| Summary: | Acesulfame K is a zero-calorie alternative to sugar used worldwide. There is contradictory information on the toxicity of the compound, but its accumulation in the aquatic environment is undeniable. In this study, one-pot sol-gel synthesis was used to obtain nitrogen-doped TiO<sub>2</sub> photocatalysts. Doping up to 6.29 wt % of nitrogen caused an increase in the surface area of the catalysts (48.55–58.23 m<sup>2</sup>∙g<sup>−1</sup>) and a reduction of the pH<sub>PZC</sub> value (5.72–5.05). Acesulfame K photodegradation was tested at the initial concentration of 20–100 ppm and the catalyst concentration at the level of 1 g∙L<sup>−1</sup>. Compared to the pure anatase, 4.83–6.29 wt % nitrogen-doped TiO<sub>2</sub> showed an effective photodegradation of Acesulfame K. Ninety percent molecule removal was obtained after ~100 min, ~90 min, and ~80 min for initial concentrations of 20 ppm, 50 ppm, and 100 ppm, respectively. The increased activity of the catalysts is due to the modification of the TiO<sub>2</sub> lattice structure and probably the limitation of the photogenerated electron/hole charge carrier recombination. It was shown that the electrostatic interactions between Acesulfame K and the catalyst surface play an important role in the photodegradation efficiency.
|
|---|