Characterization of Co-AC/TiO2 Composites and Their Photonic Decomposition for Organic Dyes

In this study, activated carbon (AC) as a carbon source was modified with different concentrations of cobalt chloride ($CoCl_2$) to prepare a Co-AC composite, and it was used for the preparation of Co-AC/$TiO_2$ composites with titanium oxysulfate (TOS) as the titanium precursor. The physicochemical properties of the prepared Co-AC/$TiO_2$ composites were characterized by $N_2$ adsorption at 77 K, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The photocatalytic treatments of organic dyes were examined under an irradiation of visible light with different irradiation times. $N_2$ adsorption data showed that the composites had decreased surface area compared with the pristine AC, which was $389\;m^2/g$. From the XRD results, the Co-AC/$TiO_2$ composites contained a mixturephase structuresof anatase and rutile, but a cobalt oxide phase was not detected in the XRD pattern. The EDX results of the Co-AC/$TiO_2$ composites confirmed the presence of various elements, namely, C, O, Ti, and Co. Subsequently, the decomposition of methylene orange (MO, $C_{14}H_{14}N_3NaO_3S$) and rhodamine B (Rh.B, $C_{28}H_{31}ClN_2O_3$) in an aqueous solution, respectively, showed the combined effects of an adsorption effect by AC and the photo degradation effect by $TiO_2$. Especially, the Co particles in the Co-AC/$TiO_2$ composites could enhance the photo degradation behaviors of $TiO_2$ under visible light.