• Journal of Powder Materials
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.487-492
• /
• 2019

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a typical inorganic material that has an excellent photocatalytic property and a high refractive index. It is used in water/air purifiers, solar cells, white pigments, refractory materials, semiconductors, etc.; its demand is continuously increasing. In this study, anatase and rutile phase titanium dioxide is prepared using hydroxyl and carboxyl; the titanium complex and its mechanism are investigated. As a result of analyzing the phase transition characteristics by a heat treatment temperature using a titanium complex having a hydroxyl group and a carboxyl group, it is confirmed that the material properties were different from each other and that the anatase and rutile phase contents can be controlled. The titanium complexes prepared in this study show different characteristics from the titania-formation temperatures of the known anatase and rutile phases. It is inferred that this is due to the change of electrostatic adsorption behavior due to the complexing function of the oxygen sharing point, which crystals of the TiO₆ structure share.

• Advances in environmental research
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.261-277
• /
• 2013

The degradation of alachlor has been investigated using sonolysis (US), photocatalysis (UV) and sonophotocatalysis (US/UV) using three photocatalyst viz. $TiO_2$ (mixture of anatase and rutile), $TiO_2$ (anatase) and ZnO. The effect of photocatalyst loading on the extent of degradation of alachlor has been investigated by varying $TiO_2$ (both types) loading over the range of 0.01 g/L to 0.1 g/L and ZnO loading over the range of 0.05 g/L to 0.3 g/L. The optimum loading of the catalyst was found to be dependent on the type of operation i.e., photocatalysis alone or the combined operation of sonolysis and photocatalysis. All the combined processes gave complete degradation of alachlor with maximum rate of degradation being obtained in the case of sonophotocatalytic process also showing synergistic effect at optimized loading of photocatalyst. About 50% to 60% reduction in TOC has been obtained using the combined process of sonophotocatalysis depending on the operating conditions. The alachlor degradation fitted first order kinetics for all the processes under investigation. It has been observed that the $TiO_2$ (mixtrure of anatase and rutile) is the most active photocatalyst among the three photocatalysts studied in the current work. The effect of addition of radical enhancers and scavengers on sonophotocatalytic degradation of alachlor has been investigated in order to decipher the controlling mechanism. The alachlor degradation products have been identified using LC-MS method.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.57 no.2
• /
• pp.259-266
• /
• 2019

Tuning of electro-optical properties of nano-structured $SnO_2:Ga$ powders in a micro drop fluidized reactor (MDFR) was highly effective to enhance the activities of powders to be used as sensor materials. The tuning was conducted continuously in a facile one-step process during the formation of powders. The microscopic hydrodynamic forces affected the band gap structure and charge transfer of $SnO_2:Ga$ powders through the oxygen and interfacial tin vacancies by providing plausible pyro-hydraulic conditions, which resulted in the decrease in the electrical resistance of the materials. The analyses of room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra and FT-IR exhibited that the tuning could improve the surface activities of $SnO_2:Ga$ powders by adjusting the excitation as well as separation of electrons and holes, thus maximizing the oxygen vacancies at the surface of the powders. The scheme of photocatalytic mechanism of $SnO_2:Ga$ powders was also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.35 no.9
• /
• pp.636-642
• /
• 2013

In order to overcome drawbacks (i.e., filtration and recovery) of conventional powder type photocatalysts, nano-ZnO/Laponite/PVA (ZLP) photocatalyzed adsorption balls were developed by using in situ mixing of nanoscale ZnO as a photocatalyst, and Laponite as both adsorbent and supporting media in deionized water, followed by the poly vinyl alcohol polymerization with boric acid. The optimum mixing ratio of nano-ZnO:Laponite:PVA:deionized water was found to be 3:1:1:16 (by weight), and the mesh and film produced by PVA polymerization with boric acid might inhibit both swelling of Laponite and detachment of nanoscale ZnO from ZLP balls. Drying ZLP balls with microwave (600 watt) was found to produce ZLP balls with stable structure in water, and various sizes (55~500 ${\mu}m$) of pore were found to be distributed based on SEM and TEM results. In the initial period of reaction (i. e., 40 min), adsorption through ionic interaction between methylene blue and Laponite was the main removal mechanism. After the saturation of methylene blue to available adsorption sites for Laponite, the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue occurred. The effective removal of methylene blue was attributed to adsorption and photocatalytic degradation. Based on the results from this study, synthesized ZLP photocatalyzed adsorption balls were expected to remove recalcitrant organic compounds effectively through both adsorption and photocatalytic degradation, and the risks of environmental receptors caused by detachment of nanoscale photocatalysts can be reduced.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.412-420
• /
• 2023

In this study, red mud/fly ash based geopolymer adsorbents (RFGPA) were prepared with calcination temperatures of 200, 400, and 600 ℃, and the effects of these calcination temperatures on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) were investigated. In addition, the prepared RFGPA was characterized using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Brunauer-EmmettTeller (BET) analysis. The results of the adsorption kinetics of MB at RFGPA prepared calcination temperatures indicated that the adsorption equilibrium of MB was reached after about 72 h. From the results of the adsorption isotherm, we verified that the degree of adsorption increased with increasing MB concentrations. In addition, the adsorption amount (Q) of MB decreased with an increase in calcination temperature. The experimental adsorption isotherm data were well fitted to the Freundlich and Sips equations compared to the Langmuir equation. In order to verify the effects of photocatalytic decomposition (C/C₀) of MB on Fe₂O₃ present in prepared RFGPA, the degree of decomposition of MB was examined under dark and visible conditions. Results indicated that the decomposition of MB in visible conditions was about 3.0 times faster than that in dark conditions.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.261-268
• /
• 2012

