Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange by TiO<sub>2</sub>/Schorl Photocatalyst: Affecting Parameters

Abstract

In situ growth of TiO2 nanocrystals on the surface of schorl was realized via Sol-Gel method in this work. The obtained TiO2/schorl composite photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An active dye, Methyl Orange (MO), was used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of TiO2/schorl composite photocatalyst. The effect of sintering temperature and time on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2/schorl was emphasized in this work. XRD results indicated that TiO2 existed in the form of anatase only when the temperature was less than 550°C, and the sintering time was less than 2.5h. Higher sintering temperature and longer sintering time could impel the appearance of rutile phase. SEM observations revealed that the nanosized particles of TiO2 were well dispersed and immobilized on the surface of schorl. The optimum preparation conditions of TiO2/schorl composite with best photocatalytic activity were that sintering temperature was 550°C and sintering time was 2.5h.