Chapter 7
Titanium Oxide-Based Nanomaterials
with Photocatalytic Applications
in Environmental Chemistry
Amel Boudjemaa and Santiago Gómez-Ruiz
Contents
7.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
7.2 Titanium Oxide: Structure and Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
7.2.1 Synthetic Methods for the Preparation of Nanostructures of TiO 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
7.3 Environmental Applications in Advanced Oxidation Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
7.3.1 Introduction and Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
7.3.2 Principles of AOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
7.3.3 Water Remediation Using Titanium Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
7.3.4 Water Splitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
7.3.5 Hydrogen Production Using Alternative Processes: Photoelectrochemical (PEC)
Hydrogen Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
7.3.6 Water Photoreduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
7.3.7 Methanol Photoreforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
7.4 Conclusions and Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Abstract This chapter reviews the potential applications of photocatalytic processes using titanium oxide-based materials in environmental chemistry. The chapter
starts with a short introduction on nanosized titanium oxide discussing its properties,
structural features, and the most relevant synthetic methods for its preparation and
modification. Subsequently, a section on the applications of titanium oxide nanostructured systems in advanced oxidation processes is presented. In addition, this
chapter contains a thorough revision of the latest results on the use of nanosized
titanium oxide in water remediation, water splitting, and hydrogen production using
photocatalytic or photoelectrocatalytic processes.
A. Boudjemaa
Centre de Recherche Scientifique et Technique en Analyses Physico-Chimiques (CRAPC),
Bou-Ismail, Tipaza, Algeria
S. Gómez-Ruiz (*)
Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, E.S.C.E.T. Universidad
Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
e-mail: santiago.gomez@urjc.es
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
N. Dasgupta et al. (eds.), Environmental Nanotechnology Volume 4, Environmental
Chemistry for a Sustainable World 32, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26668-4_7
215
Titanium Oxide-Based Nanomaterials
with Photocatalytic Applications
in Environmental Chemistry
Amel Boudjemaa and Santiago Gómez-Ruiz
Contents
7.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
7.2 Titanium Oxide: Structure and Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
7.2.1 Synthetic Methods for the Preparation of Nanostructures of TiO 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
7.3 Environmental Applications in Advanced Oxidation Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
7.3.1 Introduction and Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
7.3.2 Principles of AOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
7.3.3 Water Remediation Using Titanium Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
7.3.4 Water Splitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
7.3.5 Hydrogen Production Using Alternative Processes: Photoelectrochemical (PEC)
Hydrogen Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
7.3.6 Water Photoreduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
7.3.7 Methanol Photoreforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
7.4 Conclusions and Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Abstract This chapter reviews the potential applications of photocatalytic processes using titanium oxide-based materials in environmental chemistry. The chapter
starts with a short introduction on nanosized titanium oxide discussing its properties,
structural features, and the most relevant synthetic methods for its preparation and
modification. Subsequently, a section on the applications of titanium oxide nanostructured systems in advanced oxidation processes is presented. In addition, this
chapter contains a thorough revision of the latest results on the use of nanosized
titanium oxide in water remediation, water splitting, and hydrogen production using
photocatalytic or photoelectrocatalytic processes.
A. Boudjemaa
Centre de Recherche Scientifique et Technique en Analyses Physico-Chimiques (CRAPC),
Bou-Ismail, Tipaza, Algeria
S. Gómez-Ruiz (*)
Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, E.S.C.E.T. Universidad
Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
e-mail: santiago.gomez@urjc.es
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
N. Dasgupta et al. (eds.), Environmental Nanotechnology Volume 4, Environmental
Chemistry for a Sustainable World 32, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26668-4_7
215