In-situ investigations of the photoluminescence properties ofSiO2/TiO2binary and Boron-SiO2/TiO2ternary oxides prepared by the sol-gel method and their photocatalytic reactivity for the oxidative decomposition of trichloroethylene
Photoluminescence behavior ofTiO2,SiO2/TiO2binary and Boron-SiO2/TiO2ternary oxides prepared by the sol-gel method was investigated. The differences in their photocatalytic reactivities ofTiO2-based photocatalysts were interpreted in terms of the relationship of the difference in their photoluminescence characteristics. The addition ofSiO2intoTiO2matrix induced new photoluminescence sites, which were due to anchored titanium oxide species (i.e., the formation of Ti–O–Si bonds) located on the surface. The photoluminescence was found to be very sensitive to the presence of oxygen. These new photoluminescence completely disappeared by the addition of boron intoSiO2/TiO2binary oxide, since the emitting sites having a Ti–O–Si bond were destroyed and the new sites having B–O–Ti or Si–O–B bonds were constructed on the surface, being in agreement with the results obtained by FT-IR measurements. For allTiO2-based photocatalysts, a significant quenching of photoluminescence was observed by the addition of oxygen. It was found that the photocatalytic reactivity ofTiO2-based photocatalysts for the decomposition of trichloroethylene was clearly associated with their relative quenching efficiencies of photoluminescence; photocatalyst showing high quenching efficiency exhibited a high photocatalytic reactivity.