Carbon-coated TiO2 composites for the photocatalytic degradation of low concentration benzene

Carbon-coated TiO2 was synthesized by mixing TiO2 powders and polyethylene glycol, followed by heat treatment in nitrogen atmosphere. All samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, UV diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption. The photocatalytic activity of carbon-coated TiO2 for benzene degradation was investigated with a benzene concentration of ∼1.2×10−5. Results showed that the residual carbon content was influenced greatly by heat treatment temperature (HTT) and the amount of PEG, which decreased and increased with increasing the temperature and the amount of PEG, respectively. The crystallinity of TiO2 was improved when the HTT increased. However, the carbon residue had an inhibition effect on the crystal growth of TiO2. The carbon-coated anatase samples were shown to exhibit higher photocatalytic activities than the pristine TiO2 because of the adsorption enrichment of benzene by carbon around the anatase particles and of the effective charge separation due to the electronic conduction of carbon. Another important factor affecting photocatalytic activity was the crystallinity of the anatase phase. High photocatalytic activity for benzene requires a balance between the carbon content and the anatase crystalline structure.