Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biotemplated diatom silica-titania materials for air purification

  • Paper
  • Published:
Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present a novel manufacture route for silica-titania photocatalysts using the diatom microalga Pinnularia sp. Diatoms self-assemble into porous silica cell walls, called frustules, with periodic micro-, meso- and macroscale features. This unique hierarchical porous structure of the diatom frustule is used as a biotemplate to incorporate titania by a sol-gel methodology. Important material characteristics of the modified diatom frustules under study are morphology, crystallinity, surface area, pore size and optical properties. The produced biosilica-titania material is evaluated towards photocatalytic activity for NOx abatement under UV radiation. This research is the first step to obtain sustainable, well-immobilised silica-titania photocatalysts using diatoms.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes and references

  1. T. Nawrot, L. Perez, N. Künzli, E. Munters, B. Nemery, Public health importance of triggers of myocardial infarction: a comparative risk assessment, Lancet, 2011, 377, 732–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. K. Demeestere, J. Dewulf, H. Van Langenhove, Heterogeneous photocatalysis as an advanced oxidation process for the abatement of chlorinated, monocyclic aromatic and sulfurous volatile organic compounds in air: state of the art, Crit. Rev. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2007, 37, 489–538.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. A. Mills, S. Le Hunte, An overview of semiconductor photocatalysis, J. Photochem. Photobiol., A, 1997, 108, 1–35.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. G. Li, F. Liu, Z. Zhang, Enhanced photocatalytic activity of silica-embedded TiO2 hollow microspheres prepared by one-pot approach, J. Alloys Compd., 2010, 493, 1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. R. Zhang, Y. Bai, B. Zhang, L. Chen, B. Yan, The potential health risk of titania nanoparticles, J. Hazard. Mater., 2012, 211–212, 404–413.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. R. van Grieken, J. Aguado, M. López-Muñoz, J. Marugán, Synthesis of size-controlled silica-supported TiO2 photocatalysts, J. Photochem. Photobiol., A, 2002, 148, 315–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. J. Yang, J. Zhang, L. Zhu, S. Chen, Y. Zhang, Y. Tang, Y. Zhu, Y. Li, Synthesis of nano titania particles embedded in mesoporous SBA-15: characterization and photocatalytic activity, J. Hazard. Mater., 2006, 137, 952–958.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Tasbihi, U. L. Stangar, A. S. Skapin, A. Ristic, V. Kaucic, N. N. Tusar, Titania-containing mesoporous silica powders: structural properties and photocatalytic activity towards isopropanol degradation, J. Photochem. Photobiol., A, 2010, 216, 167–178.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. P. Klankaw, C. Chawengkijwanich, N. Grisdanurak, S. Chiarakorn, The hybrid photocatalyst of TiO2–SiO2 thin film prepared from rice husk silica, Superlattices Microstruct., 2012, 51, 343–352.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. S. Artkla, W. Kim, W. Choi, J. Wittayakun, Highly enhanced photocatalytic degradation of tetramethylammonium on the hybrid catalyst of titania and MCM-41 obtained from rice husk silica, Appl. Catal., B, 2009, 91, 157–164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. M. V. Phanikrishna Sharma, V. D. Kumari, M. Subrahmanyam, TiO2 supported over SBA-15: an efficient photocatalyst for the pesticide degradation using solar light, Chemosphere, 2008, 73, 1562–1569.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. H. E. Townley, A. R. Parker, H. White-Cooper, Exploitation of diatom frustules for nanotechnology: tethering active biomolecules, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2008, 18, 369–374.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. R. Gordon, D. Losic, M. A. Tiffany, S. S. Nagy, F. A. S. Sterrenburg, The glass menagerie: diatoms for novel applications in nanotechnology, Trends Biotechnol., 2008, 27, 116–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D. Losic, J. Mitchell, N. Voelcker, Diatomaceous lessons in nanotechnology and advanced materials, Adv. Mater., 2009, 21, 2947–2958.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. A. Y. Shan, T. I. M. Ghazi, S. A. Rashid, Immobilisation of titanium dioxide onto supporting materials in heterogeneous photocatalysis: a review, Appl. Catal., A, 2010, 389, 1–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. S. W. Verbruggen, S. Ribbens, T. Tytgat, B. Hauchecorne, M. Smits, V. Meynen, P. Cool, J. A. Martens, S. Lenaerts, The benefit of glass bead supports for efficient gas phase photocatalysis: case study of a commercial and a synthesised photocatalyst, Chem. Eng. J., 2011, 174, 318–325.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. B. Hauchecorne, T. Tytgat, D. Terrens, F. Vanpachtenbeke, S. Lenaerts, Validation of a newly developed FTIR in situ reactor: real time study of photocatalytic degradation of nitric oxide, Infrared Phys. Technol., 2010, 53, 469–474.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. K. Badii, F. D. Ardejani, M. A. Saberi, N. Y. Limaee, S. Shafaei, Adsorption of Acid blue 25 dye on diatomite in aqueous solutions, Indian J. Chem. Technol., 2009, 17, 7–16.

