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Green Energy and Technology
Samira Bagheri
Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli
Nanocatalysts
in Environmental
Applications
Green Energy and Technology
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/8059
Samira Bagheri Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli
•
Nanocatalysts
in Environmental
Applications
123
Samira Bagheri Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli
Nanotechnology and Catalysis Nanotechnology and Catalysis
Research Centre Research Centre
University of Malaya University of Malaya
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia Malaysia
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer International Publishing AG part
of Springer Nature
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface
The field of nanocatalysis has undergone an explosive growth during the past
decade, both in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyses. Nanoparticles have a
large surface-to-volume ratio compared to bulk materials, and they are attractive to
use as catalysts. Catalysts daily accelerate and boost thousands of different chemical
reactions and thereby form the basis for the multibillion-dollar chemical industry
worldwide and indispensable environmental protective technologies. Research in
nanotechnology and nanoscience is expected to have a great impact on the devel-
opment of new catalysts. Current demand for clean and renewable energy and
environmental concerns urges researchers to approach for greener advanced oxi-
dation processes such as photocatalysis. Visible-light-driven photocatalytic water
splitting for the generation of clean hydrogen fuel and pollutant degradation for
cleaner environment are promising topics. Design and development of advanced
materials as photocatalyst is very crucial, and the success of the process lies with
materials. In this book, we have highlighted principles and mechanism of several
photocatalytic systems and design of advanced materials for their applications in
photocatalysis. Very few books are available on catalysis in production schemes or
its primary applications, such as environmental applications. This book fills that gap
with detailed discussions of enhanced photocatalytic activity by using modification
activated carbon in Chap. 1, surface modification of titania/gold nanoparticles for
photocatalytic applications in Chap. 2, black titania for photodecomposition of
organic compounds in Chap. 3, applications of titania as a heterogeneous catalyst for
degradation of landfill leachates in Chap. 4, easy separation of magnetic photocat-
alyst from aqueous pollutants in Chap. 5, solar-driven, highly stable photocatalyst
system for mitigation of organic pollutants via mixed phase titania in Chap. 6, and
layered catalyst compositions for photo-treating of industrial effluents in Chap. 7.
v
Contents
vii
viii Contents
The published articles have specified the background in theory and environmental
supplication in heterogeneous photocatalysis system for semiconductors.
One of the main limitations of utilizing semiconductors is the power necessity
due to the ultraviolet light usage (Huang et al. 2014), although upgrading the pho-
tocatalytic systems may elevate the reaction rate and henceforward reduce the time
of residence and minimalize energy consumption per unit of volume being treated.
This might be accomplished by the photocatalysis material deposition on high surface
area materials, which will particularly absorb the polluted molecules and will fixate
them around the photocatalysis particle. These limitations have helped researchers
to find any worthy initiative of semiconductor for the operation of some particular
pollutants, or try to formulate latest techniques of deposition. The pH of the solu-
tion, the support, and the kind of pollutant plays a significant role in the exploit of
photocatalytic process.
Many efforts have declared the usage of activated carbon as a catalyst support
for the semiconductor but it has been alerted that effective absorption of pollutants
into the absorbent area may hinder diffusion to the catalyst and thus may affect the
entire process (Quiñones et al. 2014). The employment of activated carbon like a
brace for the titanium oxide (titania) turns out to give greater tremendous above the
other mediums, due to its potential to absorb pollutants, also, its high absorption
capability due to its high surface area and decent porosity. As specified, medium
pores of activated carbon will ease the diffusion of pollutants and product discharging
from the surface. Additionally, the high ability of activated carbon to absorb fluids
may reduce the penetration of ultraviolet lights into small areas, and it may cause
confining of pollutants within the pores without getting able to diffuse into the outer
surface for further reaction with the pollutants OH radical. Furthermore, some kinds
of pollutant, such as phenol, may start polymerization on the AC’s surface, which
can cause unchangeable absorption.
Green chemistry, nowadays, is becoming more and more connected with the catalytic
process on biomass conversion to carbon materials.
