Abstract
Geopolymer-TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared by two different techniques, namely the two-step acidification calcination treatment and one-step adding method. The potential photocatalytic activities of geopolymer-TiO2 nanocomposites prepared by the two different methods were tested and compared. Nanocomposites prepared via the one-step process showed better photocatalytic activity. The amount of TiO2 particles loaded on the surface of the foaming materials was investigated by XRD and SEM-Mapping. By comparing with the sample obtained from two-step treatment, the TiO2 particles were distributed uniformly on the surface of the foaming materials for the sample obtained from the one-step method in this study. Results showed that the specific surface area of the geopolymer-TiO2 prepared by the one-step treatment process (28.67 m2/g) was significantly lower than the two-step acidification calcination process (215.04 m2/g), while the photocatalytic efficiency with methylene blue trihydrate (MB) was better. This is due to the more stable structure of geopolymer-TiO2 nanocomposites, the better dispersion and more loading of TiO2 particles on the foaming materials surfaces, leading to the enhanced photocatalytic activity.
Highlights
IntroductionAmong the various metal dioxides, TiO2 is usually used as a photocatalyst to treat water pollution for the removal of chemical contaminants [2,3]
Metal dioxides with excellent photocatalytic activity have been attracting attention [1].Among the various metal dioxides, TiO2 is usually used as a photocatalyst to treat water pollution for the removal of chemical contaminants [2,3]
The geopolymer-TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared via two different processes, In the summary, geopolymer-TiO
Summary
Among the various metal dioxides, TiO2 is usually used as a photocatalyst to treat water pollution for the removal of chemical contaminants [2,3]. The recovery and the agglomerates of TiO2 nanoparticles are two inevitable problems [4]. Alouani et al removed methylene blue from aqueous solution by using fly ash based geopolymer powder [9]. Metakaolin based geopolymer was applied to absorb multiand mono- cations in aqueous solution by Onutai’s team [10]. Those studies suggest the possibility of using geopolymer as supports for photocatalyst. In order to increase the amount of the loadable nanoparticles and the contact surface with water, geopolymer could be prepared as a porous structure
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