Carbon modified TiO2 photocatalysts for water purification

Carbon can form different structures with TiO2: carbon-doped TiO2, carbon coated TiO2 and composites of TiO2 and carbon. The presence of carbon layer on the surface of TiO2 as well as the presence of porous carbon in the composites with TiO2 can increase the concentration of organic pollutants on the surface of TiO2, facilitating the contact of the reactive species with the organic molecules. Carbon-doped TiO2 can extend the absorption of the light to the visible region by the narrowing of the band gap and makes the photocatalysts active under visible light irradiation. TiO2 loaded carbon can also work as a photocatalyst, on which the molecules are adsorbed in the pores of carbon and then they undergo the photocatalytic decomposition with UV irradiation. Enhanced photocatalytic activity for the destruction of some organic compounds in water was noticed on the carbon coated TiO2 and TiO2 loaded activated carbon, mostly because of the adsorptive role of carbon. However, in carbon-doped TiO2, the role of carbon is somewhat different, the replacement of carbon atom with Ti or oxygen and formation of oxygen vacancies are responsible for extending its photocatalytic activity towards the visible range