement of photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) under visible-light as well. The photocatalytic materials developed in this study may find useful application in many areas such as environmental remediation, wastewater purification and the development of self-cleaning ceramic coatings. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/24948-3 - CO2 Fixation by SiO2@TiO2 nanoparticles decorated with Iron Ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue) and Ruthenium Ferrocyanide: Toward high Sustainability of Biorefineries and Ammonia Synthesis Plants.
• Grantee: Elias Paiva Ferreira Neto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate