A.V. Katsanaki, A.G., Kontos, T.Maggos, M. Pelaez, V .Likodimos, E.A. Pavlatou, D.D. Dionysiou, P. Falaras
Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (2013), 140-141, 619-625
Visible light activated nanostructured TiO2 with nitrogen and fluorine co-dopants were prepared by the surfactant assisted sol–gel method and immobilized on glass substrates by dip coating. The films were inserted inside a continuous flow photoreactor and examined for the photocatalytic oxidation of NO air pollutant with initial concentration of 200–800 ppbv. The modified catalysts exhibited significant photocatalytic activity under daylight illumination, with maximum percentage of NO removal equal to 24.2% and photooxidation rate up to 0.66 μgm−2s−1. The reaction rates increased proportionally to the incident light intensity whereas for the strongly absorbed UV light a deviation from linearity was observed. Mass balance during photooxidation was confirmed by determining the amount of NO3− product residues onto the photocatalyst surface.