Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes Contaminated Aqueous Solution Using Binary CdTiO₂ and Ternary NiCdTiO₂ Nanocomposites

Abstract

The synergistic effect of binary CdTiO2 and ternary NiCdTiO2 on the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 nanoparticles was investigated. The SEM analysis demonstrates spherical TiO2 NPs of different sizes present in agglomerated form. The structural analysis of the nanocomposites reveals a porous structure for TiO2 with well deposited Cd and Ni NPs. TEM images show NiCdTiO2 nanocomposites as highly crystalline particles having spherical and cubical geometry with an average particle size of 20 nm. The EDX and XRD analysis confirm the purity and anatase phase of TiO2, respectively. Physical features of NiCdTiO2 nanocomposite were determined via BET analysis which shows that the surface area, pore size and pore volume are 61.2 m2/g, 10.6 nm and 0.1 cm3/g, respectively. The absorbance wavelengths of the CdTiO2 and NiCdTiO2 nanocomposites have shown red shift as compared to the neat TiO2 due to coupling with Ni and Cd that results in the enhanced photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activity demonstrated that TiO2, CdTiO2 and NiCdTiO2 degrade methylene blue (MB) and methyl green (MG) about 76.59, 82, 86% and 63.5, 88, 97.5%, respectively, at optimum reaction conditions.

Keywords

• TiO₂
• nanocomposites
• photocatalysts
• photodegradation
• methylene blue
• methyl green