The solvents of catalyst as ionic liquids have received enough attention because of its
low vapor pressure, stability, and recyclability (Liu et al. 2013). The kinds of novel
green solvent are ionic liquids with the relatively less melting point and appear as
a crystal in general conditions. Cellulose is balanced via inter- and intramolecular
bonds of hydrogen, so that rigid bundles could be created, which makes it difficult
to solubilize with common organic solvents and water. Ionic liquids have significant
roles; it acts both as a soft template to formulate the characterized pore structuring
for the development of a hierarchical porous carbon structure and as a catalyst which
results in enhanced ion thermal carbon yields (Wei et al. 2011). Thus, it has been
demonstrated that in the presence of an acid catalyst, the utilization of ionic liquids
can embrace the efficiency of the hydrolysis of glucose cellulose (Yang et al. 2012).
catalyses for the conversion of biomass are alkali salts, metals (Ni, Rh, PT, Ru, Pd, Ir,
and Ag), metal oxides (CeO2 , ZrO3 titania, and Al2 O3 ) usually on supports, and metal
oxide catalysts at medium temperatures (300–425 °C) which involves deoxygenation
reaction combined with –C–C– coupling processes (Tong et al. 2010).
Solid acid catalysts have various benefits over liquid acid catalysts as it facilitates the
separation of product that eventually can be recycled without losing the activity and
it minimizes the cost of post-treatment such as neutralization and effluent processing;
it can even work at higher temperatures, therefore reducing the reaction time. Solid
acid catalysts are basically a Bronsted or Lewis acid and it is of various types such
as Vanadyl phosphate, ZrO2 , zeolites, inorganic oxides, and ion-exchange resins.
Bronsted or Lewis Solid Acid Catalyst These series of Lewis catalyst including
WOx /ZrO2 , C–Al2 O3, Zr–P, SiO2 –Al2 O3 , and HY zeolite are used for mainly aqueous
phase dehydration of xylose (Li et al. 2015). Few studies have characterized the
concentration of both Lewis and Bronsted acid set of these series of catalyst with
FTIR and TPD spectroscopy by using gas-phase NH3 and compared the catalytic
selectivity and activity with homogeneous catalyst activities for the dehydration of
an aqueous solution of xylose. The catalyst selectivity is a principle of the Bronsted
to Lewis acid site ratio of the heterogeneous reaction (Nandiwale et al. 2014). Lewis
acid sites lower furfural selectivity through catalyzing a side reaction. In the hot water
(190 °C), solid Lewis acids promoted the cellulose depolymerization and lowered
the creation of soluble oligomers and polymers as in connection to the cellulose self-
hydrolysis which occurred in the familiar conditions (Cheng et al. 2011). By contrast,
in normal conditions, strong Bronsted solid acid has not improved the extent of the
cellulose depolymerization but has affected the product distribution. It has been
discovered that the normal product of soluble Bronsted acid catalyst in cellulose
depolymerization like glucose and HMF was not generated through the conversion
process but lactic acids and levulinic were accepted (Weingarten et al. 2013). If we
compare, Lewis solid acids were not only potential to upgrade the extent of cellulose
depolymerization but also favorable for direct formation of lactic acid, which gives
high yield, approximately 30%. This comparison represents highly potential ways
to optimize the conversion of cellulose and stabilize Bronsted acid catalyst which
helps to understand the reaction pathways (Zhao et al. 2011).
This also brought an idea for various researchers to study the effect of Bron-
sted acidities of water-soluble heteropoly acid catalyst, known as HPA. This het-
erogeneous HPA catalyst is micellar, clean, economical, facile, and environmen-
tally friendly process which could be recycled via centrifuge (Hu et al. 2012). The
exhibiting activity for the hydrolysis of polysaccharides comprising disaccharides,
starch and cellulose, is known to be HPA. Tungstophosphoric acids (H3 PW12 O40 )
and tungstosilicious (H4 SiW12 O40 ) are the vigorous acid used in the series of HPA
as a catalyst in reaction of hydrocarbons and has been employed for example, in
1 Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by Using Modification … 5
adsorb β-1, 4-glucan, which is not absorbed on the other solid acids. Thus, it can be
concluded that heterogeneous catalysis is more active and environmentally benign,
mainly because of a hasty product separation and also catalyst recovery. Takagai
et al. described that acid resins with considerably big pores could actively depoly-
merize cellulose in ionic liquid, but the main products were cellooligomers which
were failed to be dissolved in water (Masters and Maschmeyer 2011).
Zeolite Catalyst
Furfural and HMF are the two main and significant intermediates which are derived
from biomass. They were directly manufactured from the microcrystalline cellulose
hydrolysis with metal ions in ionic liquids such as Fe3+ , Fe2+ , Cr3+ , Co2+ , and Mn2+
as a catalyst under mild conditions (Williams et al. 2012). Metal ions as an acidic
support are a nice catalyst for hydrogenation and ring opening of cellulose polymers.
