Flame synthesized tetragonal TiO2 nanoparticles for Methylene Blue and Congo Red dye removal applications

Abstract

Commercially affordable titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) catalyst with low toxicity and high efficiency, were prepared by scalable Flame pyrolysis method. For this, titanium iso-propoxide solution was directly burned in air, the product in the form of white soot was collected over water cooled conical flask. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by various sophisticated techniques viz. UV–Visible, FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS and TEM. The SEM, TEM and Zeta Potential Analyzer illustrated spherical morphology of the synthesized TiO2 NPs with an average size of about 150 nm. The XRD confirmed formation of prominently dominated anatase phase co-existed with traces of rutile phase. The combination of anatase and rutile phase exhibited increased catalytic activity for removal of dyes. The flame synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles exhibited strong dye removal efficiency of 97.64 % for Methylene Blue and 92.39 % for Congo Red dyes respectively, making it vitally important for the waste water treatment and industrial dyes removal applications. Probable dye degradations mechanism on the surface of TiO2 NPs also proposed based on the LCMS results.

Keywords

• TiO2 nanoparticles
• Dye adsorption
• Flame pyrolysis
• Methylene Blue
• Congo Red