Bellè U., De Flaviis L., Diamanti M.V., Ormellese M., Pedeferri M.
Politecnico di Milano, IT
Keywords: anatase, dyes, nanotubes, photocatalysis, titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely investigated for its photocatalytic properties and for the possibility of obtaining nanotubular oxide films with high specific surface area directly immobilized on a substrate. In the present work, nanotubular TiO2 was obtained through anodization of titanium in ethylene glycol-based electrolyte. Photodegradation tests were performed with four different organic dyes, i.e. Rhodamine B, Methylene Blue, Direct Red 80 and Acid Orange 7. Single dye solutions and binary solutions were tested under a UV lamp for six hours. The results show that, after 6 hours irradiation, most dyes are degraded by almost 90%, confirming that nanotubular TiO2 can be well-exploited as a photocatalyst both for single dye and for binary solutions. Furthermore, dyes can degrade with different kinetics depending on the type of solution in which they are mixed, and absorbance spectra of different mixed dyes can overlap, showing the necessity of more advanced analyses.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: TechConnect Briefs 2019
Published: June 17, 2019
Pages: 201 - 204
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topics: Catalysis, Energy Storage
ISBN: 978-0-9988782-8-7