Design and Fabrication of TiO2/Lignocellulosic Carbon Materials: Relevance of Low‐temperature Sonocrystallization to Photocatalysts Performance

We present a facile and green approach to produce crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles on a surface of different carbonaceous materials derived from lignocellulosic biomass such as STARBON‐800® obtained by carbonization at 800 °C and biochar‐SWP700 (Soft Wood Pellets (SWP) obtained by pyrolysis at 700 °C) via novel low‐temperature ultrasound‐promoted green methodology coupled with citric acid as a cross‐linking agent. In comparison to other methods, the developed method has several significant benefits such as simplicity, great ability to get crystalline TiO2 particles (elimination of high‐temperature treatment (material calcination at >300 °C) needed in the conventional sol‐gel method, which is extremely important in transforming amorphous TiO2 into a photoactive crystalline phase) elimination of risky chemicals and oxidizing agent, and also ability to change some parameters (e. g. ultrasound intensity). Prepared materials were characterized by XRD, DR UV−vis, N2 physisorption, HR‐XPS, XRF, HR‐TEM, FT‐IR and subsequently tested for their photocatalytic activities both in photocatalytic phenol degradation (in water) and oxidation of methanol (in air) under UV and visible light irradiation.