Comparative study of the photodeposition of Pt, Au and Pd on pre-sulphated TiO2 for the photocatalytic decomposition of phenol

Sulphate pre-treatment was found to influence both the level of dispersion and the size of metal clusters on the TiO2 surface. Sulphation and metallisation of samples was found to produce a synergistic enhancement in photoactivity for the degradation of phenol. The photoactivity of the catalysts with respect to the doped metal species was ordered Pt > Pd > Au.