Aerosol Detonation Synthesis of Core-Shell TiO2-Graphene-TiC Hybrid Photocatalysts

Ahmed Al Mayyahi, Shusil Sigdel, Placidus Amama, CHRISTOPHER M. SORENSEN, Kansas State University

     Abstract Number: 596
     Working Group: Nanoparticles and Materials Synthesis

Abstract
We have developed a chamber detonation process for large-scale synthesis of high-quality TiO2-graphene-TiC hybrid catalysts from liquid precursors. The method builds directly on our novel aerosol detonation synthesis method to create multi-layer graphene.The liquid precursors, toluene and titanium tetrachloride, are placed in a 17L chamber which is filled with oxygen. The chamber is heated to evaporate the liquids. Then the gaseous mixture is ignited with an electric spark. The resulting exothermic reaction yields an aerosol of multi-layer, turbostratic graphene-TiO2-TiC and graphene-TiO2 composites with atomic ratios that can be tuned by adjusting the ratios of the precursors. This tunable composition in turn allows tuning of the optical and catalytic properties of the product. The product demonstrates strong photocatalytic behavior with visible light by both lowering the band gap of TiO2 and having the nanographene act as reservoir to retard the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Advantages are associated with the chamber detonation process are: minimal energy needs, short synthesis time, environmentally benign, economic viability, scalability and tunable product selectivity.