Abstract: Using commercially available activated carbon (AC) as a carrier, photocatalysts of activated carbon-supported TiO₂ (TiO₂/AC) with different specific surface areas and TiO₂ loading contents were prepared by the sol-gel method. Nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to obtain the performance parameters of the TiO₂/AC catalysts. The photocatalytic performance of the TiO₂/AC catalysts was studied by using gaseous 1,2-dichlorobenzene. The influence of catalyst dose, specific surface area, and gaseous 1,2-dichlorobenzene concentration on this photodegradation was investigated. The results show that a nano-TiO₂ deposit was formed with a particle size of approximately 10 nm. The loading of TiO₂ onto the AC with a large specific surface area enhanced the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ photocatalysis with regard to the degradation of gaseous 1,2- dichlorobenzene. We show that TiO₂/AC catalysts have a synergetic effect on AC adsorption and TiO₂ photocatalysis during the degradation of gaseous 1,2-dichlorobenzene by comparing the photocatalytic performance of a commercial P25 catalyst and TiO₂/AC catalysts.

Key words: Supported TiO₂, Activated carbon support, Specific surface area, Photocatalyst, Gaseous 1,2-dichlorobenzene