Preparation and photocatalytic behavior of TiO₂-carbon nanotube hybrid catalyst for acridine dye decomposition

Abstract

A new kind of hybrid catalyst, TiO₂-carbon nanotubes, was prepared via sol-gel method for the first time. Its photocatalytic activity in the photodegradation of acridine dye aqueous solution at low concentration was tested. There was no measurable effect on the formation of crystalline phase of TiO₂ catalyst with the addition of 10 wt.% carbon nanotubes to TiO₂ samples. AFM photograph of TiO₂-carbon nanotubes sintered at 300°C showed that the carbon nanotubes were enwrapped by TiO₂, which greatly increased the adsorbing ability of the catalyst and was in favor of photocatalytic reaction. Compared with naked TiO₂ powder the hybrid catalyst prepared in this way showed high efficiency in the photodecomposition of acridine dye.