TiO₂/CuO Films Obtained by Citrate Precursor Method for Photocatalytic Application

Leinig Perazolli, Luciana Nuñez, Milady Renata Apolinário da Silva, Guilherme Francisco Pegler, Ademir Geraldo Cavalarri Costalonga, Rossano Gimenes, Márcia Matiko Kondo, Maria Aparecida Zaghete Bertochi

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DOI: 10.4236/msa.2011.26075                

Abstract

In the present work, the hybrid catalyst films of TiO₂/CuO containing up to 10% in mol of copper were deposited onto glass surface. Precursor solutions were obtained by citrate precursor method. Films were porous and the average particle size was 20 nm determined by FEG-SEM analysis. The photocatalytic activities of these films were studied using Rhodamine B as a target compound in a fixed bed reactor developed in our laboratory and UV lamp. It was observed that the addition of copper to TiO₂ increased significantly its photocatalytic activity during the oxidation of Rhodamine B. The degradation exceeded 90% within 48 hours of irradiation compared to 38% when pure TiO₂ was used. Moreover, there was a reduction in the particles band gap energy when compared to that of pure TiO₂. These results indicate that the TiO₂/CuO films are promising catalysts for the development of fixed bed reactors to be used to treat effluents containing azo dyes.

Keywords

TiO₂/CuO, Citrate Precursor Method, Thin Film, Rhodamine B, Photocatalytic Oxidation

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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