Skip to main content
Log in

Boron-doped TiO2–CNTs nanocomposites for photocatalytic application

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nanosized TiO2 and CNTs are important functional materials that have received considerable research interest in the last few decades. In this work, TiO2–CNTs nanocomposites with different mol% doping of boron were prepared by using a sol–gel method. The various physicochemical properties of synthesized nanocomposites were studied in connection with photodegradation of methylene blue dye solution. Nanocomposites have non-spherical shape with crystallite size in the range of 11–15 nm; were well hosted on the surface of CNTs. Raman analysis confirmed the anatase phase of nanocomposites. Tuning the optical band gap of nanocomposites was studied by using UV–Vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of hydroxyl groups on the surface of nanocomposites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the surface compositions of the nanocomposites. The photodegradation of methylene blue dye solution indicated that the photocatalytic activity of pure TiO2 nanoparticles increased with increasing boron concentration up to 3 mol% further increase in boron concentration, the photocatalytic efficiency decrease is confirmed through BET analysis. Overall, the experimental results suggest that 3 mol% boron-doped TiO2–CNTs nanocomposites might be the most efficient photocatalyst for removal of the organic pollutant in the environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. Kadam, R. Dhabbe, A. Gophane, T. Sathe, K. Garadkar, J. Photochem. Photobiol. B 154, 24 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. V.B. Koli, A.G. Dhodamani, S.D. Delekar, S.H. Pawar, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 333, 40 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. M. Chen, C. Bao, T. Cun, Q. Huang, Mater. Res. Bull. 95, 459 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Y.M. Hunge, M.A. Mahadik, A.V. Moholkar, C.H. Bhosale, Appl. Surf. Sci. 420, 764 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Y.M. Hunge, A.A. Yadav, M.A. Mahadik, R.N. Bulakhe, J.J. Shim, V.L. Mathe, C.H. Bhosale, Opt. Mater. (Amst). 76, 260 (2018)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Y. Cheng, H. Sun, W. Jin, N. Xu, Chem. Eng. J. 128, 127 (2007)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. R. Daghrir, P. Drogui, D. Robert, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 52, 3581 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. V. Koli, A. Dhodamani, K. More, S.F.A. Acquah, D.K. Panda, S. Pawar, S. Delekar, Sol. Energy 149, 188 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. B. Thirupathi, P.G. Smirniotis, Appl. Catal. B 110, 195 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. N. Feng, A. Zheng, Q. Wang, P. Ren, X. Gao, S. Bin Liu, Z. Shen, T. Chen, F. Deng, J. Phys. Chem. C 115, 2709 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. H. Sun, Y. Bai, Y. Cheng, W. Jin, N. Xu, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 45, 4971 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. S. Tojo, T. Tachikawa, M. Fujitsuka, T. Majima, J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 14948 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Y.M. Hunge, M.A. Mahadik, R.N. Bulakhe, S.P. Yadav, J.J. Shim, A.V. Moholkar, C.H. Bhosale, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 28, 17976 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. M. Quesada-González, K. Baba, C. Sotelo-Vázquez, P. Choquet, C.J. Carmalt, I.P. Parkin, N.D. Boscher, J. Mater. Chem. A 5, 10836 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Y. Wu, Y. Gong, J. Liu, Z. Zhang, Y. Xu, H. Ren, C. Li, L. Niu, J. Alloys Compd. 695, 1462 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. A.A. Ashkarran, M. Fakhari, M. Mahmoudi, RSC Adv. 3, 18529 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. V.B. Koli, S.D. Delekar, S.H. Pawar, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Med. 27, 177 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. S.D. Delekar, H.M. Yadav, S.N. Achary, S.S. Meena, S.H. Pawar, Appl. Surf. Sci. 263, 536 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. H.M. Yadav, S.V. Otari, V.B. Koli, S.S. Mali, C.K. Hong, S.H. Pawar, S.D. Delekar, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 280, 32 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. L. Kashinath, K. Namratha, K. Byrappa, Appl. Surf. Sci. 357, 1849 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. L. Li, Y. Yang, X. Liu, R. Fan, Y. Shi, S. Li, L. Zhang, X. Fan, P. Tang, R. Xu, W. Zhang, Y. Wang, L. Ma, Appl. Surf. Sci. 265, 36 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. V.B. Koli, A.G. Dhodamani, A.V. Raut, N.D. Thorat, S.H. Pawar, S.D. Delekar, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 328, 50 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Y. Wu, M. Xing, J. Zhang, J. Hazard. Mater. 192, 368 (2011)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. S. Islam, S. Nagpure, D. Kim, S. Rankin, Inorganics 5, 15 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. S.A. Vanalakar, S.M. Patil, V.L. Patil, S.A. Vhanalkar, P.S. Patil, J.H. Kim, Mater. Sci. Eng. B 229, 135 (2018)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. J.H. Jeong, D.W. Jung, E.W. Shin, E.S. Oh, J. Alloys Compd. 604, 226 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. A. Subramanian, H.W. Wang, Appl. Surf. Sci. 258, 6479 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. R. Khan, S.W. Kim, T.J. Kim, C.M. Nam, Mater. Chem. Phys. 112, 167 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. E. Bilgin Simsek, Appl. Catal. B 200, 309 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. S.Y. Madani, A. Tan, M. Dwek, A.M. Seifalian, Int. J. Nanomed. 