Photocatalytic Efficiency of Metallo Phthalocyanine Sensitized TiO2 (MPc/TiO2) Nanocomposites for Cr(VI) and Antibiotic Amoxicillin

Melek Koç Keşir,Zekeriya Bıyıklıoğlu,Münevver Sökmen

doi:10.3390/w13162174

Melek Koç Keşir, Zekeriya Bıyıklıoğlu + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162174

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Abstract

Dye sensitization on semiconductor catalyst TiO2 was performed with four different metallophthalocyanine (MPc) derivates (M: Zn, Cu, Co, and Si) using a modified sol-gel method. MPc derivatives were loaded on TiO2 at 1% mass ratio aiming to increase its photocatalytic action and to shift the light absorption to higher UV region (365 nm). Non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX-100) was used to obtain a homogenous and mesa pore catalyst structure. The prepared catalysts were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and SEM to determine the crystal and surface structural properties of nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were used for photocatalytic removal and degradation of Cr(VI) and amoxicillin (AMX) as model pollutants. Photocatalytic reduction capacities of the catalysts were tested for Cr(VI) (10 mg/L) and AMX (20 mg/L) aqueous solutions. ZnPc-TiO2 catalyst was successful for Cr(VI) photoreduction since all Cr(VI) ions in the solution were successfully removed. Presence of TX-100 in the sol-gel synthesis of ZnPc-TiO2 had a positive effect by increasing the Cr(VI) removal rate to 97.93% after 150 min exposure period. Prepared catalysts were also tested for photodegradation of AMX, applying similar procedures. In general, all catalysts exhibited low degradation rates under the studied condition but more effective with 254 nm UV light (50.38%). Neither surface modification with TX-100 nor MPc sensitization provided significant degradation of AMX.

Highlights

Several environmental pollutants such as organic, inorganic, and biological waste that come from different industrial segments accumulate in water, air, and soil [1]
The novel nanocomposites were synthesized via the sol-gel method in the presence or absence of non-ionic Triton X-100 (TX-100) surfactant
FT-IR spectrums showed that MPc samples that had specific functional groups such as -NH, -OH and C=C were located on the TiO2 surface

Summary

Introduction

Several environmental pollutants such as organic, inorganic, and biological waste that come from different industrial segments accumulate in water, air, and soil [1]. To generate a sustainable environment, it is necessary to improve methods which remove these pollutants. Various research methods in literature have used centrifugation, sedimentation, flotation, adsorption, biological techniques, filtration, and thermal oxidation, which are collectively known as traditional and classical purification technologies, with the objective of lowering levels of pollutants [6,7,8]. It is known that heterogeneous photocatalysis with Titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is a semiconductor material, along with ultraviolet solar radiation, is one popular process utilized in removing hazardous compounds [11,12]. Influences on photocatalytic activity of surfactants have been investigated in experiments in which hazardous materials were removed with modified TiO2 nanoparticl4eosfi1n6 the scientific world. In order to generate sensitized or non-sensitized TiO2 composites, especially with mesoporous structures, surfactant materials were used in the literature. All solutions were prepared using ultrapure water throughout the photocatalytic experiments

MPc Sensitizers

Structural and Surface Analyses

Photocatalytic Performance Tests

Findings

Spectral Features of MPc Molecules

Conclusions