PHOTOCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF NITRATE TO AMMONIA USING LAYERED HYDROUS TITANATE CADMIUM SULFIDE NANOCOMPOSITES/

The photocatalytic activity of H2Ti4O9/CdS nanocomposites incorporatin g CdS particles, less than 0.8 nm thick, in the interlayer of H2Ti4O9 was evaluated for the reduction of NO3- with and without methanol. NO3 - was photochemically reduced by bandgap illumination in the presence of H2Ti4O9/CdS nanocomposites with and without methanol although unsup ported CdS showed no noticeable photocatalytic activity for NO3- reduc tion. The oxidation of CdS in H2Ti4O9/CdS to SO42- was accompanied by NO3- reduction without methanol, whereas addition of methanol was usef ul to promote the NO3- reduction and depress the oxidation of CdS. The catalytic activity of H2Ti4O9/CdS greatly increased with doping Pt pa rticles in the interlayer.