Preparing visible photocatalytic paper with improved catalytic activity by adding N-TiO₂/diatomite@regenerated cellulose composite filler

Abstract

N-doped TiO₂ (N-TiO₂) photocatalyst was prepared by the sol-gel method, using butyl titanate and urea as raw materials, and then loaded onto diatomite to prepare a composite photocatalyst. Bleached sulfate softwood pulp fiber was dissolved and mixed with the composite photocatalyst and then regenerated to prepare composite fillers for the manufacture of visible light-responsive photocatalytic paper suitable for the removal of toxic formaldehyde gas. Photocatalytic paper containing 20% composite filler with a ratio of 4/6 N-TiO₂ (60% N-doping)/diatomite had good photocatalytic activity, with 50.1% formaldehyde degraded after 10 h under visible light irradiation. This photocatalytic paper also had good physical properties, with a paper density of 0.36 g cm⁻³, a burst index of 3.0 kPa·m² g⁻¹ and a tensile index of 43.33 Nm g⁻¹, indicating that it has good prospects for removal of indoor air pollutants.

Keywords:

• N-TiO₂/diatomite
• regenerated cellulose
• composite filler
• photocatalytic paper
• formaldehyde

Author contributions

Wenbo Liu contributed to the study design. Chengliang Hua had roles in collecting samples, data collection and analysis. The manuscript was written through contributions of Jian Li, Xiangyao Liu and Shixue Ren. All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript, decided to submit the work for publication.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that there are no competing financial interests.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (C2018007).