Highly efficient photocatalytic activity of boron‐doped TiO 2 for gas phase degradation of benzene

Boron‐doped TiO 2 photocatalysts with high catalytic activity were synthesized by the improved sol‐gel method. Tetrabutyl titanate and H 3 BO 3 were used as the source of Ti and B dopant respectively. The as‐synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, XPS and UV‐vis spectroscopy, and their photocatalytic activities for degradation of gaseous benzene were detected by Gas Chromatography (GC‐9560). Compared with undoped TiO 2 samples and the commercial Degussa P25, in the photocatalytic reaction of gaseous benzene, the B‐doped TiO 2 photocatalysts exhibit higher degradation rate and photocatalytic efficiency under UV‐visible light irradiation. The degradation rates of the samples with 0.6 molar ratio of B to Ti calcined at 600 °C are up to 100 % within 55 min, while the degradation rates of both undoped TiO 2 and the commercial Degussa P25 are only about 70 % within 80 min. This may be attributed to the strong absorption intensity in the UV‐visible range caused by the doping of boron.