Many reports are there on carbon production through cellulose hydrolysis at a
moderate temperature up to 250–300 °C metal catalyst in a very less reaction time
to control the deep exploitation of the formed glucose (Vuyyuru and Strasser 2012).
Some researchers even used Ru that is a ruthenium catalyst to enhance the transfor-
8 S. Bagheri and N. Muhd Julkapli
mation of oligosaccharides and increased glucose yield (almost 30%) with the TON
that is the turnover number of the catalyst was immense (145 based on bulk Ru) in
contrast to those of the sulfonated catalysts of carbon (Dreher et al. 2013). Wang
et al. 1993 founded that the glucose yield was increased around 31% by upgrading
the Ru loading to 10 wt% along with the recyclable amount of catalyst up to five
times without losing the activity or Ru leaching (Wang et al. 2012). Various reports
on the efficiency of the hydrolyzed cellulose formulated by Ru catalysis as sources of
carbon for the bacterial PHA production and founded that, under the aqueous solu-
tion the reaction which occurs is desirable for delivering to microbes which there
upon makes it easily disconnected from yielded sugar via facilitating the race of the
catalyst and filtration (Ashik et al. 2017). Such reports have accepted that Ru species
were in fact in an oxidized state acted as the real and effective site for the oligosac-
charides hydrolysis. Prior, Ru/Co3 O4 catalysts have showed considerate selectivity
and activity and good recyclability in the biomass conversion to carbon.
In many catalytic processes, metal oxides play an important role. For example, metal
oxide nanostructures are important component which are commercially available
for synthesis of methanol (Liu et al. 2016). There are many more benefits of these
catalysts which make them efficient candidates for green processes. The charac-
teristics of such catalysts are stable, nontoxic, low cost, availability, nonvolatility,
and reusability. Several studies have observed the processes of decomposition con-
nected with formic acid on nano-metal oxide surface, methanol, and formaldehyde.
It is strongly expected that metal oxide nanostructures would have a better catalytic
activity in developing the conversion of cellulose to the value-added products in
hydrothermal media with an efficient separation from the reaction matrix in regard
to the increased surface area of the nanomaterials (Li et al. 2013). Layered transition
metal oxides containing niobium found to be specifically active in the hydrolysis of
disaccharide, suggesting the importance to investigate niobium containing catalyst
as an energy-inefficient factor for the conversion of biomass.
The employment of transition metal oxide like HNbMoO6 was also reported as an
efficient solid catalyst to generate glucose from cellulose. Similarly, in the presence
of noble metal consisting of catalyst, for example, Pt/Al2 O3 , Felice et al. have found
the creation of sugar alcohols in yield up to 31% from cellulose in hydrothermal
conditions. On the other hand, the researchers proclaimed that Pt-free catalysts have
generated only poor glucose hexitols amount.
vided with high pore volume and extended surface area, makes activated carbon the
most commonly used technique for controlling pollution. Well-developed pores over
the surface are one of the main uses of activated carbon as the photocatalysis sub-
strate. Nontoxic, chemical stability, and being economical are the main reasons that
in past decades the heterogeneous technology has got many attentions (Khan et al.
2014). As the organic pollutants can be mineralized into neutral by products such as
H2 O, CO2 , and mineral acids, one of the main properties of heterogeneous-activated
carbon photocatalysis methods includes the destruction of the wider category of
organic compounds. Promoting solar radiation and working on the low temperature,
eventually saving a lot of energy, make it very economical. One of the advantages
of the activated carbon includes the regeneration of spending absorbent, and demol-
ishing of absorbed organic material on the site is converting the loss of absorbents
to burn them concluding that thermal regeneration is efficient (McEvoy et al. 2013).
