Dye-sensitized TiO2 film with bifunctionalized zones for photocatalytic degradation of 4-cholophenol

Highlights: → Bifunctionalized TiO2 film with dye-sensitized zone and degradation zone. → Photocatalytic degradation of 4-cholophenol under visible light. → The degradation is improved by FeSO4. → The bifunctionalized TiO2 film removes 4-chlorophenol with 97% after 5 h. - Abstract: A new strategy to photocatalytic degradation of 4-cholophenol (4-CP) under visible light irradiation was described. The TiO2 film deposited on an ordinary glass sheet was distributed into two zones. One zone was sensitized by N719 dye and fabricated to be a sandwich type cell with a similar structure of dye-sensitized solar cells. The other zone was inserted into pollutants solution for degradation. A highly oxidized overvoltage anode was achieved from the dye-sensitized zone. The bifunctionalized TiO2 film and the anode could degrade 4-chlorophenol in two separate reactors with 97% and 96% removal of 4-CP after 5 h, respectively. The degradation efficiency could be improved by addition of FeSO4. The as-prepared bifunctionalized TiO2 film was comparably stable in the process of degradation.