    Google Scholar 

  19. J. Jammaer, C. Aprile, S. W. Verbruggen, S. Lenaerts, P. Pescarmona, J. A. Martens, A non-aqueous synthesis of TiO2/SiO2 composites in supercritical CO2 for the photodegradation of pollutants, ChemSusChem, 2011, 4, 1457–1463.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. M. Kammer, R. Hedrich, H. Ehrlich, J. Popp, E. Brunner, C. Krafft, Spatially resolved determination of the structure and composition of diatom cell walls by Raman and FTIR imaging, Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 2010, 398, 509–517.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. H. J. Kim, Y. G. Shul, H. Han, Photocatalytic properties of silica-supported TiO2, Top. Catal., 2005, 35, 287–293.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. E. Beyers, E. Biermans, S. Ribbens, K. De Witte, M. Mertens, V. Meynen, S. Bals, G. Van Tendeloo, E. F. Vansant, P. Cool, Combined TiO2/SiO2 mesoporous photocatalysts with location and phase controllable TiO2 nanoparticles, Appl. Catal., B, 2009, 88, 515–524.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. A. M. Venezia, V. La Parola, A. Longo, A. Martorana, Effect of alkali ions on the amorphous to crystalline phase transition of silica, J. Solid State Chem., 2001, 161, 373–378.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. S. A. Ruetten, J. K. Thomas, Photoinduced electron transfer at solid surfaces: the TiO2–SiO2 system, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2003, 2, 1018–1022.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. C. Anderson, A. J. Bard, Improved photocatalytic activity and characterization of mixed TiO2/SiO2 and TiO2/Al2O3 materials, J. Phys. Chem. B, 1997, 101, 2611–2616.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. S. Yoda, D. J. Suh, T. Sato, Adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition of benzene using silica–titania and titania aerogels: effect of supercritical drying, J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol., 2001, 22, 75–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. X. Chen, X. Wang, X. Fu, Hierarchical macro/mesoporous TiO2/SiO2 and TiO2/ZrO2 nanocomposites for environmental photocatalysis, Energy Environ. Sci., 2009, 2, 872–877.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Group Sustainable Energy and Air Purification, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerp, Belgium

    Erik Van Eynde, Tom Tytgat, Marianne Smits, Sammy W. Verbruggen, Birger Hauchecorne & Silvia Lenaerts

  2. Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Catholic University of Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, B-3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Sammy W. Verbruggen

Authors
  1. Erik Van Eynde
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tom Tytgat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marianne Smits
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sammy W. Verbruggen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Birger Hauchecorne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Silvia Lenaerts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erik Van Eynde.

Additional information

This paper is published as part of the themed issue of contributions from the 7th European Meeting on Solar Chemistry and Photocatalysis: Environmental Applications held in Porto, Portugal, June 2012.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Van Eynde, E., Tytgat, T., Smits, M. et al. Biotemplated diatom silica-titania materials for air purification. Photochem Photobiol Sci 12, 690–695 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1039/c2pp25229e

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c2pp25229e

Search

Navigation