Highly efficient Zr doped-TiO₂/glass fiber photocatalyst and its performance in formaldehyde removal under visible light

Zr-doped-TiO₂ loaded glass fiber (ZT/GF) composite photocatalysts with different Zr/Ti ratios were prepared with a sol–gel process. Zr^{4 +} can replace Ti^{4 +} in the TiO₂ lattice, which is conducive to forming the anatase phase and reducing the calcination temperature. The glass fiber carrier was responsible for better dispersion and loading of Zr-doped-TiO₂ particles, improving the applicability of the Zr-doped-TiO₂. The ZT/GF photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) and Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH). The performance of photocatalysts with different loading was evaluated in formaldehyde degradation under visible light at room temperature. ZT/GF0.2 exhibited the highest activity, with a formaldehyde removal rate as high as 95.14% being observed, which is better than that of the photocatalyst particles alone. The stability of the catalyst was also tested, and ZT/GF exhibited excellent catalytic performance with 94.38% removal efficiency, even after seven uses.