Abstract
Zn-TiO(2) composites were synthesized via a hydrothermal method, and their photocatalytic performance was optimized using an orthogonal design. Among the factors of hydrothermal temperature, reaction time, and Ti/Zn molar ratio, hydrothermal temperature showed the most significant influence on the photocatalytic performance of Zn-TiO(2). The Zn-TiO(2) obtained under the optimal conditions (120 °C, 10 h, and a Ti/Zn molar ratio of 100:5) exhibited the best photocatalytic performance, with a 26% improvement in the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RB) compared to pure TiO(2) under identical conditions. The composition, morphology, and structure of the Zn-TiO(2) photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, N(2) adsorption-desorption, and XPS, thereby enabling analysis of the mechanism for the enhancement of its photocatalytic performance. In this work, air-entrained composite mortar (ACM) with a double-layer structure was designed as a contrast to conventional cement mortar (CM). Novel green building materials with pollutant-degradation capability were developed by loading Zn-TiO(2) and TiO(2) photocatalysts onto these different mortar surfaces. Photocatalytic tests and cyclic aging experiments demonstrated that the Zn-TiO(2)/ACM achieved the superior degradation effect on the RB solution and maintained good catalytic stability. These findings suggest broad application prospects in the field of green building materials.