Preparation and Environmental Applications of Paper-like Photocatalyst Composites

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Titanium dioxide(TiO_2) photocatalyst has attracted much attention for the effective cleanup of various environmental pollutants. However, its practical application is limited because of the difficulty to deal with small TiO_2 particles. Hence, recent research has been directed at immobilizing TiO_2 powders onto a supporting material. This research provided a lot of practical, interesting results for the preparation and environmental applications of paper-like composites containing TiO_2 and other powder materials which were supported on inorganic fiber matrix. The ceramic fiber/TiO_2 composites were successfully prepared by a papermaking technique with a dual polyelectrolyte system whereby high formability and productivity were achieved. Indoor/atmospheric pollutants and endocrine-disrupting chemical in water were photocatalytically decomposed by the TiO_2 composites under weak UV irradiation. Tailoring the combination of TiO_2 and zeolite adsorbent in the composites accelerated the photodegradation of various pollutants. Catalyst mixture in and void structure of paper composites made a great contribution to the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency from a practical viewpoint. The porous, flexible and easy-handling fiber/TiO_2 composites would be expected as a promising material with effective photocatalytic performance for environmental applications.