7, 905 (2012)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. X. Chen, H. Chen, C. Tripisciano, A. Jedrzejewska, M.H. Rümmeli, R. Klingeler, R.J. Kalenczuk, P.K. Chu, E. Borowiak-Palen, Chem. A 17, 4454 (2011)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. A. Hannon, Y. Lu, J. Li, M. Meyyappan, J. Sens. Sens. Syst. 3, 349 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. H. Wang, X. Yang, W. Xiong, Z. Zhang, Res. Chem. Intermed. 41, 3981 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. X. Chen, X. Wang, Y. Hou, J. Huang, L. Wu, X. Fu, J. Catal. 255, 59 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. A. Zhihui, Y. Peng, L. Xiaohua, Chemosphere 60, 824 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. K. Nagaveni, M.S. Hegde, G. Madras, J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 20204 (2004)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. R. Murugavel, S. Banerjee, Inorg. Chem. Commun. 6, 810 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. J. Wang, S. Chen, X. Quan, H. Yu, Chemosphere 190, 135 (2018)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. S. Kumar, P. Kumar, S.L. Jain, J. Mater. Chem. A 2, 18861 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Y.S. Li, J.L. Liao, S.Y. Wang, W.H. Chiang, Sci. Rep. 6, 1 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. M.S. Dresselhaus, A. Jorio, M. Hofmann, G. Dresselhaus, R. Saito, Nano Lett. 10, 751 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. H. Yu, Y. Jin, Z. Li, F. Peng, H. Wang, J. Solid State Chem. 181, 432 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. S. Hussain, P. Jha, A. Chouksey, R. Raman, S.S. Islam, T. Islam, P. Choudhary, J. Mod. Phys. 2, 538 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. A. Wanag, P. Rokicka, E. Kusiak-Nejman, J. Kapica-Kozar, R.J. Wrobel, A. Markowska-Szczupak, A.W. Morawski, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 147, 788 (2018)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. S. Kumar, M.A. Isaacs, R. Trofimovaite, L. Durndell, C.M.A. Parlett, R.E. Douthwaite, B. Coulson, M.C.R. Cockett, K. Wilson, A.F. Lee, Appl. Catal. B 209, 394 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. O. Akhavan, E. Ghaderi, J. Phys. Chem. C 113, 20214 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. X. Yan, B.K. Tay, Y. Yang, J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 25844 (2006)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. L.C. Chen, Y.C. Ho, W.S. Guo, C.M. Huang, T.C. Pan, Electrochim. Acta 54, 3884 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. K. Rajasekar, S. Thennarasu, R. Rajesh, R. Abirami, K. Balkis, Ameen, A. Ramasubbu, Solid State Sci. 26, 45 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. O. Akhavan, M. Abdolahad, Y. Abdi, S. Mohajerzadeh, Carbon N. Y. 47, 3280 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. H. Yu, X. Quan, S. Chen, H. Zhao, Y. Zhang, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 200, 301 (2008)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. A. Zaleska, E. Grabowska, J.W. Sobczak, M. Gazda, J. Hupka, Appl. Catal. B 89, 469 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. O. Akhavan, E. Ghaderi, Nanoscale 5, 10316 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. X. Zhang, J. Qin, Y. Xue, P. Yu, B. Zhang, L. Wang, R. Liu, Sci. Rep. 4, 4 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  55. T. Zhang, T. Oyama, A. Aoshima, H. Hidaka, J. Zhao, N. Serpone, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 140, 163 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. H.M. Yadav, T.V. Kolekar, A.S. Barge, N.D. Thorat, S.D. Delekar, B.M. Kim, B.J. Kim, J.S. Kim, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 27, 526 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. S.K. Kansal, N. Kaur, S. Singh, Nanoscale Res. Lett. 4, 709 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. X. Chen, Z. Wu, D. Liu, Z. Gao, Nanoscale Res. Lett. 12, 4 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Y. Fu, C. Chang, P. Chen, X. Chu, L. Zhu, J. Hazard. Mater. 254–255, 185 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. D.S. Su, S. Perathoner, G. Centi, Chem. Rev. 113, 5782 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. S. Hua, X. Yu, F. Li, J. Duan, H. Ji, W. Liu, Colloids Surf. A 516, 211 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. M.B. Fisher, D.A. Keane, P. Fernández-Ibáñez, J. Colreavy, S.J. Hinder, K.G. McGuigan, S.C. Pillai, Appl. Catal. B 130–131, 8 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. A. Houas, Appl. Catal. B 31, 145 (2001)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. S. Zhang, J. Li, M. Zeng, G. Zhao, J. Xu, W. Hu, X. Wang, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 5, 12735 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research work was supported by a Grant (17-CTAP-C133057-01) from Infrastructure and transportation technology promotion research program funded by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport of the Korean government.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jung-Sik Kim.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Figure 1 (DOCX 144 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Koli, V.B., Mavengere, S. & Kim, JS. Boron-doped TiO2–CNTs nanocomposites for photocatalytic application. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 29, 16660–16672 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9759-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9759-8

Navigation