Active TiO2 under visible light, as a key material for photoremediation

Abstract

TiO2 nanoparticles were obtained from a simple sol-gel method, which not involve the use of structure directing agents neither a high final calcination temperature. The solids were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis, N2 adsorption-desorption, and TEM. These materials were tested in photocatalytic degradation of two organic substrates: acid orange acid 7 (AO7) and paracetamol (PCT). LED lamps were used as sources of visible radiation. The parameters evaluated were the final calcination temperature as a post-synthesis treatment, and the presence of iron along carbon. A complete degradation of the two tested pollutants was achieved, using the catalysts modified with iron, carbon, and calcined only at 200 °C. In this way, it was possible to activate the synthetized mesoporous material with visible light, to be applied in an advanced oxidation process, as is heterogeneous photocatalysis.