Photocatalytic behavior of nanosized TiO2 immobilized on layered double hydroxides by delamination/restacking process

Abstract

Efficient immobilization of TiO(2) nanoparticles on the surface of Mg(2)Al-LDH nanosheets was performed by delamination/restacking process. EXPERIMENTAL PART: The structural and textural properties of as-prepared nanocomposite were deeply analyzed using different solid-state characterization techniques such as: X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopies, chemical analysis, X-ray photoelecton spectroscopy, N(2) adsorption-desorption, and electronic microscopy. The photocatalytic properties of immobilized TiO(2) nanoparticles on Mg(2)Al were investigated using the photodegradation of two model pollutants: Orange II and 4-chlorophenol, and compared with pure colloidal TiO(2) solution. It appears that Orange II photodegradation was systematically faster and more efficient than 4-chlorophenol photodegradation regardless of the medium pH. Moreover under slightly basic conditions, even if the TiO(2) photocatalytic efficiency decreases, photodegradation performed in presence of easily recovered TiO(2)/Mg(2)Al(1.5) nanocomposite gives rise to comparable or better results than pure TiO(2).