Enhanced photocatalytic activity of S-doped TiO2-ZrO2 nanoparticles under visible-light irradiation

Porous nanocrystalline S-doped TiO2-ZrO2 visible-light photocatalysts were prepared through a one-step method. The resulting materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR). It was found that modification by ZrO2 could effectively inhibit phase transformation, enhance visible-light absorption, and possess more surface hydroxyl groups. The photocatalytic activity of S-doped TiO2-ZrO2 was higher than that of unmodified S-doped TiO2 and Degussa P25. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the higher specific area, smaller crystal size, porous structure and more surface hydroxyl groups in the catalyst.