3D-TiO2/HPOM/SiO2 Hybrid for Enhanced Photocatalytic Removal of Methyl Orange: A Facile Synthesis Approach
摘要
The treatment of organic pollutants such as methyl orange (MO) dye in water using semiconductor photocatalysis offers a promising approach for water disinfection. This study reported a novel 3D-TiO2/HPOM/SiO2 photocatalyst, synthesised via hydrothermal method, demonstrating excellent photocatalytic degradation of MO dye under UV-vis irradiation. The ternary composite combines the robust photocatalytic activity of titanium oxide, efficient electron scavenging capability of hybrid polyoxometalates (HPOM) and high surface area of silicon oxide (SiO2), which address the limitations of charge recombination and low dispersion. The physicochemical properties of the synthesised materials were characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). 3D-TiO2/HPOM/SiO2 photocatalyst achieved 85%-100% of MO degradation within 240 min under irradiation, surpassing pure TiO2, HPOM doped TiO2 and HPOM doped SiO2. The degradation efficiency of MO was found to dependent on the photocatalyst dosage, initial MO dye concentration and pH value. The kinetic studies of MO degradation using 3D-TiO2/HPOM/SiO2 photocatalyst was demonstrated, following the Langmuir-Hinshelwood pseudo-first-order model. Overall, this study was proven the novel synthesised 3D-TiO2/HPOM/SiO2 to be exceptional photocatalytic performance photocatalyst for industrial wastewater treatment due to its large surface area and high photocatalytic activity.