Photocatalytic Decomposition of Gaseous HCHO by N-Zr-TiO2 Catalysts

TiO2 has been considered the most promising photocatalyst for the degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the application of pure TiO2 is limited because it requires UV activation with a high-energy band gap, and < 5% of the solar radiation can be used. In order to improve the photocatalytic performance, TiO2 with Zr and N doping can be activated by the UV-vis radiation available in sunlight to perform solar photocatalysis. The properties of the N-Zr-TiO2 catalysts are characterised by SEM and DRS. The results exhibit that the optical response of TiO2 is shifted from UV to the visible light region with the introduction of Zr and N. The photocatalytic tests indicate that the N-Zr-TiO2 demonstrate a high activity for the degradation of formaldehyde.