Photocatalytic Degradation of Methanol using Titanium Dioxide/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composite

Titanium dioxide/single-walled carbon nanotube (TiO2/SWNT) composites were prepared for photocatalytic applications. The composites were characterized using UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy, zeta-potential measurements, cyclic voltammetry (CV) coupled with a photoreactor, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 and the TiO2/SWNT composite was investigated using the photo-oxidation of methanol in sulfuric acid as supporting electrolyte. The results indicate that the TiO2/SWNT composite enhances the photocatalytic activity compared to TiO2 alone. Electrochemical studies of the TiO2/SWNT composite were also carried out in various supporting electrolytes and the presence of SWNTs was shown to increase the current achieved in voltammetric measurements. Keywords; titanium dioxide, carbon nanotube, composite, photocatalytic