Activated carbon, being the strong light-absorbing compounds, has been success-
fully used as photoactive species. Determining the band gap of the activated carbon
(band gap less than 4 eV) resulted in being a semiconductor and therefore as photo-
electric materials in the presence of ultraviolet radiations (Khan et al. 2014). Recent
reports suggest the abnormal reaction toward the aqueous environment by directing
ultraviolet irradiation of the sample in the presence of the activated carbon provided
that no other photoactive materials are present showing that the activated carbon
improved the photo-oxidation of phenol, beyond the degradation of photolysis in
comparison to bare or unmoved titania (Velo-Gala et al. 2013). To find the difference
whether this reaction is only shown by the activated carbon or also by other car-
bon compounds, some researchers have worked on different porous activated carbon
materials obtained from different sites, procedures, and reactions and their behavior
to the exposed ultraviolet radiations (Pamecha et al. 2016). The final solution is to
remove any vagueness in result that in aqueous medium, ultraviolet radiations, and
absence of semiconductor activated carbon are able to demolish the organic mate-
rials in the respectiv conditions. Regardless of the type, activated carbon acts as a
catalyst during removal of diatrizoate. Gamma radiations based on activated carbon
is more efficient in a way that it is a higher proportion of C atoms and contains
sp2 hybridized (Nishida et al. 2004). With more than 53% of synergistic effect in
diatrizoate in the first minute of reaction, commercial carbon exhibits it from the
ultraviolet/activated carbon system. Providing more oxygen, the synergistic act of
activated carbon is boosted up. The reutilized activated carbon is quite similar to
original C; the presence of O in the sample increases the rate of removing of dia-
trizoate by the ultraviolet/activated carbon system, but the ultraviolet inclusion of
system results in some modifications in activated carbon chemically. There is a very
vague relationship between the textual properties and the synergistic contribution of
the activated carbon. Gamma radiation involvement with activated carbon reduces
the band gap that results in more efficient removal of organic compounds. One of the
actions proposed in the results and evaluations that the activated carbon is the pho-
tocatalysis substrate which will promote the electrons from the valence band to the
conducting band, resulting in enhanced generation of OH-free compounds present
in the polluting medium.
10 S. Bagheri and N. Muhd Julkapli
Many researchers and authors reported many surface and textual features of acti-
vated carbon. It is clear that basic activated carbon in the presence of low oxygen
in this medium is much more potential of the phenol adsorption. An increase in the
physical absorption and surface polymerization of phenols can be done by ensuring
the deprivation of the acidic categories on the surface of the activated carbon. Irre-
versible absorption and catalyzing the oxidative coupling of phenolic compounds
can be enhanced by the O2 containing basic categories over the face of activated
carbon. Boosting up the interactions between π–π electrons in activated carbon and
phenols is due to the graphene layers of an activated carbon, which increases π elec-
tron density (Elangovan et al. 2015). In carbon of basic nature, phenol is considered
to be higher because of being, regardless of textual properties, absorption capacity.
Retention of phenol is supposed to become less in the acidic carbon as compared to
the basic carbon; in fact, there is no clear relationship between two.
One of activated carbon drawbacks is that the waste organic materials not really
destroyed but are transformed from one phase to another and in result the used
activated carbon is transformed into a dangerous product. So, regenerating activated
carbon becomes necessary for its reusability, which makes an economical process.
The activated carbon is carrying some limitations like its adsorption capacity, which
is a function of inert concentration that results in low-quality products (Babadi et al.
2016). Already used activated carbon is to be disposed of as it is hazardous material
or regenerated to be used again. Thermal regeneration contains many disadvantages
because of its off-site regeneration that hardly converts the pollutant from one phase
to another. This may result due to depletion of carbon and may cause damage to the
structure of activated carbon.
The process, which could produce high yield efficiencies, could be a chemical
regeneration of spent activated carbon but it has some drawbacks regarding chem-
ical consumption nondestructive pollutant elimination and creation of unimportant
steams of waste (Eliyas et al. 2013). However, techniques like ultrasonic regenera-
tion, microwave regeneration, and electrochemical regeneration are also being pro-
posed as alternative techniques for the process of chemical regeneration of spent AC.
Due to the limitations of the present technique, there is a need to develop another
technique, which is more economical and environmental friendly. Thus, to make
one hybrid system, there is a need to merge semiconductor with activated carbon.
Organic pollutants, issues of destruction, and other hazardous problems are expected
to arise from the oxidation semiconductor element. The reason lies in the genera-
tion of radical species like O• and OH• from the catalyst particles of semiconductor,
which causes oxidation of such species. Another technique that has been studied for
activated carbon is the combination of heterogeneous photocatalysis and the Fenton
reaction with the catalytic process, which is an oxidation-based process.
