New route for in-situ anatase phase stabilization of titania photocatalist

The direct thermal stabilization of an anatase-based nano-crystalline photocatalyst (Degussa P25) was obtained by sintering in presence of Zr4+ organic salts. The procedure was demonstrated with the screen-printing technique using specifically formulated printing inks containing Zr4+ organic salts. The obtained catalysts were studied with XRD, TEM and (S)TEM-EDS. The photocatalytic activity was measured as toluene degradation in air at ambient concentration. This method allows to effectively stabilize the anatase phase up to 200 °C higher than the pristine catalyst preserving the photocatalytic activity. The described phase stabilization route supersedes the need of synthesizing specifically doped anatase.