PHOTOCATALYTIC AND PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MESOPOROUS TITANIUM DIOXIDE MICROSPHERES

It was established that the mesoporous microspheres with size of about 10 nm formed by anatase nanocrystals exhibit photocatalytic activity in the release of H-2 from water-ethanol mixtures and in the gas-phase oxidation of benzene by atmospheric oxygen. They are also active during the generation of current in a photoelectrochemical cell exposed to UV light or in TiO2/CdS heterostructures exposed to visible light. It was shown that the efficiency of the photoprocesses involving the mesoporous microspheres significantly exceeds that of nonporous nanocrystalline Evonik P25 TiO2. Possible reasons for the enhanced photoactivity of the microspheres are discussed.