Preparation of TiO2/activated carbon nanomaterials with enhanced photocatalytic activity in paracetamol degradation

Author(s)

Gloria, Diego Coelho Sanches ; Brito, Carlos Henrique Vieira ; Mendonca, Thais Aline Prado ; Brazil, Tayra Rodrigues ; Domingues, Raquel Aparecida ; Vieira, Nirton Cristi Silva ; Santos, Elias Barros ; Goncalves, Maraisa

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Materials Chemistry and Physics; v. 305, p. 8-pg., 2023-05-22.

Abstract

Despite the advances in the photocatalytic degradation method to treat wastewater, obtaining efficient, stable, and cost-effective materials for this application is still challenging. The present study employed a simple and effective sol-gel method to prepare a photocatalyst consisting of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and activated carbon (AC). Four types of catalysts were obtained with different proportions of TiO2:AC, which were named TiO2/AC-05, TiO2/AC-10, TiO2/AC-30, and TiO2/AC-70. The surface area and the pore volume of TiO2 were significantly increased after incorporating AC, from 5% to 70%. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that TiO2 is present in the anatase phase, with a particle size distribution centered at 11 nm, obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, TEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the interaction of both materials, resulting in a TiO2/AC nanocomposite combination. All four combination types were evaluated as the photocatalyst for Paracetamol degradation to investigate which material has the best photocatalytic performance. TiO2/AC-30 showed the highest efficient activity and achieved about 95% of the Paracetamol photodegradation. Therefore, the TiO2/AC-30 nanocomposite can be reused because it showed activity after five cycles of Paracetamol photodegradation. This study indicates that TiO2/AC-30 can be a good candidate for water purification containing emergent contaminants. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 21/02348-0 - Synthesis and characterization of graphene derivatives for multifunctional applications
• Grantee: Carlos Henrique Vieira de Brito
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Technical Training Program - Technical Training
• FAPESP's process: 19/13471-8 - Multifunctional 3D photocatalytic systems for environmentally friendly sustainable technologies
• Grantee: Maraisa Gonçalves
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants