Photocatalytic VOCs Degradation Efficiency of Polypropylene Membranes by Incorporation of TiO₂ Nanoparticles

Abstract

A class of serious environmental contaminants related to air, namely volatile organic compounds (VOCs), has currently attracted global attention. The present study aims to remove harmful VOCs using as-prepared polypropylene membrane + TiO2 nanoparticles (PPM + TiO2 NPs) via the photocatalytic gas bag A method under UV light irradiation. Here, formaldehyde was used as the target VOC. The PPM + TiO2 NPs material was systematically characterized using various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, including field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. These results confirm the successful preparation of PPM + TiO2 NPs, which can be applied to the degradation of VOCs. Photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde gas reached 70% within 1 h of UV illumination. The energy bandgap and photoluminescence intensity reductions are responsible for the improved photocatalytic activity. These characteristics increase the charge transport while decreasing the recombination of electron–hole pairs.

Keywords

• TiO₂
• polypropylene
• membrane
• VOC eradication
• photocatalysis