Studies on this spent activated carbon, which carried out previously, were mostly
about granular AC. Take an example which demonstrated that there was improved
efficiency in herbicide removal from the water when granular activated carbon
1 Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by Using Modification … 11
By impregnation and adsorption along with various methods, metal oxides are
expected to be impregnated into the surface of carbon; all the same, this is applied
for complex experimental procedures and process, which operate at high tempera-
ture. Considering ideal conditions, a photocatalysis material should be inexpensive,
highly proactive, and nontoxic and stable. One more criteria that play a role in the
degradation of organic compounds is that the potential of the redox resides in the
band gap of the semiconductor. There are many semiconductors with the band gap
energies ample to catalyze several chemical reactions, which include WO3 , Fe2 O3 ,
SrTiO3 , ZnS, titania, and ZnO (Yang and Bai 2014). The metal sulfate group with
insufficient stability in the process of catalysis is kids, PbS, or CdS. This compound
undergoes photo-anodic corrosion readily and is toxic. For example, Fe3 O4 under-
goes photo-anodic corrosion readily so they are not suitable. ZnO (3.2 eV) is unstable
with Zn (OH)2 in water, and also it has a band gap similar to anatase, so it results in
the deactivation of the catalyst.
For easy manipulation in a process of total photocatalytic operation and quick decom-
position of organic pollutants, it might speed up the process to load photocatalysis
to suitable adsorbents to increase the strength of pollutants around the photocataly-
sis system. Therefore, researcher had made attempts to support titania on different
matrixes as silica gel, clay, carbon materials, alumina, and zeolites which can be
nanotubes, carbon microspheres, carbon black, carbon nanofibers, and activated car-
bon (Zhang et al. 2010). Titania particles are hydrophilic when exposed to direct
UV light, whereas organic pollutants are hydrophobic. The use of activated carbon
as a reference will provide help to molecules of pollutant closer to the active site of
titania for a quick and effective photo-degeneration process. The activated carbon
to favor organic pollutants that are approaching, in which secondary degradation to
take place intermediately in situ can generate new adsorption centers.
In gas and water remediation for support purposes, activated carbon is used widely
because of its high porosity, good adsorption, supported titania, and low cost that
has marked the effects on disappearance of pollutants kinetics, with each pollutant
being more quickly degenerated. For example, the titania surface is made static over
glass surface; it has the benefits like high photodegradation productivity. The major
limitation is the adhesion force in titania membrane and glass is poor, so titania is
easy to decrease, which causes the decrease of the photodegradation productivity.
Hybrid of titania with activated carbon support, as a sensitizer which is able to
absorb light, was proven to be the best approach to develop photo responding pho-
tocatalysis material with great activity. The formation of heterojunction between
titania with a small band gap and negatively charged activated carbon may result in
the inoculation of conducting band electrons from activated carbon to titania and it
is very useful for electrons and hole division. At the same time, the immobilization
of titania onto the activated carbon support can compromise for the loss of photo-
catalytic ability of titania because of the difficulty to effectively disperse in water
for complete interaction with pollutants. So, many researchers reported that there is
an optimum titania that uses amount and activated carbon pore formation for attain-
1 Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by Using Modification … 13
ing the higher photocatalytic productivity than titania (Bagheri et al. 2012). The 3-D
relation between the particles of activated carbon, titania as a photocatalyst substrate
with small particles, and the molecules of organic toxic is reported to be represen-
tational in the absence of light and in the presence of ultraviolet enlightenment. The
organic pollutants are supposed to be small to adsorb in microspores. In most of the
activated carbon, a large group of micropores exists over the broad surface of the
substantial pores, mesopores and macropores; a large amount of toxic particles is
well balanced due to physical adsorption (Zhang et al. 2012). Instead, only a little
number of pollutant particles are adsorbed on the surface of titania. By depositing
titania molecules onto activated carbon particles, some mesopores and micropores
become closer to their openings and this causes a marked lessen in the uncovered
surface area. The ultraviolet enlightenment over such titania used activated carbon
molecules; oxidative OH-free radicals take birth on the titania and can destroy toxic
molecules by oxidation.
The moving force of migration is actually the saturated gradient between organic
toxic particles over the enlightenment of titania interface and on the other side
some over the surface of changing pore sizes of the activated carbon molecules.
The molecules diffused inside micropores of activated carbon migrate with greater
retaliation toward titania molecules resided on the interface of the activated carbon
particles. Thus, highly microporous-activated carbon particles are not usually advan-
tageous for the titania: activated carbon to have preferred the photocatalytic response
(Bagheri et al. 2012). The effect of the substrate pore skeleton has been observed
using activated carbon surface area (770–1150 m2 g−1 ) and a dip-hydrothermal pro-
cess of photocatalysis material preparation. Improved photocatalytic demoting of
methyl orange (MO) has been attained with titania: activated carbon than with a
simple mixture of titania and activated carbon.
