Enhanced photocatalytic activity of S-doped TiO2-ZrO2 nanoparticles under visible-light irradiation

Porous nanocrystalline S-doped TiO2-ZrO2 visible-light photocatalysts were prepared through a one-step method. The resulting materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N-2 adsorption-desorption measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR). It was found that modification by ZrO2 could effectively inhibit phase transformation, enhance visible-light absorption, and possess more surface hydroxyl groups. The photocatalytic activity of S-doped TiO2-ZrO2 was higher than that of unmodified S-doped TiO2 and Degussa P25. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the higher specific area, smaller crystal size, porous structure and more surface hydroxyl groups in the catalyst. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.