Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic performance of TiO2/CexZr1−xO2 toward the oxidation of gaseous benzene

Increasing environmental pollution caused by the volatile organic compounds due to their toxicity makes their removal imperative. So it is crucial to develop processes which can degrade these compounds effectively. The paper demonstrates that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 toward the decomposition of gaseous benzene in a batch reactor can be greatly enhanced by loading TiO2 onto the surface of CexZr1−xO2 (x ≥ 0.25) using sol–gel technology. This research investigated the relationship between x amount and the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, UV–vis diffuse reflectance and XPS analyses. The specific surface area of photocatalyst decreases as x decreases. XRD results reveal the no peaks of titania were detected. Among the five catalysts prepared, only the binding energy values of Ti2p3/2 of TiO2/Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 shift toward lower value. The order of photocatalytic activity is TiO2/Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 > TiO2/Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 > TiO2/CeO2 ≈ TiO2/Ce0.25Zr0.75O2 > TiO2/ZrO2 ≈ TiO2. The mechanism role of Ceria–Zirconia mixed oxides in photocatalytic reaction was speculated.