Floating TiO 2 -Cork Nano-Photocatalysts for Water Purification Using Sunlight

Maria Leonor Matias, Maria Morais, Ana Pimentel, Francisco X. Vasconcelos, Ana S. Reis Machado, Joana Rodrigues, Elvira Fortunato, Rodrigo Martins () and Daniela Nunes ()
Additional contact information
Maria Leonor Matias: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Maria Morais: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Ana Pimentel: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Francisco X. Vasconcelos: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Ana S. Reis Machado: LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Joana Rodrigues: Physics Department and I3N, Aveiro University, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Elvira Fortunato: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Rodrigo Martins: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Daniela Nunes: CENIMAT|i3N, Department of Materials Science, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon and CEMOP/UNINOVA, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 15, 1-22

Abstract: In the present study, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nano-photocatalysts were synthesized through microwave irradiation. In a typical microwave synthesis, TiO 2 nanomaterials were simultaneously produced in powder form and also directly covering cork substrates. The TiO 2 nanopowder was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), revealing that the solvothermal microwave synthesis resulted only in the TiO 2 anatase phase. From Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), cork’s organic species, along with bands of TiO 2 , were detected. UV–VIS absorption spectrum revealed an absorption extension to the visible region, since a brown powdered TiO 2 product was obtained. Very fine nanoparticles were observed displaying a nearly spherical shape that agglomerates in larger particles. These larger particles fully covered the surface of the honeycomb cork cells, originating TiO 2 functionalized cork platforms. The TiO 2 functionalized substrates were further tested as floating photocatalysts and their photocatalytic activity was assessed from rhodamine B degradation under solar simulating light and natural sunlight. Reusability tests were also performed under natural sunlight. The strategy applied in this research work allowed the production of green and low-cost cork platforms based on TiO 2 photoactive materials with the ability to purify polluted water under natural sunlight.

Keywords: TiO 2; photocatalysis; water purification; microwave synthesis; floating catalysts; cork (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9645/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9645/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:9645-:d:881142

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().