Preparation of AC-TiO2 by One-Step Activation Method and the Degradation Properties of Tetracycline Hydrochloride.

Summary: A one-step activation technique for preparing activated carbon/titanium dioxide (AC-TiO2) photocatalyst was developed in this study, which achieved the expansion of activated carbon and the crystallization transition of titanium dioxide in one step. The properties of the generated materials were examined utilizing photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). The optimized sample (10%AC-TiO2) has a photocatalytic efficiency of 99.8% in 60 minutes and a degradation efficiency of more than 90% after 5 cycles. According to the experiment results, the combination of AC with TiO2 at high temperatures can induce a considerable number of oxygen vacancies in TiO2, hence increasing the reaction activation site, resulting in improved photocatalytic performance. A strong C-Ti chemical bond can be formed between AC and TiO2. Simultaneously, using AC as the substrate decreases the aggregation problem induced by the small nano size of TiO2 and increases dispersion uniformity. The unique carbon structure with a amount of pore structure can considerably improve the catalyst's adsorption efficacy. Because o f the synergistic effect of adsorption-degradation and the perfect photocatalytic activity of TiO2, the composite photocatalyst has exceptional photocatalytic efficiency, opening new possibilities for TiO2 modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]