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Immobilizing TiO2 on nickel foam for an enhanced photocatalysis in NO abatement under visible light

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Abstract

TiO2 photocatalyst has been adopted to abate typical pollutants, but the loading and immobilization of TiO2 on a low-cost and lightweight support will benefit the commoditization of this technology. In this work, TiO2 nanoparticles on porous metal foams were prepared by a facile infiltration and calcination for photocatalytic NO abatement. The porous structure of the Ni foam provided a sufficient contact of the photocatalyst with gaseous pollutants without severe blocking the penetration of photons. The calcination in air at 600 °C was found to impart an interdiffusion of NiO and TiO2 to form NiTiO3 and increase the adhesion of the particles on the support. The interdiffusion enhanced the NO removal efficiency under a LED lamp with photons > 400 nm, and this enhancement was more evident under photons > 450 nm. In the meantime, the composite was found to enhance the photocatalysis stability of TiO2 under ultraviolet photons that would annihilate the surface oxygen vacancies responsible for the photocatalysis of TiO2 under visible light. This demonstration provides a guideline in designing a practical photocatalyst for serving environmental needs.

Graphical abstract

The porous nickel foam supported TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by infiltration and calcination was found to impart an interdiffusion of NiO and TiO2 with the higher surface area, stronger adhesion and stable photocatalytic performance of visible light for a continuous flow reactor.

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Acknowledgements

C.N. and J.N. is thankful to Bayu Young Scholar and Yingcai Talent from Chongqing, respectively.

Funding

Funding from Chongqing S&T Committee (cstc2021ycjh-bgzxm0162) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SWURC2020002) and Innovation Funding for Oversee Returnees from Chongqing HR Committee.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China

    Qimiao Zeng, Jingwen Chen, Yanshan Wan, Jiupai Ni, Chengsheng Ni & Hong Chen

  2. National Base of International S&T Collaboration on Water Environmental Monitoring and Simulation in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Chongqing, 400716, China

    Jiupai Ni & Chengsheng Ni

  3. Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Southwestern China), Ministry of Agriculture, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China

    Jiupai Ni & Chengsheng Ni

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  1. Qimiao Zeng
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Zeng, Q., Chen, J., Wan, Y. et al. Immobilizing TiO2 on nickel foam for an enhanced photocatalysis in NO abatement under visible light. J Mater Sci 57, 15722–15736 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-022-07628-4

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