Nanostructured Silver-Iron-Functionalized Titanium Dioxide Photo Electrocatalyst for Industrial Effluent Remediation

Over the past decade, the presence of organic contaminants in our natural water systems has accumulated significantly because of its increased use in industrial processes. One of the most harmful contaminants produced by the textile industry is methyl orange dye/orange II consumption of the slightest quantity (1 ppm) is toxic and detrimental to human health. The removal of methyl orange can be achieved through coagulation-flocculation, chemical precipitation, adsorption, and electrochemical treatment. However, photocatalysis is a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative. Nano-photocatalyst has shown great success in the remediation of wastewater. The semiconductor titanium dioxide has been researched by several groups for its photocatalytic activity however its efficiency is hampered by electron-hole pair recombination. Its photocatalytic activity can be enhanced through various morphological and compositional modifications. Noble metals deposited on TiO2 have been explored to enhance visible-light-activated photocatalysis. Among these, a composite consisting of silver-iron-titanium dioxide nanocomposites (AgFe-TiO2) has shown great potential towards photocatalytic oxidation of methyl orange. The degradation ratio was found to be 83% owing to their smaller size and bandgap decrease from 2.94 to 2.53 eV. This chapter presents a general overview of TiO2 application and discusses the principal technique used for its modification with Ag and Fe nanomaterials towards enhanced remediation of methyl orange. In the search for effective electrocatalysts—this chapter shows an efficient route to remove unsafe organic compounds from industrial wastewater based on a functionalized TiO2 nano-photo electrocatalyst. The study of the composition, surface area, shape, size, and nanostructure of these photocatalysts may help in the current and further development of photocatalysts for environmental remediation.