Photocatalytic Activity of SBA-15/TiO2 Nanocomposites on Industrial Hazardous Materials

Abstract

Titanium dioxide/SBA-15 samples with different ratio of metal oxide and mesoporous material prepared by acid-catalysed sol gel method were used as photocatalyst in the degradation of alizarin dye and pentachlorophenol (PCP). The proper incorporation of titanium in mesoporous SBA-15 without any disturbance in its tetrahedral sites is confirmed by various techniques. The photocatalytic activity of these samples is much higher than commercially available titanium due to huge increase in total surface area of the nanocomposites. The SBA-15 containing titanium shows great results for photodegradation process. The photodegradation of pentachlorophenol in water was found to be more efficient resulting in complete dechlorination of compound. The results of degradation demonstrate the importance of selection of catalyst and proved that it could be used as efficient and environmental friendly technique for the complete photodegradation of dyes as well as different organic pollutants.