(215h) Photoelectrocatalytic Performance of TiO2/SnO2 Composite Thin Film Electrode

TiO₂/SnO₂ composite thin film was coated on one side of Ti/SnO₂- Sb-CeO₂ electrode by a simple sol-gel process route. The immobilization of catalyst as a film on a suitable substrate is the reasonable way to minimize post-treatment and increase the possibilities of real application.The TiO₂/SnO₂ composite thin film electrode have been employed for electrochemically assisted photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue. The photoelectric decomposition of methyl blue (MB) was used as a model system to investigate the effection of photocatalysis(PC), electrocatalysis(EC)and photoelectrocatalysis (PEC). The photocatalytic activity can be further enhanced by electric-field-assisted technology. The results reveal that the synergetic decomposition efficiency of photoelectrocatalysis is greater than that of the combine of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. Moreover, the key factors affecting the photoelectrocatalytic efficiency were discussed, including the applied bias potential, light intensity and initial concentration of MB. Additionally, the assumptive mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ with SnO₂-doped were proposed.