Ultraviolet activated photocatalytic materials; their use in volatile compound decomposition

Abstract

Described herein are heterogeneous materials comprising a mixture of a first n-type semiconductor and a second n-type semiconductor. The first n-type semiconductor may be a single or plural phase TiOmaterial. The second n-type semiconductor includes a metal titanate and/or a noble metal. Upon activation with ultraviolet light, the photocatalytic material mixtures described herein efficiently decompose volatile chemical compounds. Furthermore, the photocatalytic materials disclosed herein are observably more stable, relative to known semiconductor materials, to inactivation by deposition.