Photocatalyst oxidizing sites

Recently, it is reported that Xi02 particles with metal deposition on the surface is more active than pure Ti02 for photocatalytic reactions in aqueous solution because the deposited metal provides reduction sites which in turn increase the efficiency of the transport of photogenerated electrons (e ) in the conduction band to the external sjistem, and decrease the recombination with positive hole (h ) in the balance band of Xi02, i.e., less defects acting as the recombination center[l,2,3]. Xhe catalytic converter contains precious metals, mainly platinum less than 1 wt%, partially, Pd, Re, Rh, etc. on cordierite supporter. Xhus, in this study, solutions leached out from wasted catalytic converter of automobile were used for precious metallization source of the catalyst. Xhe XiOa were prepared with two different methods i.e., hydrothermal method and a sol-gel method. Xhe prepared titanium oxide and commercial P-25 catalyst (Deagussa) were metallized with leached solution from wasted catalytic converter or pure H2PtCl6 solution for modification of photocatalysts. Xhey were characterized by UV-DRS, BEX surface area analyzer, and XRD[4]. 

Lewandowski and Ollis have proposed a simple kinetic model describing the transient photocatalytic oxidation of aromatic contaminants [50]. The model considered three chemical species an aromatic contaminant, preadsorbed onto the catalyst in the dark and refreshed continuously from the gas phase a strongly bound, recalcitrant reaction intermediate and final reaction products (CO or CO2), assumed for simplicity to be strictly gas-phase species. The model also assumed that two types of catalyst site were present on the photocatalyst surface, with the first suitable for the adsorption of aromatic contaminants, as well as reaction intermediates, and the second type considered to be more polar in nature, suitable only for adsorption of partially oxidized reaction intermediates. 

In considering photoactivity on metal oxide and metal chalcogenide semiconductor surfaces, we must be aware that multiple sites for adsorption are accessible. On titanium dioxide, for example, there exist acidic, basic, and surface defect sites for adsorption. Adsorption isotherms will differ at each site, so that selective activation on a particular material may indeed depend on photocatalyst preparation, since this may in turn Influence the relative fraction of each type of adsorption site. The number of basic sites can be determined by titration but the total number of acidic sites is difficult to establish because of competitive water adsorption. A rough ratio of acidic to basic binding sites on several commercially available titania samples has been shown by combined surface ir and chemical titration methods to be about 2.4, with a combined acid/base site concentration of about 0.5 mmol/g . 

Corresponding niobates also exist as discussed below. Noble metal co-catalysts (e.g., Pt) are loaded onto these photocatalysts by photocatalytic deposition from PPPtCk (see above). Since the oxide sheets have a net negative charge (that is balanced by the alkali cations), the PtCk2" anions are not intercalated in the host lattice.95 Instead, the Pt sites are formed on the external surfaces of the layered perovs-kite powder. 

Even without deposition of a metal island, wide band-gap semiconductor powders often maintain photoactivity, as long as the rates or the positions of the oxidative and reductive half reactions can be separated. Photoelectrochemical conversion on untreated surfaces also remains efficient if either the oxidation or reduction half reaction can take place readily on the dark semiconductor upon application of an appropriate potential. Metalization of the semiconductor photocatalyst will be essential for some redox couples, whereas, for others, platinization will have nearly no effect. Furthermore, because the oxidation and reduction sites on an irradiated particle are very close to each other, secondary chemical reactions can often occur readily, as the oxidized and reduced species migrate toward each other, leading either to interesting net reactions or, unfortunately, sometimes to undesired side reactions. 

---