One-pot synthesis of C-modified and N-doped TiO2 for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

Brand-new catalyst of C-modified and N-doped TiO2 (T3FN1) were synthesized by the hydro-thermal method using Tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) and feathers of chicken as the precursor. It was found that thanks to the abundant TiO2 nanoparticles (anatase phase) distribution around the outer surface of feathers template, the catalyst displayed a typical 3D surface folded rod-shaped micron structure. After 30 min visible-light illumi-nation,the degradation rate of TCH reached 89.8% with T3FN1, 1.52 times and 2.62 times higher than that of TiO2 without template (T-3) and P25, respectively. Mechanism studies revealed that chicken feathers were used as natural organic templates to increase the dispersity of TiO2 meanwhile nitrogen in it was directly doped intoTiO(2) to improve the catalysts' response to visible light. Beyond that, carbon of chicken feathers can be utilized directly as the transmission medium for electric charges to improve the spatial separation of photo-induced carriers. Moreover, with a wide pH range of adaptability and stability, the degradation rate of TCH by T3FN1 can still reach 83.15% after 5 cycles. Given its unique structure and photocatalytic performance, the catalyst has great potential in practical wastewater treatment. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A brand-new catalyst of C-modified and N-doped TiO2 (T3FN1) was synthesized via the hydro-thermal method using Tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT) and feathers of chicken as the precursor. The catalyst exhibited a unique three-dimensional folded rod-shaped micron structure, thanks to the abundant distribution of TiO2 nanoparticles (anatase phase) around the outer surface of the feathers template. Under visible light illumination for 30 minutes, the degradation rate of TCH reached 89.8% with T3FN1, which was 1.52 times and 2.62 times higher than that of TiO2 without template (T-3) and P25, respectively. Mechanism studies revealed that the chicken feathers served as natural organic templates to enhance the dispersity of TiO2 and nitrogen in feathers was directly doped into TiO2 to improve the catalysts' response to visible light. Furthermore, the carbon in the chicken feathers acted as a transmission medium for electric charges, promoting the spatial separation of photo-induced carriers. Moreover, T3FN1 showed wide adaptability and stability within a pH range, with the degradation rate of TCH still reaching 83.15% after 5 cycles. Overall, due to its unique structure and photocatalytic performance, the catalyst holds great potential for practical wastewater treatment.