Photocatalytic oxidation of PCE and butyraldehyde over Titania modified with perovskite optical crystal BaTiO3

摘要

Photocatalysis utilizes near-UV or visible light to break down organic pollutants into innocuous compounds at room temperatures. This paper introduces the use of semiconducting optical crystals as an additive to a photocatalyst. The perovskite optical material BaTiO3 (band gap of 3.7-3.8 eV) is found to increase VOC destruction when black light is used. The best composition found is 0.1 wt% BaTiO3 with the balance being TiO2. This photocatalyst increases tetrachloroethylene (PCE) conversion by 12% to 32% for space times between 1.4 and 17.2 seconds and inlet concentrations of 40 to 130 ppm with a 4 W black light. The average enhancement is approximately 25%. For butyraldehyde conversion the maximum enhancement is 20% at 130 ppm in 3.6 seconds. The UV/VIS spectroscopy data indicate a lower absorbance with the additive. The reaction parameters studied are space velocity, inlet concentration and light source. Oxidation by-products are identified using a GCMS.