Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Behavior of SiO2@nitrized‐TiO2 Nanocomposites Obtained by a Straightforward Novel Approach
Prof. Dr. Antonino Gulino,
Prof. Dr. Georgia Papanikolaou,
Prof. Dr. Paola Lanzafame,
Prof. Dr. Abdellatif Aaliti,
Prof. Dr. Patrizia Primerano,
Prof. Dr. Luca Spitaleri,
Prof. Dr. Claudia Triolo,
Zainab Dahrouch,
Amani Khaskhoussi,
Prof. Dr. Sandra Lo Schiavo
Affiliations
Prof. Dr. Antonino Gulino
Department of Chemical Sciences University of Catania, and INSTM UdR of Catania Viale Andrea Doria 6 95125 Catania Italy
Prof. Dr. Georgia Papanikolaou
Department of Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences University of Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres, 31 98166 Messina Italy
Prof. Dr. Paola Lanzafame
Department of Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences University of Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres, 31 98166 Messina Italy
Prof. Dr. Abdellatif Aaliti
Département de Génie Chimique, Laboratoire Physico-Chimie des Matériaux, Substances Naturelles et Environnement Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Tanger Ancienne Route de l'Aéroport, Km 10, Ziaten. BP: 416. Tanger Maroc
Prof. Dr. Patrizia Primerano
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Università degli Studi di Messina Contrada Di Dio 98166 Messina Italy
Prof. Dr. Luca Spitaleri
Department of Chemical Sciences University of Catania, and INSTM UdR of Catania Viale Andrea Doria 6 95125 Catania Italy
Prof. Dr. Claudia Triolo
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile dell'Energia, dell'Ambiente e dei Materiali (DICEAM) Università “Mediterranea” Via Graziella, Loc. Feo di Vito 89122 Reggio Calabria Italy
Zainab Dahrouch
Département de Génie Chimique, Laboratoire Physico-Chimie des Matériaux, Substances Naturelles et Environnement Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Tanger Ancienne Route de l'Aéroport, Km 10, Ziaten. BP: 416. Tanger Maroc
Amani Khaskhoussi
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Università degli Studi di Messina Contrada Di Dio 98166 Messina Italy
Prof. Dr. Sandra Lo Schiavo
Department of Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences University of Messina Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontres, 31 98166 Messina Italy
Abstract We report on the facile synthesis of SiO2@nitrized‐TiO2 nanocomposite (NST) by calcination of TiO2 xerogel with OctaAmmonium POSS® (N‐POSS; POSS=polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes). The as‐obtained nanoporous mixed oxide is constituted by uniformly distributed SiO2 and nitrized‐TiO2, where the silica component is present in an amorphous state and TiO2 in an anatase/rutile mixed phase (92.1 % vs. 7.9 %, respectively) with very small anatase crystallites (3.7 nm). The TiO2 lattice is nitrized both at interstitial and substitutional positions. NST features a negatively charged surface with a remarkable surface area (406 m2 g−1), endowed with special adsorption capabilities towards cationic dyes. Its photocatalytic behavior was tested by following the degradation of standard aqueous methylene blue and methyl orange solutions under UV and visible light irradiation, according to ISO 10678:2010. For comparison, analogous investigations were carried out on a silica‐free N−TiO2, obtained by using NH4Cl as nitrogen source.
