Synthesis of solvothermal derived TiO2 nanocrystals supported on ground nano egg shell waste and its utilization for the photocatalytic dye degradation

Abstract

TiO2 nanoparticles with excellent crystallinity were synthesized via solvothermal method and supported on the ground nano-sized egg shell waste at different loading concentrations. The photocatalytic degradation of the mixture of Methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) in aqueous solution utilizing prepared TiO2 nano composite under visible light irradiation was analysed. Different characterizations including UV–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM), energy dispersive studies (EDS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to investigate the physicochemical properties of the prepared catalyst. In addition, FE-SEM and EDS analysis of the prepared egg shell support were carried out to confirm the morphology, particle size distribution, and composition. The solvothermal derived TiO2 nanocrystals supported on ground nano-sized egg shell waste exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity as compared to the as-prepared TiO2 nanoparticles. The synergistic effect of TiO2 nanoparticles and nano egg shell support is attributed to the effective dispersion of TiO2 that offers high specific surface area.