Titania-based, phosphorous-functionalized hybrids as photocatalysts for air purification

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Aim of this project is the knowledge based design of advanced, multifunctional TiO2 photocatalysts by combined phosphor functionalization and hybridization of a Titania sol developed at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SICCAS, i.e. SIC-TiO2). Throughout all studies, Aeroxide® P25 from Evonik Industries (P25) will be used as benchmark material of equal industrial relevance. To achieve the highly ambitious goal, expertise of Dr. Doris Segets (FAU, Germany) on oxide nanoparticle characterization and functionalization as well as of Prof. Jing Sun (SICCAS, China) on photocatalysis will be combined to:i) Prepare phosphor functionalized hybrid materials (PHM), a new class of photocatalysts that has not been realized so farii) Quantify the complex surface chemistry of PHMs on the molecular as well as on the particle scaleiii) Link findings of ii) with photocatalytic activity (PA) in gas and liquid phaseAt the end of the funding period not only an optimum SIC-TiO2 photocatalyst that can directly make an impact to the reduction of PM2.5 (particulate matter below 2.5 µm) will be available. Based on the in-depth understanding of i) the particles surface properties, ii) the particles interaction with different substrates and iii) the concomitant effect on PA, general rules for the design of highly efficient, surface modified photocatalysts will be deduced. Thus, the project will provide unique data on TiO2 PHM properties that can clearly not be obtained by one of the applicants individually.Throughout the whole project, material complexity will be stepwise increased from individual phosphor (P-) functionalized TiO2 or hybridized TiO2 with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) until the P-functionalized hybrids are available. Thereby surface properties during functionalization (Hansen parameters, Zeta potentials), substrate adsorption in the dark in liquid and gas phase as well as photocatalytic activity (PA) in liquid and gas phase will be systematically understood.In conclusion, the underlying dataset will allow for the first time a holistic consideration of particle size, functionalization, surface properties, hybridization, hybridization process, gas vs. liquid phase substrate adsorption and substrate influence. In addition to a clearly advanced photocatalyst, in-depth understanding of the decisive influencing factors and their complex interplay will be available. This unique outreach can however only be achieved by the combined expertise on particle handling and interface characterization (D. Segets, FAU) as well as photocatalysis (J. Sun, SICCAS).