A Sustainable Combustion Process for Green Synthesis of TiO2 Nanoparticles: Applications in Photocatalytic Degradation and Electrochemical Sensing for Environmental Remediation

Abstract

AbstractHerein, a sustainable approach to combustion has been presented, utilizing Aloe Vera latex as a reducing agent in synthesizing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. The phase and composition of TiO2 have been confirmed using X‐ray diffraction, while the band gap has been determined as 3.17 eV using the Kubelka‐Monk plot. The photocatalytic potential of the TiO2 has been explored by assessing their effectiveness in degrading AR‐88 dye, demonstrating significant activity at 500 nm. Remarkably, in a span of 120 min of UV radiation, AR‐88 dye could reach an impressive photodegradation rate of 98.6 %, rendering the dye nearly colorless. TiO2 NPs have also been investigated as an electrode material in sensing paracetamol and D‐glucose by coating them onto a carbon paste electrode and immersing them in a 1 M KOH solution. The cyclic voltammetry experiments reveal that the TiO2 NPs possess excellent electrochemical characteristics, with a calculated proton diffusion coefficient of 5.651×10−4 cm2 s−1. These findings underscore the potential of TiO2 as a highly desirable electrode material with remarkable electrochemical properties. This research opens new avenues for utilizing TiO2 NPs in various electrochemical applications, particularly in the detection of pharmaceutically important compounds, highlighting its versatility.