ABSTRACT
Titanium dioxide (titania) is an ubiquitous whitening agent, used in paper, textiles, plastics, coatings/paints and other products. It is also an n-type semiconductor and can be used as a photocatalyst for conversion of a variety of organic compounds, including the oxidation of isopropyl alcohol to acetone, photodecomposition of acetic acid to methane, and oxidation of a variety of potential water contaminants. Modification of anatase titania with a variety of elements, including silicon and aluminum, results in large increases in acid strength. This effect has been extensively studied by Kozo Tanabe and others. Hydrogenolysis of esters to alcohols is a reaction of considerable commercial importance for production of fatty alcohols, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and 1,4-butanediol. Copper-chromium oxides have proven to be the catalysts of choice, but are becoming increasingly difficult to use because of the toxic nature of the spent catalyst.
