One-step preparation of visible-light-responsive TiO2 with carbonized medium-density fiberboard for toluene degradation

A visible-light-responsive TiO2 with carbonized medium-density fiberboard (c-MDF) was prepared by a one-step preparation method, and its application as an interior building material for decomposition of harmful aromatic volatile organic compounds was evaluated by investigating its toluene decomposition performance. Titanium tetraisopropoxide, cobalt nitrate, and iron nitrate were used as precursor materials for synthesizing metal-doped TiO2, which was then treated on MDF followed by carbonization. After carbonization at 800 °C for 2 h, the crystal structure of metal-doped TiO2 was similar to that of rutile TiO2. Further, a toluene decomposition test was conducted using a modified 20-L chamber system with a commercial fluorescent lamp as the light source. The results revealed that 0.1 mol% metal-doped TiO2/c-MDF completely decomposed toluene in 15 h under visible-light irradiation.