Microwave-assisted Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activities of TiO2 Nanoparticles

Abstract

Environmental photocatalysis of wastewater is an important application of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). This paper reports the microwave-assisted green synthesis of TiO2 NPs using the isolated extract of Permelia perleta lichen. Development of TiO2 NPs was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The acquired TiO2 NPs were utilized as a nano photocatalyst in the degradation of acridine orange and phenol red dyes as model organic pollutants. The degradation efficiency of the developed TiO2 NPs was evaluated using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer. We found that the acquired TiO2 NPs had an average particle size of 30–40 nm, and the nanoparticles were somewhat agglomerated and are nonuniform in shape. The developed nano photocatalyst degraded the selected dyes efficiently, and the degradation efficiency was much better when the test sample was irradiated with UV light with a wavelength of 310 nm.

Keywords

• tio2 nanoparticles (nps)
• green synthesis
• acridine orange
• phenol red
• permaelia perleta