Abstract
Heterostructures based on ZnO-TiO2/delaminated montmorillonite coated with Ag have been prepared by sol–gel and photoreduction procedures, varying the Ag and ZnO contents. They have been thoroughly characterized by XRD, WDXRF, UV–Vis, and XPS spectroscopies, and N2 adsorption, SEM, and TEM. In all cases, the montmorillonite was effectively delaminated with the formation of TiO2 anatase particles anchored on the clay layer’s surface, yielding porous materials with high surface areas. The structural and textural properties of the heterostructures synthesized were unaffected by the ZnO incorporated. The photoreduction led to solids with Ag nanoparticles decorating the surface. These materials were tested as photocatalysts for the degradation of several emerging contaminants with different nitrogen-bearing chemical structures under solar light. The catalysts yielded high rates of disappearance of the starting pollutants and showed quite stable performance upon successive applications.
Highlights
The development of porous heterostructures based on clay minerals (PCHs) has attracted researchers specially to develop nanoporous materials with predesigned properties for catalytic applications as an alternative to zeolites
The subsequent hydrolysis and condensation upon water addition occur between the clay layers, giving rise to the clay delamination
This procedure has been previously reported for several titania and doped-titania solids [16,17,18], being a simple and reproducible way to synthesize delaminated porous clay heterostructures
Summary
The development of porous heterostructures based on clay minerals (PCHs) has attracted researchers specially to develop nanoporous materials with predesigned properties for catalytic applications as an alternative to zeolites. The application of TiO2 -PILCs for the photodegradation of emerging contaminants is not so extended In this context, different strategies are under study to improve the efficiency of layered clay-based photocatalysts. Different strategies are under study to improve the efficiency of layered clay-based photocatalysts They are mainly focused on the improvement of the porosity by delaminating the structure, and the anchorage of other semiconductors, such as ZnO, Bi2 O3 , silver halides, and other ternary oxides [20], being necessary to study the relation between the semiconductors and clay materials for the photocatalytic reaction. The current work focuses its attention on the degradation of pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen and antipyrine) and pesticide (atrazine) as model emerging contaminants because of their frequent use by the population and their impact on the environment [21]
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