Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Copper-Modified Titanium Dioxide Prepared by UV Reduction Method

In the present study, commercial Hombikat N100 TiO2 that consists of 100% of anatase phase was modified with copper (Cu) as a co-catalyst via two different preparation methods, which were photocatalytic UV reduction and impregnation methods. The Cu loading was fixed to be 0.1 wt%. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that Cu/TiO2 sample prepared via different preparation methods gave different crystallinity and/or crystallite size. The Cu/TiO2 sample prepared by photocatalytic UV reduction method has lower crystallinity and/or crystallite size than the sample prepared by impregnation method. The performance of the TiO2 and Cu/TiO2 samples was evaluated for degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). After 1 hour reaction, the TiO2 showed percentage removal of 31%, while the Cu/TiO2 sample prepared by photocatalytic UV reduction and impregnation methods gave 39 and 28%, respectively. It was proposed that the higher activity on the Cu/TiO2 sample prepared by photocatalytic UV reduction method was caused by the more successful suppression of electron-hole recombination, as supported by the emission spectra.