Preparation and Characterization of Supported Molybdenum Doped TiO<sub>2</sub> on α-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Ceramic Substrate for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Ibuprofen (IBU) under UV Irradiation

TiO<sub>2</sub>-based photocatalyst materials have been widely studied for the abatement of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in water sources. In this study, 1.5 wt% Mo-doped HRTiO<sub>2</sub> was obtained by the sonochemical method. The material was analyzed and char...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chukwuka Bethel Anucha, Emin Bacaksiz, Vassilis N. Stathopoulos, Pavlos K. Pandis, Christos Argirusis, Constantina-Dia Andreouli, Zoi Tatoudi, Ilknur Altin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Catalysts
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/12/5/562
Description
Summary:TiO<sub>2</sub>-based photocatalyst materials have been widely studied for the abatement of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) in water sources. In this study, 1.5 wt% Mo-doped HRTiO<sub>2</sub> was obtained by the sonochemical method. The material was analyzed and characterized for thermal, structural/textural, morphological, and optical properties using TGA-DSC, XRD, TEM, FTIR, XPS, SEM-EDS, BET (N<sub>2</sub> adsorption-desorption measurement and BJH application method), and UV-Vis/DRS measurement. By the dip-coating technique, ~5 mg of Mo/HRTiO<sub>2</sub> as an active topcoat was deposited on ceramic. In suspension and for photocatalyst activity performance evaluation, 1 g/L of 1.5 wt% (Mo)/HRTiO<sub>2</sub> degraded ~98% of initial 50 mg/L IBU concentration after 80 min of 365 nm UV light irradiation and under natural (unmodified) pH conditions. Effects of initial pH condition, catalyst dosage, and initial pollutant concentration were also investigated in the photocatalyst activity performance in suspension. The photocatalyst test on the supported catalyst removed ~60% of initial 5mg/L IBU concentration, while showing an improved performance with ~90% IBU removal employing double and triple numbers of coated disk tablets. After three successive cycle test runs, XRD phase reflections of base TiO<sub>2</sub> component of the active photocatalyst supported layer remained unchanged: An indication of surface coat stability after 360 min of exposure under 365 nm UV irradiation.
ISSN:2073-4344