TiO₂ Immobilized on Fibrous Clay as Strategies to Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

TiO₂ immobilized in Sepiolite (TiO₂/Sep) was successfully prepared by the sol-gel technique, with titanium isopropoxide as the precursor for the formation of TiO₂ in the anatase phase calcined at 400 °C. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to energy dispersive spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that TiO₂/Sep structure was identified in all characterizations, showing the specific peaks, bands, mass loss, and morphology after the impregnation process. Photocatalytic experiments were performed under UV irradiation with various photocatalyst concentrations and pH effects in the reaction. The prepared samples presented 72% photocatalytic efficiency for eosin (EA) dye discoloration after 150 min under UV light. This efficiency was attributed to the radicals generated from the TiO₂ and the high specific surface area, showing that TiO₂/Sep is promising candidate in the degradation of organic pollutants.

Keywords:
Sepiolite; dye; environmental remediation; discoloration