How Do Ionic Liquids Affect the Surface Structure of Titania Photocatalyst? An Electron-Trap Distribution-Analysis Study
Justyna Łuczak, Anna Pancielejko, Guangyi Chen, Mai Takashima, Adriana Zaleska‐Medynska, Bunsho Ohtani
Abstract
Titanium(IV) oxide, titania, photocatalyst particles were prepared from titanium alkoxide in the presence of several kinds of ionic liquids, and it was clarified that a group of samples exhibited photocatalytic activity for phenol degradation under the irradiation of light of wavelength >400 nm higher than those of the other group of samples. Although the conventional structural analytical results could not be related to the activity, electron-trap distribution measured by reversed double-beam photoacoustic spectroscopy suggested that a part of the ionic liquid induced the creation of a surface amorphous layer covered with hydrophobic organic residues to enhance the adsorption of phenol on the surface.