Engineering Anatase Tio2 Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Degradation of Hazardous Organic Pollutant Via Advanced Oxidation Processes (Aops)

Abstract

The colorant dyes represent significant sources of non-aesthetic contamination and have the potential to generate hazardous byproducts via processes such as oxidation, hydrolysis, or other chemical transformations. Consequently, it is imperative to eliminate them from the water before their introduction into the ecosystem. There has been a notable focus on the decomposition of dyes in the last twenty years. In this study, we present a chemical co-precipitation method at low temperatures for synthesizing TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) in the anatase phase, featuring a size of 8 nm. These obtained TiO2 NPs are utilized for the degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye under sunlight, exhibiting remarkable efficiency in the photocatalytic degradation of dyes, achieving complete degradation within 75 minutes under sunlight exposure. The reduced band gap energy (Eg), along with enhanced response to visible light, optimal grain size, and rapid charge transfer kinetics, contribute to exceptional photocatalytic performance. The synthesized TiO2 NPs demonstrate outstanding reusability for up to ten cycles. Hydroxyl radicals prove to be more efficient than other reactive species in scavenger experiments. The combination of a decreased band gap and smaller particle size promotes enhanced adsorption and reduced recombination of charge carriers, resulting in the superior photocatalytic activity of TiO2 NPs.

Keywords: Photocatalysis, TiO2 nanoparticles, crystal violet degradation, anatase phase, visible light response, Advanced Oxidation Process