Objectives: The photocatalytic degradation of toluene in a batch mode photoreactor for the purpose of the hazardous waste treatment was investigated. Methods: Kinetic experiments using a low pressure mercury lamp (Lambda Scientific Pty Ltd, 50 Watt) emitting both UV and visible light were performed at $31^{\circ}C$ over toluene concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 mg/l in water with $50%TiO_2/6%WO_3$ (TW) concentration of 1 g/l at a pH of 6. Results: Kinetic studies showed that $50%TiO_2/6%WO_3$ (TW) photocatalyst was highly active in toluene degradation; we observed that 99% of the pollutant was degraded after six hours under visible irradiation; furthermore, we observed that adsorption onto TW catalyst was responsible for the decrease of toluene with pseudo-first order kinetics. It was also found that oxygen as a radical source in the sol medium played a significant role in affecting the photodegradation of toluene, especially with a two-fold elevation. This increase was achieved by a more than four-fold elevation of the photodegradation of toluene in the presence of acetone than without, presumably via an energy transfer mechanism. Conclusions: We concluded that photodegradation in acetone and oxygen molecules along with TW was an effective method for the removal of toluene from wastewater.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.913-918
• /
• 2014

Five mol % tungsten-doped tin oxide ($W_{0.05}Sn_{0.95}O_2$, TTO5) was prepared by co-precipitation of $SnCl_4{\cdot}5H_2O$ and $WCl_4$, followed by calcination at $1000^{\circ}C$. The as-prepared TTO5 was in the pure cassiterite phase with a particle size of ~50 nm and optical bandgap of 2.51 eV. Herein it was applied for the formation of TTO5/$TiO_2$ heterojunctions by covering the TTO5 surface with $TiO_2$ by sol-gel method. Under visible-light irradiation (${\lambda}{\geq}420$ nm), TTO5/$TiO_2$ showed a significantly high photocatalytic activity in removing gaseous 2-propanol (IP) and evolving $CO_2$. It is deduced that its high visible-light activity is caused by inter-semiconductor holetransfer between the valence band (VB) of TTO5 and $TiO_2$, since the TTO5 nanoparticle (NP) exhibits the absorption edge at ~450 nm and its VB level is located more positive side than that of $TiO_2$. The evidence for the hole-transport mechanism between TTO5 and $TiO_2$ was also investigated by monitoring the holescavenging reaction with 1,4-terephthalic acid (TA).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.957-967
• /
• 2018

A novel $g-C_3N_4$/ZnO/stellerite (CNZOS) hybrid photocatalyst, which was synthesized by coupled hydro thermal-thermal polymerization processing, was applied as an efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst against Staphylococcus aureus. The optimum synthesized hybrid photocatalyst showed a sandwich structure morphology with layered $g-C_3N_4$ (doping amount: 40 wt%) deposited onto micron-sized ZnO/stellerite particles (ZnO average diameter: ~18 nm). It had a narrowing band gap (2.48 eV) and enlarged specific surface area ($23.05m^2/g$). The semiconductor heterojunction effect from ZnO to $g-C_3N_4$ leads to intensive absorption of the visible region and rapid separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In this study, CNZOS showed better photocatalytic disinfection efficiency than $g-C_3N_4/ZnO$ powders. The disinfection mechanism was systematically investigated by scavenger-quenching methods, indicating the important role of $H_2O_2$ in both systems. Furthermore, $h^+$ was demonstrated as another important radical in oxidative inactivation of the CNZOS system. In respect of the great disinfection efficiency and practicability, the CNZOS heterojunction photocatalyst may offer many disinfection applications.

• Advances in environmental research
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.213-223
• /
• 2018

Continuous input into the aquatic ecosystem and persistent structures have created concern of antibiotics, primarily due to the potential for the development of antimicrobial resistance. Degradation kinetics and mineralization of vancomycin B (VAN-B) by photocatalysis using $TiO_2$ and ZnO nanoparticles was monitored at natural pH conditions. Photocatalysis (PC) efficiency was followed by means of UV absorbance, total organic carbon (TOC), and HPLC results to better monitor degradation of VAN-B itself. Experiments were run for two initial VAN-B concentrations ($20-50mgL^{-1}$) and using two catalysts $TiO_2$ and ZnO at different concentrations (0.1 and $0.5gL^{-1}$) in a multi-lamp batch reactor system (200 mL water volume). Furthermore, a set of toxicity tests with Daphnia magna was performed to evaluate the potential toxicity of oxidation by-products of VAN-B. Formation of intermediates such as chlorides and nitrates were monitored. A rapid VAN-B degradation was observed in ZnO-PC system (85% to 70% at 10 min), while total mineralization was observed to be relatively slower than $TiO_2-PC$ system (59% to 73% at 90 min). Treatment efficiency and mechanism of degradation directly affected the rate of transformation and by-products formation that gave rise to toxicity in the treated samples.