Effect of the carbon coating in Fe-C-TiO2 photocatalyst on phenol decomposition under UV irradiation via photo-Fenton process

Fe-C-TiO2 photocatalysts which contained the residue carbon (0.2-3.3 mass%) were prepared from a mixture of TiO2 and FeC2O4 through the heating at 673-1173 K in Ar. These photocatalysts did not show a high adsorption of phenol, but they were active in photo-Fenton reactions during decomposition of phenol under UV irradiation with addition of H2O2- It was proved that Fe2+ governed the photoactivity of Fe-C-TiO2 photocatalysts, it decreased with heat-treatment temperature above 773 K. For comparison, Fe-TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared by heating TiO2 and FeC2O4 at 823 K in air for 3 h. Phenol decomposition was going much slower on Fe-TiO2 photocatalyst in comparison with Fe-C-TiO2, of which mechanism was different, on the former phenol was decomposed by the radical reaction, on the latter through a complex reaction with iron and intermediates of phenol decomposition. Therefore carbon-coating TiO2 was found to be advantageous for mounting iron and its application for the phenol decomposition via photo-Fenton process. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.