Daylight Photocatalysis by Carbon‐Modified Titanium Dioxide

Green titana: Carbon-doped titanium dioxide, supported onto filter paper, photocatalyzes the gas-phase degradation of the atmospheric pollutants benzene (a), acetaldehyde (b) and carbon monoxide (c) in diffuse indoor visible light (see picture). Semiconductor photocatalysis is an efficient method for the chemical utilization of solar energy. It is based on the surface trapping of light-generated charges which induce interfacial electron-transfer reactions with a great variety of substrates. Titanium dioxide, the most promising photocatalyst is already used in various practical applications, such as self-cleaning paints and window panes.1 However, because of its large band gap of 3.20 eV only the small UV…