Abstract
A simple wet impregnation-calcination method was used to obtain a series of novel non-metal doped TiO2 photocatalysts. Biuret was applied as C and N source, while raw titanium dioxide derived from sulfate technology process was used as TiO2 and S source. The influence of the modification with biuret and the effect of the atmosphere (air or argon) and temperature (500–800 °C) of calcination on the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity of the photocatalysts towards ketoprofen decomposition under simulated solar light was investigated. Moreover, selected photocatalysts were applied for ketoprofen photodecomposition under visible and UV irradiation. Crucial features affecting the photocatalytic activity were the anatase to rutile phase ratio, anatase crystallites size and non-metals content. The obtained photocatalysts revealed improved activity in the photocatalytic ketoprofen decomposition compared to the crude TiO2. The best photoactivity under all irradiation types exhibited the photocatalyst calcined in the air atmosphere at 600 °C, composed of 96.4% of anatase with 23 nm crystallites, and containing 0.11 wt% of C, 0.05 wt% of N and 0.77 wt% of S.
Highlights
Water scarcities and water pollution are becoming one of the greatest environmental threats of the 21st century
Raw titanium dioxide derived from sulfate technology process was used as TiO2 and S source, while biuret was applied as C and N source
The photocatalytic activity was determined on a basis of decomposition and mineralization of ketoprofen, being a representative of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Summary
Water scarcities and water pollution are becoming one of the greatest environmental threats of the 21st century. N-doping is the most common non-metal doping method It can be conducted either interstitially by incorporating nitrogen atoms into TiO2 lattice or substitutionally by replacing oxygen with nitrogen [39,40]. To the best of our knowledge biuret has not been used for the purpose of TiO2 modification with C and N ever before Another aspect of novelty relates to the evaluation of the influence of the calcination atmosphere on the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity of the modified TiO2. Taking the above into consideration, the aim of the presented research was to investigate the influence of the modification of TiO2 with non-metals such as C, N and S on its physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light, as well as visible (>470 nm) and UV radiation.
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