This got into the design of highly effective titania: activated carbon hybrid het-
erojunction photocatalysis substrate, and also the demand of commonsensible cross-
check capacity of band potentials among hybrid modules, the spatially and flat acces-
sible transmission of holes and electron at the exposed surface, and the hole and
electron movement of the hybrid system are important to enhance the photocatalytic
action. It has been reported that the surface chemistry and map of activated car-
bon revealed major effect on the collection of titania particles and photocatalytic
deprivation of 4-chlorophenol. Adding to this, some researchers have constructed
titania with activated carbon microspheres to both maintain spreading and speeding
up separation due to the activated carbon microsphere that can be balanced with
airy bubbly and it can be speedily settled in the reactor base with the help of some
gravity due to the air bubbles. In addition, some authors have fabricated titania with
activated carbon microspheres to both sustain spreading and acceleration division,
because activated carbon microsphere can be balanced with air bubbles and be able
to speedily settle on top of the reactor base by gravity due to air bubbly. To overcome
this shortcoming, the use of co-binder upholding the expansion of another method
to obtain a fresh form of the titania: activated carbon photocatalysis system for such
a high action and better division performance.
14 S. Bagheri and N. Muhd Julkapli
Therefore, most samples which were cooked at higher temperature were very
detrimental to photoactivity. Also, using different types of activated carbon revealed
the connected effects between titania and activated carbon during the 4-chloro-phenol
photodegradation and found a clear enhancement of photoactivity due to an increase
in electron density of the activated carbon support (Kuo et al. 2014). It is researched
that attendance of activated carbon in interaction by titania helps due to its burly
adsorption capability. In the same way, it advances the relocation rate of the interfa-
cial change as well as lessen the rejoining rate of the holes and electrons (Jung et al.
2013). This synergistic effect of the interaction of activated carbon and titania has
been previously been stated for deprivation of some organic compounds in the pho-
tocatalytic process. It has been credited to a common contact between the different
solid phases, in which activated carbon acts as an efficient adsorption agent for the
organic pollutants.
The organic more efficiently moved to the titania surface, where it is immedi-
ately photocatalytically degraded by a mass movement of the photoactivated titania.
Thus, the organic burning rate observed on titania: activated carbon is like heading
both with surface diffusion toxin particles and with the photocatalytic process rate;
because adsorption occurs gradually, the variation in relative pollutant proportion
with irradiation time depends on both adsorption and photodecomposition, mainly
at the start of ultraviolet treatment. It is stated that the variance of the proportion
of phenol (as model of organic pollutants) remaining in the solution by ultraviolet
treatment time is compared for titania: AC, which were prepared by hydrolysis of
tetraisopropyl orthotitanate and heat treatment at 650–900 °C. For example, it is noted
that, in the duration of first 1 h, adsorption of pH occurs in native-activated carbon
and after 3 h, in the presence of UV irradiations, saturation is achieved. Adsorption
as well as the photodecomposition of pH takes place simultaneously, but on the other
side the former is supposed to become the dominate method in the beginning, simi-
larly latter in the next stage. The noted trend was based on two linear processes; the
change of one process to the another takes place approximately in 1 h of irradiation.
Design of Material
A number of methods are available for the composition of titania: activated car-
bon catalyst, such as precipitation, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), hydrothermal,
aerosol pyrolysis, hydrolysis, dip coating, and sol–gel. However, selection process
which is used for the selection of a suitable impregnation method depends only on
support used in it and the pollutant which is degraded. It is clear that those physico-
chemical properties of titania: activated carbon catalyst have a heavy impact on the
structure of the supported catalyst, and it depends basically on the preparation method
used, for example, thermal treatments. The main advantages of using physical meth-
ods are simple, low cost, and the use of commercially is present in photocatalysis
material with the wanted functionalities. By using the wet methods the hybrid of
titania: activated carbon was also being prepared, the mismatches in the level of lat-
tice among two hybrid components lessen the required efficiency of separation and
1 Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by Using Modification … 15
transmission of photo-generated carries (electron and hole) (Li et al. 2012). Adher-
ence of activated carbon surface to titania particles appears significant for increment
of photocatalytic action and as well for useful applications of hybrid system. To
increase the anchorage of titania on activated carbon, the wet process of synthesis is
warranted. This is only because the physical stable hybrid of titania: activated carbon
