Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes Using Carbon Nanotube and Titania Nanoparticle

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 2013-07, Vol.224 (7), p.1-8, Article 1612
• Main Author: Mahmoodi, Niyaz Mohammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Activated carbon; Adsorption; Applied sciences; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Carbon; Carbon nanotubes; Catalysts; Chromatography; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Decomposition; Degradation; Dyes; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Experiments; Fourier transforms; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogeology; Intermediates; Investigations; Mineralization; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Nanotubes; Oxalates; Oxalic acid; Oxidation; Photocatalysis; Photodegradation; Pollutants; Pollution; Scanning electron microscopy; Soil Science & Conservation; Spectrum analysis; Studies; Sulfates; Titanium dioxide; Water Quality/Water Pollution
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-013-1612-3

In this paper, carbon nanotube (CNT) and titania nanoparticle (n-TiO 2 ) were used to degrade dyes using single (UV/CNT/H 2 O 2 and UV/n-TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 ) and binary catalyst (UV/CNT/n-TiO 2 and UV/CNT/n-TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 ) systems. Direct Red 23 and Direct Red 31 were used as model dyes. The surface characteristics of CNT were investigated using Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy. Photocatalytic dye degradation was studied using UV–Vis spectrophotometer and ion chromatography. The effects of initial dye concentration and salt on dye degradation were investigated. Formate, acetate and oxalate were detected as dominant aliphatic intermediates. Nitrate and sulfate were detected as dye mineralization products. The results indicated that the UV/CNT/n-TiO 2 /H 2 O 2 could be used as an eco-friendly process to degrade dyes.