The metal ions (Cu, Fe, Cr and Ce) grafted TiO2 has been demonstrated to enhance the photo-degradation efficiency under the visible light. In this study, the microwave-assisted impregnation method for preparation of Cu-grafted TiO2 photocatalysts was reported. We adjusted the pH of the starting solution used for the grafting of Cu ions to control the amount of copper on the TiO2. In addition, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance absorption spectra and ICP-OES were used to determine the band-gap and the weight ratio of as-synthesized Cu/TiO2, respectively. From UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra results, the absorption intensity of TiO2 starts to increase at 385 nm which is corresponding to the interband transition of P25 (3.2eV). In addition, another absorption region of Cu/TiO2 around 700-800 nm which indicates the Cu d-d transition, is observed. It can be ascribed to the direct interfacial charge transfer from the valence band of TiO2 to Cu. The ICP-OES result shows that the weight ratio of Cu/TiO2 is in the range 0.005~0.008%. In addition, the photoactivity of the visible light-activated Cu/TiO2 photocatalyst was examined by the photo-decomposition of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The synthesized Cu/TiO2 have the better photocatalytic activity toward SMX than that of Degussa P25, and the pseudo-first-order constant for SMX photodegradation by Cu/TiO2 is 14 times higher than that of P25 under illumination of 465 nm visible light, clearly showing the excellent visible-light-driven ability of the Cu-grafted TiO2.

Visible light-sensitive Cu-grafted TiO<sub>2</sub> photocatalysts

244th National Meeting (2012)

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Visible light-sensitive Cu-grafted TiO2 photocatalysts

Visible light-sensitive Cu-grafted TiO₂ photocatalysts