in disagreement with hydrodynamic shearing method, surface chemistry plus acti-
vated carbon pore structure can have a sufficient impact overspreading of titania over
the synthesis; it results in the different photocatalytic presentations of titania: acti-
vated carbon. Nevertheless, titania photocatalysis substrate usually has low precise
surface region. Due to crystallinity development which happens in heat operation
like that. To prevent titania sintering, or else to make it precise surface region better,
activated carbon can be examined like a better help for the photocatalytic materials
(Gondal et al. 2012). They found the titania particles calculated at 450 °C can collect
and go through the great pores of the activated carbon substrate, including a very
burly contact among carbon matrix and titania. The contact between them leads to
visible synergy to increase photocatalytic capacity for the degradation of the chro-
motrope 2R. The prepared nanocrystal anatase titania particles install on the activated
carbon at a fewer temperature with the hydrolysis of the titanium but oxide in the
acidic aqueous solution (Andronic et al. 2014). It is noticed that phenol toxin was
absorbed by activated carbon, and after that drifted constantly over titania, which
consequently accelerate photocatalytic oxidation. On the other side, the chemical
vapor deposition method is used for nanosized titania particles that were exposed
to stick to activated carbon, tetra-butyl titania and to offer large activities on the
behalf of the photodecomposition of methylene orange in the water. Adding of water
in titanium tetra-isopropoxide vapors was described to make possible CVD method
at a higher deposition rate and lower temperature. Introduction of H2 O vapors for
the duration of CVD method and adsorption on the activated carbon in prior was
announced to be critical to get hold of anatase-type titania nanoparticles on the acti-
vated carbon surface. Investigations have also clear that the HNO3 treatment results
in more orderly titania loading by CVD, in comparisons with other oxidation treat-
ment. titania: activated carbon has been formed as a result of using dropping the
support in solution produce with the alkoxide hydrolysis as well, and subjected to
heat operation at 300–500 °C. In an alternative process, it can be produced by adding
TiCl4 drop by drop in aqueous suspensions of activated carbon, come after by heat
operation at 500 °C in N2 atmosphere (Tryba et al. 2003). Load the titania powder
exactly over activated carbon that has been achieved as a result of combining titania
in activated carbon aqueous suspension with stirring. On the other side, loading more
activated carbon filter, produced as a result of gluing granular activated carbon over
the glass cloth and it was formed by the water suspension of five mass% titania, and
the conclusion titania: activated carbon particles inside CCl4 solution of pitch, come
after by heat operation at 750 °C. In resultant hybrid system, titania particles over
activated carbon were expected layered with carbon; composed with the pitch at the
stage of the heat operation, it may function to repair titania particle over the activated
carbon surfaces. Titania particles also were being able to load over activated carbon
by spray-desiccation procedure, with a little modification in the pore structure of
16 S. Bagheri and N. Muhd Julkapli
the activated carbon (Gao and Liu 2005). In the other study, loading of titania over
the activated carbon surface was taking place via dip-activated carbon particles in a
peroxotitanate solution, and after heating at 180 °C in a Teflon lined stainless-steel
vessel, following by calcinations at 300–800 °C (Slimen et al. 2011). With the help
of the activated carbon particles of 0.16–0.26 mm, the disjunction of the particles
from the solution was not too much harder, and photocatalytic action on behalf of the
decomposition of MO almost remains identical for five cycles. Titania has also been
achieved by plugging the pore of activated carbon by paraffin. After loading titania,
by removing the paraffin at 250 °C in the air, the high surface region of pristine AC, it
could be recuperated as well as the high photocatalytic action was procured basically
for the decay of methylene blue (MB) (Li and Liu 2012). Titania: activated carbon
has also been composed by mixing titania particles with some liquid or solid-state
carbon precursor. By hydrolysis of tetraisopropyl orthotitanate, titania was caused in
the exterior region of the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and titania overloaded PVB was
carbonized at a high temperature in the flow of CO2 . Titania-loaded carbon micro-
spheres with 25 μm diameter have been prepared from the titania-loaded cellulose
microspheres, composed with one-step stage division using the sodium polyacrylate
aqueous solutions and cellulose xanthate with the isolated titania powder.
Photocatalytic Activities
carbon (5/10 to 75/10) (Aruldoss et al. 2011). The harmonious result thought to be
attributable to the fast movement of pH molecules at the start adsorbed on the acti-
vated carbon on the outer surface of titania; the motivating force of that movement
is most probably the differentiation in the surface concentration of pH between acti-
vated carbon and titania. Defined proportion of pH was found to remain at AC, even
after the proportion sample becomes negligibly small.
