Volume 1 Issue 2 ( September 2014 )

Pages 18-24

Highly Crystallized Tungsten Trioxide Loaded Titania Composites prepared by Using Ionic Liquids and their Photocatalytic Behaviors

Masato Ezaki, Katsuki Kusakabe

[ABSTRACT ]

TiO2/WO3 (Ti-W) photocatalysts were prepared by a simple one-step sol-gel method with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids ([Bmim][PF6] and [Bmim][BF4]). The mixed sol of WO3 derived from peroxotungstic acid and TiO2 containing ionic liquid was dried and followed by calcination at 800°C. The resulting Ti-W composite indicated high crystallinity of WO3and no crystalline transformation of TiO2 from anatase to rutile. WO3 nanoparticles on Ti-W composites (Ti-W[PF6]) prepared by using water immiscible [Bmim][PF6] were highly dispersed due to an emulsification effect. Ti-W[PF6] indicated the highest reactivity in the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation and the photooxidation of As(III) under UV irradiation.

Keywords : Photooxidation, Ionic liquid, Tungsten trioxide, Arsenic, Sol-gel, Titania