Low-dimensional structures synthesized from titanium sand: The isomorphic impurities effect on photocatalytic properties

Abstract

Design of affordable photocatalytically active materials is of a great interest, but overcoming the bandgap limitation of catalysts to shift the photocatalytic effect of titanium dioxide from the characteristic UV to the visible region of the spectrum is a major challenge. Advanced materials based on nanostructures can be obtained from natural raw materials with isomorphous impurities. Titania 1D structures have been synthesized from the non-magnetic component of titanium-bearing sandstone (Pizhemskoe deposit, Middle Timan, Russia). The presence of Fe and V as isomorphic impurities included in its composition leads to the formation of allowed levels in the bandgap of the catalyst, which enhance its activity. The photocatalytic efficiency has been evaluated on the example of the test reaction of trichlorofnol decomposition in aqueous medium. Titania nanotubes synthesized from commercially available chemically pure precursor were used as reference material to compare the efficiency of the photocatalyst derived from natural raw material.