ZnO/activated carbon finds broader attraction of use, due to some of the excellent
behaviors of ZnO, such as wider availability, stability, and suitable band gap of
energy. Problems associated with the usage of ZnO alone as photocatalysis material
are as well partitioned; especially, the complexity in unraveling the powder with the
sample after the reaction is over and gathering of particles in delay, particularly at
high loading and complexity in purpose to the consistent flow of the domain system,
has been approved by its surface properties.
The problem is that activated carbon has been declared good as for the sup-
port of the ZnO photocatalysis system. Replying on using of di-oxygen, photo and
entirely mineralized organic as well as inorganic substances and particularly bio-
recalcitrant, make the technique environmentally friendly for toxic waste reduction
schemes. Spherical activated carbon particles having ZnS and ZnO were formed from
a cation-exchange resin (polystyrene with sulfonate groups and cross-linked by di-
vinyl-benzene) and ZnCl2 aqueous solution, followed by carbonization at almost
500–900 °C (Wang et al. 2008). This has been reported that ZnO is an appropriate
substitute to titania for the photodegradation of Acid Red 14, an azo dye, because it
is the photodegradation processes that are being proved to be similar to titania.
In all kinds of AC, the spherical activated carbon has benefits, because of their
frictionless surface, high-quality fluidity, and good strength of the powdered and
rough activated carbon. Carrying this forward, many proposals have lately been
examined the sustainability of titania to spherical activated carbon (Yao et al. 2012).
But there are some statements on the granular activated carbon that supported titania
photocatalysis substrate which could enhance the demolishing efficiency of many
organic compounds, regarding many environmentally related conditions.
18 S. Bagheri and N. Muhd Julkapli
The surface area characteristics of the ACF are identified to depend powerfully on
the creative processes, affecting the load of titania and eventually the adsorption of
pollutant particles. Nevertheless, the ACF-supported titania photocatalysis substrate
has sometimes been used for the removal of gas-phase pollutants in the environment.
A lot of the hard work is used for the combination of titania–graphene photocatalysis
hybrid system (Sin et al. 2011). Due to a higher specified surface region, graphene
appeared like a better help to prepare the overloaded nanoparticle metal oxides to
attain an identical division not including aggregation. Betterment of the photocat-
alytic actions of titania–graphene hybrid is associated with huge two-dimensional
planar graphene structure supporting the dye adsorption plus squeezing electron—
hole rejoining because of higher electrical conduction property has been indicated by
the morphological analysis of titania/graphene photocatalysis system. Absorption of
additional catalyst particles into a particularly graphene leaf at individual places can
supply better dynamically in achieving the choosy catalytic otherwise logical proce-
dures and adjusts the composition also the morphology of photocatalysis materials
to enhance their photocatalytic results.
Barring graphene, carbon nanotube (CNTs) has been regarded as a more attrac-
tive catalytic support than activated carbon because of combination of electronic,
adsorption, and specific semiconducting characteristics. Studies of titania: CNTs
1 Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity by Using Modification … 19
reveal a considerable synergy effect with the metal oxides and carbon phases (Woan
et al. 2009). Going further, researchers have shown that CNTs can enhance the
adsorption and photocatalytic activity of titania in the presence of ultraviolet. Single-
walled CNTs execute enhanced and selective photocatalytic oxidation of pH. Hetero-
structure CNTs consists of titania-xNx and C prepared by carbonization of electron-
spun poly-acrylonitrile nanofibers containing stabilized titanium oxo-acetate. So
CNTs can be used as a reliable material for environmental pollution clearing and
can be used to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of titania.
Some researches upon doping an additional semiconductor over outer surface of tita-
nia: activated carbon include SnO2 , V2 O5 , ZnO, ZrO2 , and CsS (Liao et al. 2004).
The entire of it confirms the superior photodegradation efficiency as compared to
the titania: AC. Recent researches have reported the modification of titania: acti-
vated carbon by semiconductor doping that has led to the improvement on removal
of specific containments in the gas resulting in the changes of the physical and
chemical properties of the carbon materials. Iron (Fe3 O4 ) dopant titania: activated
carbon has been found as a promoter to photocatalysis with a good performance
on degradation of congo red and methyl orange. Some researchers have combined
the Fe3 O4 compound with titania: activated carbon with aiming at preparing photo-
catalysis substrate with magnetic core and photoactive encapsulation. They proved
that hybrid systems had magnetic properties and could be separated by magnetic
materials. It points out that the magnetic hybrid photocatalysis system can also be
magnetically disturbed by a discontinuous magnetic field in an interrupted system,
but found that the photocatalytic activity of the hybrid system declined because the
magnetic particles experienced the light dissolution (Ao et al. 2008).