The effect of titanium dioxide synthesis technique and its photocatalytic degradation of organic dye pollutants
David Dodoo-Arhin,
Frederick Paakwah Buabeng,
Julius M. Mwabora,
Prince Nana Amaniampong,
Henry Agbe,
Emmanuel Nyankson,
David Olubiyi Obada,
Nana Yaw Asiedu
Affiliations
David Dodoo-Arhin
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ghana, P.O. Box Lg 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana; African Materials Science and Engineering Network (A Carnegie-IAS RISE Network), Ghana; INCREASE (FR CNRS 3707), ENSIP, 1 rue Marcel Doré, TSA41105, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France; Corresponding authors.
Frederick Paakwah Buabeng
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ghana, P.O. Box Lg 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana; African Materials Science and Engineering Network (A Carnegie-IAS RISE Network), Ghana
Julius M. Mwabora
African Materials Science and Engineering Network (A Carnegie-IAS RISE Network), Ghana; Department of Physics, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Nanostructured mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles with high specific surface area and average crystallite domain sizes within 2 nm and 30 nm have been prepared via the sol-gel and hydrothermal procedures. The characteristics of produced nanoparticles have been tested using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), and Raman Spectroscopy as a function of temperature for their microstructural, porosity, morphological, structural and absorption properties. The as-synthesized TiO2 nanostructures were attempted as catalysts in Rhodamine B and Sudan III dyes' photocatalytic decomposition in a batch reactor with the assistance of Ultra Violet (UV) light. The results show that for catalysts calcined at 300 °C, ∼100 % decomposition of Sudan III dye was observed when Hydrothermal based catalyst was used whiles ∼94 % decomposition of Rhodamine B dye was observed using the sol-gel based catalysts. These synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles have promising potential applications in the light aided decomposition of a wide range of dye pollutants.
