Enhancement of photo-catalytic degradation of formaldehyde through loading anatase TiO2 and silver nanoparticle films on wood substrates†
Abstract
Since formaldehyde is considered to be a potential risk for human health, its emission must be eliminated in an effective way. In this study, anatase TiO2 particles with silver nanoparticles were doped on wood substrates through a two-step method and used as a photo-catalyst for formaldehyde degradation. The effect of Ag dopant on the formaldehyde degradation of the TiO2-treated wood was investigated. The results showed that the formaldehyde response of the TiO2 film was drastically improved by doping with Ag nanoparticles under visible-light irradiation. In this heterostructured system, because the Fermi level of Ag was lower than the conduction band of TiO2, Ag nanoparticles can act as electron scavenging centers to cause electron and hole pair separation, leading to enhanced photo-catalytic activity of TiO2.