A comparative study on the photodegradation efficiency of TiO<SUB align="right">2-CS hybrid beads under wet and dry conditions

Abstract

The direct ex-situ technique successfully produced chitosan (CS) support TiO2 hybrid beads under wet and dry circumstances. The addition of CS to TiO2 photocatalysis improves adsorption, dispersion, and stability. The active surface, crystallinity, and morphology of the hybrid beads were determined, confirming the samples' homogenous granular morphology and homogeneous dispersion of TiO2 nanoparticles in the CS matrix. The more vital interaction between TiO2 and CS molecules was responsible for the lower IR peak intensities of the OH and NH2 groups of wet hybrid beads. Raman spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the crystallinity and phase of TiO2 in both wet and dry samples are almost indistinguishable. With the optimal catalyst loading of 6 g, the photodegradation study revealed that wet hybrid beads reported adsorption of 95% for MB, while dry hybrid beads reported 75% for MO. Therefore, to enhance interactions between TiO2 and CS, TiO2-CS wet hybrid beads have superior stability, surface functioning, and adsorption capabilities, as determined by characterisation results.