Biogenic hierarchical TiO?/SiO? derived from rice husk and enhanced photocatalytic properties for dye degradation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rice husk, an agricultural bioresource, is utilized as a non-metallic bio-precursor to synthesize biogenic hierarchical TiO?/SiO? (BH-TiO?/SiO?) and the products are applied to dye degradation.

Methodology/principal findings

The as-prepared BH-TiO?/SiO? samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), nitrogen-adsorption measurement, UV-vis spectroscopy and electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The results show that BH-TiO?/SiO? possesses both anatase and rutile phases with amorphous SiO? as background, which contains mesopore structure, and nitrogen derived from original rice husk is self-doped into the lattice. Besides, the light-harvesting within the visible-light range of BH-TiO?/SiO? has been enhanced. Moreover, the catalytic activity of BH-TiO?/SiO? has been proven by EPR, and both the photocatalytic activity and stability of BH-TiO?/SiO? are improved as well, which has been illustrated by cycled degradation of methylene blue dye under irradiation.

Conclusions/significance

This work provides a good way to combine natural hierarchical porous structure with synthetic material chemistry based on available biomass in the vast natural environment for the sustainable development of human society, and extends potentials of biomass in applications such as photocatalysts, sunlight splitting water and so forth.

SUBMITTER: Yang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3170388 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature